Before the Heels: Footwear and Shoemaking in Turku in the Middle Ages and At the Beginning of the Early Modern Period (Archaeologia Medii Aevi Finlandiae, XV)

What were the shoe styles like and where did the fashions come from? WHat kind of footwear did children have? How were feet shod in winter or when walking on muddy streets? How did the constructions of medieval shoes differ from post-medieval types? What kind of evidence is there of local shoemaking? In this study, we are led into the history of shoes and their manufacture. The book is based on the author's thorough survey and analysis of archaeological finds related to footwear and shoemaking in the town of Turku and the nearby Turku Castle. It covers the period from the foundation of Turku in the late 13th century to the dawn of the Early Modern Period in the first half of the 16th century. In treating its theme in this extent and depth, the study is the first of its kind in Finland.