Sodhopper style boots pattern!

Ernildir · Post by **Ernildir** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 1:54 am

deadextra wrote:
The simplest thing to do is just give it a couple sets of ties that you can do up in an arming knot, this would be less bulky than using things like toggles and buttons.

That sounds easy. How do I tie an arming knot?

deadextra · Post by **deadextra** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:14 am

You might think of it as an overhand knot with a loop.

I sketched it with one string, you'll just do it with both ties together. It's good for quick release of things, it's used for the arming points of a gambeson to attach bits of armor and works well for lots of other things.

Ernildir · Post by **Ernildir** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 2:52 am

Thank you! I will try that.

In other news, I'm starting with the gluing stage tonight.

Ernildir · Post by **Ernildir** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 2:05 pm

I've now got one of the moccasins mostly finished except for the buttons/securement system and the sole. Some questions about the sole:

If I chose not to attach a sole, would I get +2 to my stealth level? Would it be more or less comfortable without a sole (besides the fact that I would be feeling everything I step on, much of which, like jagged rocks, might not feel so good)? Would it be very dangerous not to have a sole?

I am considering not having soles, because it seems like the creator of the guide is just fine without them, and he also calls the moccasins "stalking feet," which they might not be anymore with soles installed, and I like stealth.

kaelln · Post by **kaelln** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 4:11 pm

It's a bit of a balancing act. Yes, they will be more stealthy. Yes, you are more likely to injure your feet, so you have to be careful. They will also wear out faster, especially if you wear them on pavement.

Sodhoppers have this stuff they call "Sole in a Jar". It's ground up tire rubber and shoe glue mixed together, and it's a good compromise between a hard sole and no sole at all. You just paint it on like you were spreading caulk and let it dry. As it wears away, you just add more. You can still feel the ground beneath your feet, and it's more flexible than the usual hard sole, but you get that little extra bit of protection for your feet, and your leather doesn't wear away. It's a cheat if you're going for the strict reenactment thing, but I think it's worth looking into. The only downside for me is the price- it's $37 for a jar, which is just enough for one pair of moccasins. Buy two jars at once and you get a $5 price break. You can find it here:

http://www.sodhoppers.com/html/goop.html

If you have plenty of time, you can just make it yourself by grinding up tire parts off the road and mixing it with Barge Cement. That would probably cut the cost in half. Barge Cement seems to be getting hard to find, especially the original formula, which everyone seems to agree was better. You could try using Shoe Goo, but I don't know for sure that would work.

Ringulf · Post by **Ringulf** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 7:57 pm

There are a couple of other products out now that I have been working with from the larp perspective that is also viable and a bit cheaper though you may have to feild test it for durability.

I have been making Plastidip weapons which come out looking like store-bought latex quality boffer weapons and armor.

Plastidip comes in many colors and comes in paintable or sprayable form and can be puchased from Home depot ace etc. Not to expensive at 5-10 bucks a can depending on the type.

The more durable form of this and the one that will give you a bit more texture for a sole would be the Rustoleum "LeakSeal" flexible rubber coating which runs 10 to 12 dollars at Home depot as well. comes in black and is very durable as well as being a bit harder.

You may also want to look into the Rubberized roof patch called "Leak Stopper" by "Gardner" This stuff is pretty amazing. It dries clear, thins and cleans up with water (not naptha like the other stuff) it comes in quart paint cans for around 10 bucks as well, so you get a lot of goo for your money. Right out of the can it is a thick white paste a bit more dense and paste-like than yogurt.
You can slop it on work it in then smooth with water after it starts setting up. Or thin it up to 10 parts water to one part paste and clear coat almost anything building layers for thickness to your liking.

It is a bit of a new technology for me but I got some rave reviews and quite a few commissions this weekend at the Larp event I attended.

I will include a few axe pictures, as I made one that is very much the Lotro style champions axe.

And this is after beating the snot out of it for three days strait...what;s the point? why are you showing me an axe in a shoe thread?

There are products out there that work and may not be as expensive if you use some cross logic creativity.

Ernildir · Post by **Ernildir** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 9:10 pm

Thank you for the info and suggestions.

I want to these to be as authentic as I can manage, so unfortunately I can't go for any of those magical options.

Currently, I am thinking that safety is more important than stealth, so I should probably just go for an ordinary leather sole. What is the best way to install one, do you think? I suppose I would just need to get one or two little square feet of 11-12 oz leather, cut out the soles from my pattern, and then cut out two heels from the heel portion of my pattern, and then barge cement the soles to the bottom of the moccs and the heels to the bottom of the soles (after using water submersion to shape the soles a bit, if necessary)? How does that sound?

deadextra · Post by **deadextra** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 6:43 am

Employing a tunnel stitch to sew the soles onto the bottom of your shoes would be more authentic than barge cement of course. That is where you enter the stitch from the face of the leather and exit from the side. This way, the stitches are not worn away by the grime and treading on them. Heels are a feature added first to riding boots in about 1500 as a secure ledge for stirrups to brace against, it seems it took another century for this to migrate to shoes as well.

As for safety, I currently wear turnshoes with moderate thickness soles, I have worn ones with very thin soles. Comfort is the real thing. Looking at history; the hoplites, the armies of Alexander, Pheidippides who ran the original Marathon, Egyptians, and so on all went barefoot. Hobbits aren't the only ones that can have tough feet. It just takes some getting used to.

KuCor · Post by **KuCor** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 5:03 am

I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures of the boots I made (back in May) using the sodhopper tutorial, imagination, lots of aspirin and hard work.

There is a lot left out of the 'walk through'. Not until I dove in with both feet and just started, did I begin to fill in the gaps and connect the dots. Trial and error; to hand stitch a good section, just to rip the thread out and adjust was a constant in the learning process.

I used bull hide for my leather and black sinew for my thread. 100% hand stitched. I punched each individual hole with a 'leather' ice pick. I did not use any leather glue as suggested in the tutorial.

This project took me almost two weeks from start to finish. Knowing the process now and not having to trouble shoot things, future boots will take half the time.