Describing the 10th-century Dorestadt style illustrated below, "Overlap and rolled button fastening. Style characterised by one to two integral overlapping flaps from medial side fastened with rolled buttons (bifurcated strap base) on lateral side. Flaps and opening have edge binding, squared top line. Closing seam (unique for Q pattern) is found on lateral side. Centre back usually has vent for pointed heel sole. May have pointed or rounded toe, decorative centre seam." (Volken, p. 373; emphasis added).

Image after Volken, figure 162, p. 125.

Examples of specific cutting patterns for the uppers (the leftmost one was used in this project):

Image after Volken, p. 374, using a pattern from the Hungate style with only a single flap.

Shoes from the Viking Age

Goal: Create shoes for Their Majesties Gareth and Juliana as part of their 10th-century ensemble.

Steps

1. Research desired pattern.
2. Make pattern for sole: trace foot onto light cardboard.
3. Make pattern for upper: enclose socked foot in duct tape; mark opening and sole; cut on side seam to release foot; cut away sole and above opening; snip as needed to allow flattening; trace spread taped sock onto light cardboard.
4. Trace patterns onto leather with a scratch awl and cut pieces out with a sharp knife.
5. Add topband of thin, soft leather via saddle stitch.
6. Stitch side seam using edge-to-edge alignment, keeping the needle within the thickness of the leather at the seam itself, and entering and exiting through the flesh side of the leather.
7. Stitch sole to upper with needle going through the flesh side of the sole and out through its edge, then through the hair side of the leather and back through the flesh side. (Both pieces are worked inside out.)
8. Soak completely sewn shoe in water for about ten minues, then turn it right-side out.
9. Create toggle from a piece of soft leather about 8 inches long by 1.5 inches wide.
10. Make T-shaped incision in flap and two small slits in side for attaching the toggle and fastening the shoe.

Notes on the above process

• The pattern: developed from a 10th-century design found in Volken (pp. 72, 125, 374).
• Final design: being my first attempt at something from the Viking Age, after making only four other pairs of shoes (and all of them using the same 14th-century pattern), and having a very hard deadline, I decided to make the Dorestadt design, but include only a single flap, in order to keep things simple, and because this is to be a shoe, not a boot. (Also, I was concerned about adding the topband and how it would wrap around flap ends, and come back out of the flap "V" if using two flaps.)
• Thread: because these shoes were destined for someone else not local to me, and because repairing is not nearly as enjoyable as making, I stitched with modern synthetic waxed thread for strength and durability. (Linen thread used in other shoes did not hold up well.)
• Leather choices: uppers from remainders from a coat-of-plates project; soles: vegetable-tanned, 9-10oz. shoulders (as thick as possible and still turnable); topband and toggle fastening: from a gifted bag of scraps (seems likely to be deer, based on physical characteristics).
• Stitching: completely by hand and eye (no spacers); metal needles (#004 harness); pliers; saddle stitched in entirety. See Volken, p. 188, for illustrations of stitches and Goubitz, pp. 35-38, for details.

Thoughts and observations for the next project

• I needed several attempts in order to get the pattern right. It's not clear why my pattern-creation process did not work as well as with my previous 14th-century design. Possibly I did not use enough duct tape, and so the taped sock became distorted between the time it was cut off and the time it was laid flat and traced onto leather.
• Possibly the heel wedge requires special consideration in the overall pattern rather than simply adding it to the end of the sole and cutting away some of the upper's heel to accomodate it. Also, I believe that it's not necessary to add a seam allowance to the sole, provided the original foot tracing is made with a vertical pen: this adds enough allowance as it's drawn. See Goubitz, p. 148, for a sole diagram.
• I would like to figure out how to make a pair of low boots with two straps and understand how the topband can be made to follow both inside and outside curves gracefully, or be cut and stitched and look good.

Acknowledgements, resources, and references

• Thanks to Lady Elska á Fjárfelli for inviting me to participate on Team Norse. I would not have made these shoes otherwise.
• Thanks to Their Majesties Gareth and Juliana for their time and feedback during measurements and trial fittings.
• Archaeological Footwear, Volken, M., 2014, SPA Uitgevers, Zwolle, Netherlands.
• Stepping Through Time, Goubitz, O., el al., 2007, SPA Uitgevers, Zwolle, Netherlands.
• How to make Viking toggles / buttons (YouTube video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwjlZZYW_Oo).

This documentation was created for the Æthelmearc Kingdom Arts & Sciences Championship, Oct. 28, 2017, A.S. 52, in the Shire of Nithgaard, by Robert of Ferness. More information can be found at ShoesByRobert.com for this pair and others.