Medieval Europeans walked around barefoot during winter
the verdict
REFUTED
the evidence says no
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
0 sources for · 3 against
AS REPORTEDno primary record reached; this is what the reporting says
Historical references and scholarly discussions confirm that medieval Europeans used protective footwear, boots, and overshoes rather than walking around barefoot during winter.
Patten (shoe)
In this detail of the Arnolfini Portrait of 1434, these pattens have been taken off inside the house.
"Lovers on a Grassy" or "Garden Bank", a 1460s engraving by Master E. S. The man has discarded his very long pattens; the woman still wears hers.
Pattens, also known by other names, are protective overshoes that were worn in Europe from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century. In appearance, they sometimes resembled contemporary clogs or sandals. Pattens were worn outdoors over a normal shoe, had a wooden or later wood and metal sole, and were held in place by leather or cloth bands. Pattens functioned to elevate the foot above the ground, to protect leather shoes from water, snow or mud. Women continued to wear pattens in muddy conditions until the 19th or even early 20th century.
## Names
The word patten probably derives from the Old French patte meaning hoof or paw. [1] It was also spelled patyn and in other ways. [2] Historically, pattens were sometimes used to protect hose without an intervening pair of footwear and thus the name was sometimes extended to similar shoes like clogs. In modern use, however, the term is properly restricted to overshoes. In
# Did medieval Europeans really walk around barefoot in winter?
- Tags: middle-ages, europe, clothing
- Score: 8
- Views: 3,280
- Answers: 2
- Asked by: Ahmed Tawfik (183 rep)
- Asked on: Jun 4, 2016
- Last active: Jun 18, 2020
- License: CC BY-SA 3.0
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## Question
Luaan posted a comment on [a question](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/259501/why-is-oil-a-better-lubricant-than-water), as follows (emphasis mine):
> Take an old-school shoe with no rubber, and you'll see that it's extremely slippery on wet surfaces - **medieval Europeans went barefoot most of the time, especially in winter.**
Is this claim correct? Given that [Europe's winters are often freezing](https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Europe/Cities/temperature-january.php), how would someone be capable of walking around barefooted without getting frostbite, let alone losing their toes in sub-zero temperatures? I'd expect some sort of animal skin wrapping at the very least.
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## Accepted Answer — Score: 9
- By: LаngLаngС (81,552 rep)
- Answered on: Jun 17, 2020
The "especially in winter" part is most certainly an exaggeration, but for a lot of regions not completely impossible:
When being well
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## Learn about this topic in these articles:
- shoeHistory…shoe, an overshoe, called a patten, often of the same material, was worn. Read More…shoe, an overshoe, called a patten, often of the same material, was worn. Read More
- dressMedieval Europe…worn with wood and cork pattens strapped on to keep the elegant fabrics out of the mud of the streets. Men wore boots for traveling. Long toes were fashionable in the late 14th century, the ends being padded to keep the shape. Read More…worn with wood and cork pattens strapped on to keep the elegant fabrics out of the mud of the streets. Men wore boots for traveling. Long toes were fashionable in the late 14th century, the ends being padded to keep the shape. Read More
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