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The child shoe from Kongens Nytorv
A leather child’s shoe was recovered from a rubbish layer within a medieval wooden bucket from Lille Kongensgade. The shoe was in fantastic condition and survived due to the anaerobic soil conditions. The shoe probably dates from the 14th Century, due its style and the fashion of the period.
By curator Vivi Anderson
Style
This particular child’s shoe closes with 3 strings - each with a knot, which serves as buttons which go through the 3 matching holes on the opposite side of the opening. This means that the little child could easily “tie” the shoe her/himself. A very child-friendly construction! - The same way small children´s shoes today have velcro in stead of laces. This kind of closing is also seen on adult’s shoes, but for children it was extra practical.
The actual leather of the child shoe is very thick, which is an advantage, seeing that the children´s feet need more support - and the heel stiffener also has an important role here.
History of medieval children’s shoes and mystery of the Lille Kongensgade shoe
Children´s shoes were often handed down, seeing that they only fit the child in a short period of time. The shoes were therefore often mended in different ways. The shoe in question is worn on the lower part of the heel, but not on the sole, which means that, the original sole has been replaced by a new sole.
The new sole isn´t worn at all, and the shoe is all in all in a really good condition. It is therefore a mystery why the shoe was thrown away. It is possible that the shoe wasn´t thrown away but was accidentally lost (dropped) - which would have caused the little owner a lot of trouble back home as shoes were very expensive! Poor people didn´t even own shoes, and in a not so well off family it was normal to share the same pair of shoes.
Furthermore, the shoe wasn´t worn at all on the toe, which is extraordinary seeing that children often crawls or lie on the knees while playing, which leaves a very characteristic wear on the toe of the shoe. But not in this case. Perhaps this shoe was a special kind a shoe for the owner(s), and was only used for special (non playful) occasions (eg. going to church etc.).