Hello again!
I heard this today and was so confused that I just had to verify.
Is it true that in the middle ages left and right shoe didn't exist? That both shoes were shaped the same?
First thing that came to my mind was that shoes in let's say 15th century were pointy and could seem to be the same for both feet, and that this is just another wrong assumption (as cranes for lifting knights an such) which is widely known.
Second thing is that it was made up (with no proves or research) by those who think that people in the middle ages were primitive.

I just can't beleive that they didn't know left and right shoe. Does anyone of you know anything about this?

Miha

Every medieval and ancient shoe or sole that I have seen or handled has been very obviously right or left. Check the Museum of London's "Shoes and Pattens", or http://medievalwares.com/index.php?main_page=...yword=sole
Mark

No, they definitely had left and right shoes. All the originals I've seen are recognizably left or right. Pairs were symmetrical, but typically for 10th to 13th century, for example, the main seam on the upper went on the inside of the foot. So they were mirror images. Pointy toes might be pretty much centered, but up close you can tell whether the shoe is made for right or left foot. You can even see in paintings of shoemaker shops that there are wooden lasts hanging up, in pairs of lefts and rights.

Now, in the 18th century there was a big fashion for symmetry, so shoes were "straight lasted", both made on a single last. There were also people who did in fact switch their shoes off right to left each day to keep the wear even. But there were also those who said (correctly!) that this was bad for the shoes and bad for the feet. If you wear a pair of straight lasted shoes for a day or two, especially if they get wet, they will become right and left! You'll know as soon as you put them on.

Made a few shoes in my time...

Matthew

I am in no way an expert on medieval leatherworking, and certainly not cobbling/shoemaking; having said that, there is a wonderful book out there (sadly I don't own a copy but I have flipped through a friend's) by archaeologist Olaf Goubitz called Stepping through time: Archaeological footwear from prehistoric times until 1800. There is also the Shoes and Pattens book, which is from the Medieval Finds from Excavations in London series. Hope these two references are of some help!

This was a question on QI a while back, which might be where the idea is from. However, from memory it was between the 14th and 17th century that the trend was in ( I personaly have nothing to back that up, just reporting what the the question was on the show. That being said, they tend to do their research)

Thank you gentlemen for your answers!
Cheers!

Hi Guys have a look at this article re-making a Medieval shoes - step by step guide - http://howtomakearmour.blogspot.com/2013/04/m...guide.html