Roman Footwear

[amuckart]

I've moved this discussion into a new topic because it's well off topic for the shoe workshop in Auckland

[Victorius]

Answers in two parts:
Firstly, re hide/leather. I'm still new to the terminology, only going by what the people at Fern Leather and Grut told me. They called the thinner leather "skins" and the thick stuff such as is used to make belts "hides" so I followed their terms. I'd use thin stuff for uppers, between 1-3mm. The thicker stuff, about 5mm I'd use for soles.
Re historical sources. The difficulty with the Roman Empire is that as it expanded across most of Europe and the Middle East, as well as large chunks of North Africa, it took in the cultural influences of the people it came across. So Roman citizens in Greece, Syria or North Africa might have worn sandals outside. But it wasn't traditional in Rome or Italy to do so. Likewise, Auxiliary units attached to the Roman Army might sometimes use their own equipment, and it would not be above some of them making adaptions such as thick hobnailed soles. While this is conjectural, it is not outside the bounds of historical argument (which differs HIGHLY from Archaeological argument - don't get me started on Living History, I think it should be called Living Archaeology, since it sometimes rejects reasoned historical argument unless it can be found i nthe archaeological record, but I digress). What is not conjectural is that almost without exception, the artistic sources show covered boots worn outside, and sandals within.
Now I do not have the exact thickness for the uppers of Roman Calceii, but from pictures of the extant examples from the archaeological record, they look about the same thickness as those of Viking shoes found in North England, and later Medieval shoes. Additionally, the sculptures often show the fine shape of feet and toes in depictions of Calceii and other boots, suggesting fairly thin leather uppers. Boots on the Ludovisi Sarcophagus have examples of these.

[Victorius]

Caligae uppers were of thicker leather. Wearing hobnails indoors was not practical, although it could be done. Stone, terracotta or marble, even mosaic floors were common. But wearing military hobnails on smooth stone floors could be hazardous: during the attack upon Jerusalem in 70, a legionary went slipping and sliding over the smooth stone floor of the Temple complex due to his hobnails.

[pmel018]