Shoes were made from a variety of kinds of leather. The most basic shoes used by farmers and artisans were made of thick thick cowhide.
In the Novgorod cultural layer from the 11th to 13th centuries, shoes that were symmetrical that could be worn by both feet were discovered with narrow heels, or pjatka. Shoes with patterns stamped like curly lines, parallel lines or vegetative designs, also have been found in these objects.
Shoe Craftsmanship
When excavating medieval villages in north-eastern Russia archeologists have discovered a variety of pairs of shoes [lapti] with different decorations. Most popular were those with embroidering and leather stamping. The peasants would wear the shoes on a daily basis. They were adorned with a lace that tightened the ankle. was swathed around the ankle and a sole that was stitched on.
To make one lapti, a person would require seven strips of bast with a length of two meters each. To obtain such strips from a linden tree, the bark had to be stripped from the whole even surface of the tree without any defects or rotting along the entire length. The early Russians employed this metaphor to stripe the bark like a tree.
Each region has its own methods to make lapti. For instance, the Moscow ones were high on the ankle, while those of the Northern regions were low and had pointed toes. Double layers of bast are utilized to make winter lapti.
The shoemakers from Novgorod began to embellish their footwear in the 12th century with the carving of leather and woolen thread. These patterns consisted of a variety of crosses, zigzags, and triangles.
Leather Shoe Production
The literature has not paid much attention to the art of shoemaking throughout medieval Novgorod. This is probably due to the extreme limitedness of the archeological materials that are our main source to study this subject.
The bulk of the footwear found in Novgorod archeological sites dates back to the 10th-14th centuries and comprises a range of footwear. Thick, dense cowhide leather was used to make the simplest footwear with no decoration. They were intended for broad strata of the populace (artisans as well as peasants). For openwork shoes, lighter and softer leathers were employed.
Stamped designs across the surface of leather were made by using embroidery or leather carving techniques. These included curly designs and rows of parallel or cross-over lines as well as designs that were vegetative. The most well-known design on openwork footwear was the stylized flower.
The footwear was also decorated with other embellishments like a pair of eyes, a ribbon and bow, etc. The feet were secured with two soles that were sewn to the shoe.
According to INE data, production in Russia increased in May 2022 as in comparison to the same month the previous year. The leather and footwear industries were among those that saw a rise in production. The need for safety giay da luoi nam footwear was the primary driver behind expansion. The Russian company Vostok-Service>> produces safety footwear on its own production facilities – Torzhok Shoe Factory ZAO (Torzhok, Tver region) and Working Style>> OOO (Uzlovaya, Tula region). It is also a distributor for the German Desma. Desma.
Traditional Techniques
In the 12th century, Novgorod was a major shoe-making hub. From the time of this time the shoes of various types, such as the bog shoe (lapti) and ankle boots, and shoes with higher sides, reaching to the ankle (porshni) were discovered. They were all made of the linden, birch, oak or elm bark. bast was then removed of the bark, and cut into strips to weave.
Depending on how the pieces of leather were placed face-to-face or in abutting position, they were joined using either saddle stitches or hidden stitches. If the upper piece of leather joined with the lower piece then it was stitched to it with a butt seam [Rus. tachnyi shov, tachnyj shov].
Burki (feather-and-felt boots) made from white felt were another type of winter-wear. These were worn by the upper classes and were a distinguishing feature of the highest Party leaders, generals as well as government officials and military commanders.
The 14th century witnessed the demise of simple openwork shoes, in favour of knee-high boots. They were distinguished by their narrow sections of the heel, tiny openings to thread laces and cuts or holes in bootlegs for ornamental leather straps. The cultural layer of Novgorod contains these types of shoes, which were tightened at the ankle using lacing of leather.
Modern Innovation
VV: I believe the sneaker culture in Russia is very young. I believe it’s growing and the market is expanding. In the 1990s, just few people in Moscow and Saint Petersburg could afford to buy foreign brands.
The Russian footwear industry is trying to adapt the latest trends and technologies by incorporating them in its manufacturing processes. Obuv Rossii, for example has developed an automated process to manufacture clogs or flip-flops that incorporate EVA technology on solid. It is one of the most advanced techniques in the area.
The use of novel materials is being tested by shoemakers. In addition, they are using the most recent IT solutions to improve the omnichannel commerce and improve customer loyalty through offering a set of additional services.
For example, in the near future, the company will develop and release new types of shoes for children and women. Shoes will come with accessories for bags along with shoe care products, as well as socks. These features are expected to boost sales, encourage more complex purchases and improve customer loyalty.
