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Footwear
Of sandals and shoes the Romans
had a great variety, adopted from Greece and from the
Far East. Roman shoes had various names, and were
distinct badges of the position held in society by
the wearer.
In the house a Roman might wear an
informal kind of sandal called the solea — a
slipper consisting of a sole fastened on by a strap
across the instep. Slaves were allowed
no other footwear. The solea and crepidae resembled modern slippers and
could be cast off at pleasure, as they did
not fit closely and was not secured by thong
or tie.
Away from home citizens wore shoes of different types, the
most important being the calcaeus, a kind of leather slipper
with crossed leather laces. This footwear was forbidden
to slaves. The ordinary color of the calcaeus was
leather-brown, but in the late Republican and early Imperial
times there were color distinctions, especially that of black
for senators and red for
patricians.
Footwear was an important -- in fact, an indispensable-part of
Roman attire. There were numerous styles, exhibiting all the
gradations from the simple sandal to the complete boot
reaching up to the calf. Equally numerous were the colours and
the materials employed. For certain ranks and classes the kind
of footwear was definitely laid down, and not only soldiers,
but members of the Senate, consuls, and others had to wear,
and were limited to wearing, the footgear prescribed for
them.
The baxea, solea, crepida,
soccus, a kind of low-heeled, light shoe especially worn by comic actors, and corthurnus were the names of the
leading types. Baxeae
were vegetable sandals, similar to Egyptian palm-leaf sandals. These were worn by
peasants, comic actors and by philosophers and priests, indicating their humility.
The corthurnus (buskin) was anciently worn by the
Phrygians, and was later introduced to the stage by Sophocles
in his tragedies. Hence the term applied to the theatrical
performers: "brethren of the sock and buskin." This
particular kind of covering was a very high boot, reaching
above the calf of the leg and sometimes to the knee. It was
laced very closely down the front. Sometimes they were dyed
purple and other bright colors; very frequently the head and paws
of wild animals ornamented the top of the boot. If height of
figure were desired, the ordinary thickness of the sole was
increased by the insertion of pieces of cork. The shoes of the
wealthy were made of fine leather, and were handsomely
decorated.
They were often painted with various colors, and ornamented
with gold, silver, and precious stones.
The Emperor Heliogabalus had his shoes set with diamonds
and other stones, but forbade the use of such ornaments to
the women of the empire. Sometimes the shoes had turned up
toes, a fashion undoubtedly of eastern origin, and which was
carried to such extravagant lengths during the Middle Ages.
Roman senators wore black shoes or buskins reaching to the
calf of the leg, usually ornamented on the top of the foot
with a gold or silver crescent.
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