Roman calcei, brown

Product description

This is a reconstruction of Roman soldiers’ boots (calcei) from the 3rd century AD. They are made of 2 mm thick cowhide with a 7 mm sole, which is not studded with nails.

In northern forts such as Vindolanda (near Hadrian’s Wall in present-day England), evidence has been found that soldiers often had two types of footwear: open caligae and lighter closed shoes. Closed shoes offered better protection against the often wet climate of central and northern Europe. From the 1st century AD onward, the Romans therefore began wearing closed footwear alongside the well-known open shoes. Eventually, this type of closed shoe completely replaced the traditional caligae sometime in the 2nd century AD.

Please note: These boots have a leather sole. They are not suitable for long walks on modern surfaces such as asphalt and gravel.