Winter boots for using with Iron age Gown
You simply can’t live in Finland without proper winter shoes. Fins had to use shoes that will have similar insulating properties than Saami reindeer fur shoes have. So fur layer outside and good insulation with special good smelling grass. So far archaeologists haven’t found any Iron Age winter shoes from Finland. During the winter when these shoes were worn, you could not bury bodies deep enough for shoe preservation.
History of Finnish national costumes (Sirelius in the beginning of 1900) describes shoe types worn later 1600-1800. Elk, cow and forest reindeer fur was used for winter shoes. Usually tanning was done only for surface. Leather would then be more water resistant. The more east you go the taller boots were made.
I have tanned now a 2 sets of reindeer feet pelts. I used oak, birch, willow and spruce bark for tanning. Tanning process was successful. Unfortunately there are 2 spots that are shedding hair.
It is likely that my shoes will be hybrid between several primitive shoe styles used in Finland and West Russia. Shapes of the pelts dictate what shapes can be cut out of them.
