Pair of Shoes

A pair of flat, fiber, open shoes. Curled, pointed toe and round heel. Brittle. Treadsole: Swayed. Reed forming main sole sewn together with nine rows of thinner fiber, possibly papyrus. Rows end where the toe starts to curl and go all the way to heel’s end. Crown sinnet/toe knot protrudes. Perimeter sewn with a plait of papyrus on the inner side. Insole: One over and one under weave of reed. Upper: Quarters are one panel round with toes open.

Main body of woven reed but damaged so can see middle layer of long thin reeds with the wider woven reeds on either side, ie: three layers. Come together at topband which is tightly sewn. Sewing is repeated at bottom edge. Bottom edge then sewn to sole. The upper/sole join appears to be robust but the reed of upper is brittle. Straps: Made of twists of long thin reed covered in wider reed strip.

The fibers of the sandals can be woven or spiraled, with a formal sole shaped according to the sole of the foot. Sometimes the toe can be raised and held by a vertical strip, perhaps to prevent the sand from entering the shoe.

New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty to 20th Dynasty, ca. 1550-1070 BC. Now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 865&A-1903