How to Make Renaissance Leather Shoes
- 1). Modifying an existing pair of shoes will be much easier than making your own shoes out of leather. Go to Goodwill and other thrift stores, or inexpensive stores such as Payless, for the shoes you need. The shoes should be lace-up oxford styles, with smooth toes and no seaming on the top of the shoes. Look for soles that match the color of the shoes. Lug soles or different-colored soles will not look as authentic.
- 2). Use heavy-duty scissors to trim the shoes into latchet style shoes, a popular style during the Renaissance. Unlace the shoes and remove the laces. Begin cutting out a circular piece of leather, just below the top lacing hole, downward and back up toward the tongue. You will be removing all the other lacing holes on either side of the shoes. The holes you cut should not extend more than halfway down the sides of the shoes.
- 3). When you have cut away both circular openings on either side of the shoe, there will be one lacing hole left on each side. Trim the shoe string to fit the remaining holes, or replace the string with leather laces. You may find it necessary to use a marker or shoe polish to color-match any shoe lining that now shows.
- 4). Wear your Renaissance shoes with heavy socks or stockings. A second pair of stockings or socks can be worn and folded down over the tops of the shoes for a more authentic look.
