Shoes, boots, or as you like...

 Being a historical reenactor, a costumer, the most difficult point of an outfit are... 

You guessed it, the footwear. Getting historically accurate, or even appropriate shoes are really difficult. 

Very few makers exist, the most well known are the American Duchess company, but ordering online, without trying them on are rather risky, especially with my feet... I have a short, but wide feet with very high instep and the arc of my heel is flatter than most, thus any shoe can cause painful blisters. Even trainers. So I am very choosie with my footwear.

There is one maker who makes historical shoes, but he also makes shoes for theaters, moves, circus, he is extremely busy, it is very difficult to get a pair from him. 

I even tried to learn how to make shoes, my maternal grandparents were shoemakers, and it is in my blood. However, I only found one workshop, where I made two pair of shoes (I have posted about one of them still need to write a post about the other one), but I am afraid, what I can learn there is limited.

I really, really whish, there would be a place to learn how to make shoes, not as a way to make money, but a way to make the shoes I can wear to reenactments. Unfortunately, I could not find such a place until now. 

On the other hand I did find a place that makes shoes, that, with a little modification, I can use for turn of the century. When there was a concert in the city I went to university, (about two and a half hour drive/trainride away from where I live), I thought, what if I mix up the pleasant thing with another pleasant to a useful thing? 

I have not called the place beforehand, however, I took the fact that even though it is open only for two hours a day, we arrived two minutes before opening, as a good sign. 

We talked a few minutes about what I wanted, he showed me the styles he already has and we discussed, how much they can be modified, and he took the measurements from my feet. 

After about a month, I got the phonecall, that my boots are ready, and if I want them shipped, or would I go to get them. So I took myself on the train, tied them on, and fell in love. 

The boots were just as I imagined/wanted them. Go perfectly well with my white linen sporting clothes. 

I already placed an order for another historical shoe, and I cannot wait to see, how that will turn out. 

Thank you Baktócipő and József Zombori .

Photos: Varga Norbert @ Bodeszphoto