Renaissance Boots: A Walk Through Time
Today, boots are everywhere. You can find boots made for intense outdoors work or a classy night out on the town. Boots can be worn with anything – jeans, khakis, even dresses! With boots being integrated into new, contemporary fashion, it might be hard to imagine that boots have been around for centuries. We’re going to take a look back at the evolution of Renaissance boots and see how you can incorporate them into your Ren Faire costume – or even in your everyday style!
Fashion as we know it today really began during the Renaissance period. As you probably know, the Renaissance period was a time of great advancement in science, art, philosophy, and culture. People were discovering new ways to express themselves, and one of the ways was through their clothes. Of course, much of the fashion changes were limited to those with the money to spend on new clothes. These new styles featured rich, colored fabrics with plenty of ornamentation. In addition to clothing, footwear received some major updates. As guilds began to grow, so too did the appearance of different types of Renaissance boots. Leather was often the material of choice for Renaissance boots, made from the skin of goat, sheep, and deer. For women, white leather was the most popular color.
Renaissance boots were not always worn for fashion’s sake – many boots had practical uses. Renaissance boots were made specifically for riding horses. These boots came up to the knee and featured a slit in the back to help bend the knee easier. The tops of the boots could be folded over, showing off an ornate lining. Many times, if you think of Renaissance boots, you are probably thinking of this style. Unfortunately, lower class individuals in the Renaissance era did not have the luxury of enjoying the changes in fashion, especially when it came to footwear.
At Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe, we have a huge variety of period-accurate Renaissance boots. For men, you can choose the simple yet effective Men’s Renaissance Boot or the ornate King Richard Boot. Women also have a large selection from which to choose. Our Maiden Knee Boot is a sleek, sophisticated boot that looks great with Renaissance clothing and contemporary dress!
