Féileadh Mòr - Shoes

Ballyhagan, Drumacoon, Pampootie, Cuaran, and Rivelins are early bag shoes that were worn by Scottish Highlanders. Made from a single piece of rawhide leather, they were simple to make and easily replaced. All you need is a source of leather, a knife to cut out the shape needed and to cut holes and strips of leather for lace.

I started with a Ballyhagan/Pampootie style pattern made from an image found at http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/shoe/SHOES/SHOE57.HTM. It is gathered at the toe (and along the sides in the Ballyhagen shoe) with an open vamp. Holes were punched into the edges to let water work it's way out so the foot can dry out. Since the pattern wasn't very clear, I made a couple of scrap fabric versions, making adjustments as I went. 

I picked up a leather coat from the Salvation Army for $15 for the leather and some foam arch support shoe inserts to substitute for the grass or felt that would have been shoved into the shoe to give the user some support. I'm not entirely happy with the way they came out. The inserts shift around a bit and I'm not sure they'll work well. I tried lacing across the vamp to tighten it up, but the leather wasn't strong enough to support laces and tore through the holes. I might make a closed vamp shoe more like the Drumacoon. 

Shoe leather punched and ready to go

Ballyhagan

I also have a pattern for a later period latch style short boot (Butterick pattern B5233). I tried making a scrap version, but the largest size is too small for me. It fit my wife, so it's probably a women's size eight or nine.

After adjusting the pattern to fit and making a few minor modifications, I managed to get the boots done for the last weekend of the Michigan Renaissance Festival. Instead of the dodgy loop stay from the pattern, I added a grommet to the flap and tied it with some leather strap sewn into the back. They held up rather well. I thought they would fall apart halfway through the day, but they didn't. The boots looked pretty good, but slipped too much and didn't provide enough support.

I'll sew a layer of material to the bottom to add a thicker sole and use them for my sister's Halloween party, but I'll buy proper short boots before next year's festival. Finished leather if I can find some reasonably priced. If not, suede and try to keep them clean.

After a long day at the faire