CELTIC SHOES- Our Nod to Modern Fashion Barefoot Freedom
Celtic History and Heritage
So much of the information of the ancient Celtic peoples’ clothing and footwear has been largely lost and forgotten. However, several museums that hold artifacts of the Celtic original footwear include the National Museum of Ireland in Kildare St Dublin, Armagh and Belfast Museums, and the London Museum of Archaeology. Research into the archives has informed the design and making of Celtic footwear, reproduced and worn today by patrons of the Renaissance Faires we all enjoy. You may be inspired to dig deeper into Celtic leather bespoke footwear’s origins by reading the essay “In the footsteps of the noble Gael.” Information about the Gaelic Slipper is published in the book of essays for the Irish Chiefs’ and Clans’ Prize in History. For the avid history buff, there are books and anthologies under the heading “Politics, Kingship and Culture in Gaelic Ireland.” Shop Celtic footwear
What type of shoes did the Celts really wear?
The most common type of footwear was closed leather shoes. It is most probable that all Celtic society members used this type of shoe. All classes, from civilians to warriors in the varied tribes, were outfitting their feet in leather, encompassing the foot. Naturally, anyone who could afford to upgrade their footwear certainly did commission many more complex variations of closed footwear, such as the calceus boots, and the semi-closed footwear, with decorative perforations on the upper part. It appears that, although primitive peoples, even the Celts were desirous of including fashion in their attire. EXPLORE OUR PRODUCTS AND walk in the footsteps of our Celtic ancestors.
More about traditional Irish shoes
The early Irish people in the higher ranks of society also included fashionable choices in their everyday lives. Shoes were always worn by people in the upper positions of society. These more upscale versions of leather footwear were constructed and created from one entire piece of leather and were handcrafted and sewn ornately with a very luxurious seam. Elaborate decorations, fancy interlacing, and bespoke designs pierced into the upper surface of the leather were typically featured in the elite versions of Celtic shoes. BESPOKE VERSIONS, tailored just for you, are available now.
A basic version of the original Irish shoe would have been made from the skin of seals. All across the Irish island, this basic style of shoe would have been widely used by everyday people. These traditional shoes were called “pampooties”- mainly from the Aran islands- were of rawhide and did not feature a heel. Historians believe that these leather shoes were worn by the Irish inhabitants from approximately 700-900 CE.
What about traditional Scottish shoes and the Highlanders? Scottish shoes were made from untanned hides, known as rawhide, which is the skin of the animal with the animal hair still on it. The hide was folded over the foot and stitched into place either using a twine (string or cord) or more often leather “thonging,” which is a long narrow piece of leather used to fasten something. Many interesting colloquial terms were known to be used by the Scottish to refer to their footwear, such as Cuaran, Pampootie, Ghillie, Gillie, Bog Shoe, or Heather Hoppers. Pampooties is the Hebridean term. The Highland and Ireland word was Cuarans, and the English/Scots shoe was called Rivelins. These terms all refer to the same type shoe, which was generally made of rawhide with the hair still on. We can only imagine that this version did not conform very comfortably to the foot. Whereas the Pampootie shoe was actually somewhat shaped to the foot, and the Ghillie shoe was a bag shoe.
A long forgotten Celtic footwear style is now being given new life allowing everyone in the 21st century the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of our Irish Celtic ancestors, in much more comfort and style. Today, this modern interpretation of our ancestors’ footwear awaits you.
ARTISANAL TRADITION IS STILL ALIVE AND THRIVING
Our Nod to Modern Fashion Barefoot freedom with a light and airy fit, our handcrafted CELTIC SANDAL is perfect for warm weather wear for adults and children alike. Set your feet free to enjoy the comfort and luxury of bespoke traditional custom crafted leather footwear. Join our community of satisfied customers and find customized solutions just for your feet. Find answers to frequently asked questions
