Roman Shoes

Soleae

• Solea/Soleae:
  These sandals are merely simple soles, sometimes hobnailed, of leather or matting attached to the feet by a thong between the toes or with a few thongs of leather tied round the ankle. They were worn with a tunic when it was not covered by an outer garment; customarily their use was limited to the house. It was not considered suitable for a man to go out in sandals. Sandals were not worn at meals; host and guests wore them into the dining room, but as soon as the men took their places on the couches, slaves removed the sandals and kept them until the meal was over. The phrase soleas poscere (ask for one's sandals) came to mean "prepare to leave."
• Solo alto:
  A phrase describing the high platform shoe of the actor.
• Urina:
  An oxhide sandal for women which could be made single- or double-soled, according to the Edict of Diocletian (9.16).
• Baxa/Baxae:
  A sandal made from vegetable fibers, leaves, and so forth.

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Footwear of the Middle Ages - Roman Shoes, Copyright © 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002   I. Marc Carlson.
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