A sabaton, also called a solleret, is a part of knight's armour that protects the foot. It was the first piece of armour a knight would put on and consisted of metal plates, the so-called lamellae, that were riveted together. These plates usually only covered the top of the foot.
Shape and fashion
In the 14th and 15th centuries, sabatons often ended in a point that extended much further than the wearer's actual toes. This shape followed the fashionable shoe styles of that time. At the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century, sabatons became wider and followed the so-called duck-bill shoes.
The point was shorter, ending at the toes, but the width of the shoe often extended much further. Some sources call the wide version the "true" sabaton, while the older, pointed forms are better referred to as sollerets.
Rules for length
There were theoretical rules about how long the points could be, depending on social rank. French princes and dukes were allowed 2.5 times the length of their foot, gentlemen of higher rank (such as barons) twice, and lower nobility or knights once.
Foot protection before the sabaton
Before the introduction of the sabaton, chain mail chausses provided coverage. Later, the chain mail protection stopped at the ankle and the sabaton went either above or below it, depending on the construction.
15th-century Italian style
An example of how sabatons were worn can be seen on the monument of Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, in the Collegiate Church of St Mary in Warwick.
This Italian style from the 15th century consisted of a toe cap, four hinged lamellae, a foot plate and ankle plate, and a hinged heel cap that was fastened with buckles. The monument lacks spurs, but the remaining rivet holes and clamps show that the spurs were probably attached directly to the heel cap, rather than being added later.
