The Footwear of Klaipėda Dwellers in the 16th and 17th Centuries

Abstract

This report reviews leather footwear discovered during the latest archaeological research in Klaipėda, in investigations carried out at 3 Kurpių St in 2007 and 2008, and at 10 Žvejų St in 2006 (headed by R. Braciulienė). Another aim is to present examples of the footwear of Klaipėda dwellers in the 16th and 17th centuries which are of interest in terms of their shape and style, and which are typical of the shoes of the West European Renaissance and of the townsfolk of the Early Modern Period. The following types of footwear are presented: primitive shoes, low-cut shoes, mules and children’s shoes. The report describes the parts of the footwear, joining methods, seams and decorative components. It discusses differences between the footwear of the 16th and the 17th centuries, and refers to morphological studies and microchemical analyses of archaeological leather and thread fibre conducted by other experts. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.15181/ab.v16i0.42 Key words: archaeology, footwear, shoes, primitive shoe, low-cut shoe.