Reproduction of military sandals. (Photo: Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments)
If you’re making a stage play, movie, or TV series, you know you’ll have to order a lot of sandals if your story is set in Ancient Rome. This task may sound easier than it actually is, because simply copying the style of a classical work set in the Roman Empire would put you on the wrong side of historical research. For example, we know that some ancient Romans wore socks with their sandals, but in today’s cultural context, that look may not give the desired impression. And thanks to recent discoveries, it seems we also need to think about what’s on the soles of our shoes.
Found near the town of Oberstim in Bavaria“The ancient Roman sandals, largely corroded but restored by X-ray, suggest that military fashions spread to local populations.” Madeleine Mouzdakis writes in My Modern Met:explaining that the types are known as Karigaewhich “had a strong sole with hob nails. [that] It gave traction to the troops who marched quite a distance.”
This particular Caliga The inscription dates from around 60 BC to 130 AD, around the time when Roman soldiers switched from sandals to boots, showing that Roman footwear influenced civilian dress during the Roman military presence in Bavaria.
X-ray of an ancient sandal (Photo: Bavarian State Office for Monuments and Preservation)
The idea that military standard equipment could influence popular fashion may be surprising to anyone who has ever had to wear “GI glasses.” But the Roman army in its heyday was not just a group of occupying troops deployed to project the military power of a far-flung capital; it was an extension of civilization itself. If the hob nails on Roman sandals not only hinted at cultural sophistication but also provided extra traction, all the better. The question of just how widespread this particular type of footwear (reconstructed at the top of the post, and in the X-ray just above) was in the Roman Empire awaits further study, but now would be a good time for costume designers to stock up on nails.
via Live Science/My Modern Met
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Based in Seoul, Colin MaOnershall Writing and broadcastingHe has written papers on cities, languages, and cultures, and his projects include the Substack newsletter. Books about cities And books A city without a state: Walking through 21st-century Los Angeles. Follow us on Twitter CollinhamOnershall or Facebook.
