Roman Shoes

Other/Unknown terms/types of Roman shoes

• Calceamentum/Calceamenti
  1. A generic term for a covering for the foot, any kind of shoe, and footwear in general.
  2. A type of shoe or boot that reaches the knee (Calcamen).
• Calceatus/Calceatum
  A generic term for a covering for the foot. "Shoes"
• Calceolarius/Calceolarii
  A shoemaker.
• Cothurnus/Cothurni
  1. A large hunting boot, reaching to the calf, and laced up the front. The sole of the cothurnus followed the outline of the foot only approximately so that it could be worn equally on right or left.
  2. The boot worn by tragedians, with very high wooden sole with uppers of leather or stuff matching the colour of the toga.
• Forma
  A block shaped like a foot on which a shoe was made (a Last). The Romans used an iron block on which to hammer the hobnails, since the points had to be turned or flattened. A type of wooden 2-piece last was uncovered from Rottweil, although the dating of that find is not clear (and may be 3rd-4th century). It is thought that this was used to shape the leather for Calcei and Carbatinae.
• Impilia
  Liners of wool or felt for boots or sandals. Also, a Judean word for felt slippers.
• Lingula
  The tongue of a shoe.
• Sculponeae/Sculpunarum
  Wooden shoes or clogs worn by slaves and the poor. Or else they wrapped their feet, especially in winter, in uncured leather or strips of wool.
• Soccus/Socci
  1. A light shoe in use among the Greeks, a sole without hobnails and a separate leather upper.
  2. A kind of slipper worn by Comic actors.
  3. The Edict of Diocletian lists four colors of socci: purple, Phoenecian purple, white, and gilded.
• Soccus muliebris
  A finer and more ornamented soccus, for women
• Subtalaris ("below the ankle")
  A foot covering which was certainly lower than the ankle
• Vincul/Vincla
  1. Shoe laces, straps or strings.
  2. A poetic metaphor for sandals or shoes

Return to Contents or to Types of Roman Shoes

Footwear of the Middle Ages - Roman Shoes, Copyright © 1996, 2001, 2002   I. Marc Carlson.
This page is given for the free exchange of information, provided the author's name is included in all future revisions, and no money change hands, other than as expressed in the Copyright Page.