Kortoso wrote:Very neat! If I am not mistaken, this is based on a Viking turnshoe, which is great, since the sole can be replaced if it wears out, keeping the rest of the boot.
Frankly, I don't like the idea of high boots too much. They're often heavy and awkward; the leather is extra weight on the feet if you're covering extra miles, and I've yet to find high boots that stay up!
Has anyone had any experience with these boots? They are sold through KOA but are made by GRFB:
http://kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=GB1165
High boots can be a double-edged sword, so to speak. Sometimes they can definitely add a lot of weight, but they also offer a good deal of protection, as Greg mentioned. Historically, tall boots seemed to be reserved mostly for riding - which makes sense, because all that extra weight wouldn't have really been an issue while on horseback. "Captain Jack Sparrow" style pirate boots are fairly representative of late-period riding boots (although, historically, pirates never actually wore them, but that's another topic for another time), and owning a pair of these myself, I can safely say: Yes, they are heavy, yes, they are bulky, and yes, they have an annoying tendency not to stay up on their own (which is why one generally needs to wear "boot garters" to keep them from falling down around the ankles). That being said, they DO offer a ton of protection from brush, etc. (especially when the top bell is folded up for nearly full-leg coverage). But, once again, these are designed for riding, so they have tall, stacked heels, and slick soles.
On the other hand, you've got something like Native American moccasins. They can also be quite tall, but they are designed differently. First off, they're lightweight and the leather is relatively thin and pliable. They're not designed to hold themselves up, but rather, to be laced up the leg, which keeps them up fairly well. They also generally have soft soles, which is can better for trekking through uneven terrain, if one is used to it.
The ones I made are based on a historical medieval shoe, but I added the extra shaft up the leg for better coverage. It was a sort of "fantasy" design, overall, but in the end they came out much like classic moccasins, because they are not bulky, and because of the straps winding up the leg, they hold themselves up just fine. At first the straps would fall down from time to time as I was wearing them (and I feared they might), so I sewed a couple of little pieces of leather near the top of each boot to act like "belt loops" almost, and now the straps stay up just fine.
I love these boots because they offer great protection from the brush and brambles, they're extremely lightweight, and they're based for the most part on a historical design, so to my mind they have some "historical plausibility" as it were. Plus, most commercial tall boots are made like the ones you've pictured, which is to say, they have a HUGE calf opening. I'm fairly certain this is to accommodate a wide range of leg sizes, but I've always thought it looked pretty weird when worn. I prefer the style I went with (or most styles that involve lacing or strapping) because it hugs the boot close to the leg, so it doesn't get in the way, and it doesn't look weird and baggy.