What were shoes made out of in medieval times?

Answer 1

There were "shoemakers" in the middle ages that made the shoes. They would do an outline of person's foot, then cut leather to fit the outline. The top part of the shoe was usually tacked on with small nails or the shoe could be made from one piece of leather. Buttons and laces were used to close the shoe and hold it to the foot. Some just slipped on with no ties or buttons. I have a pair of boots made the way they would have been made in the middle ages. This was done by a modern shoemaker using the methods of the time. The shoes have no right or left foot in this time ( that won't happen until the 1700's) and there is no padding in the shoe. Having seen shoes made in the middle ages in museums I can imagine that they were tough on the foot.

Correction--different right and left shoes were really not commonplace until the time of World War I, or late in the 1800s.

Answer 2

Shoes, like every other aspect of life, evolved and changed over time during the very long medieval period.

Shoes in the Saxon/Viking period (up to 1066) had rounded toes and were often simply made with wooden or leather toggles to close them at the top (see "Viking shoe" link below).

Anglo-Norman shoes of the 11th - 13th centuries had slightly pointed toes and were made inside-out, with a hard leather sole stitched to the soft leather upper. Once completed these shoes were then turned right side out, like a pair of gloves, so all the stitches were inside - hence they were called turnshoes. (see link for 12th century shoes below). Straps of leather were wound around the ankle to keep the shoes on - still no metalused in shoe construction.

Later toes became longer due to French, German and Polish influences, becoming ridiculously long in the late 14th century; buckle shoes began to appear in the same period.

So there is no such thing as a "medieval shoe" - a man in 1150 wore completely different shoes to a man of the same status in 1500.

Answer 3

Much like what some shoes are made of now--hides of animals. They had to tie and bind them to keep them on their feet.