Ever worn uncomfortable shoes in the name of fashion?
You have something in common with the glitterati of late medieval Europe!
Pointy-toed shoes were all the rage, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Called “poulaines” or “cracows,” they appear mostly on men in manuscript illuminations from the time. However, as you can see in the image above, women got in on the action too.
Some of these very pointy shoes have been preserved. Like this striped number from the 14th century or this silk pair from the 15th century.
If you’re thinking that poulaines look pretty uncomfortable, you’re right. An analysis of some 14th-century English skeletons found that lots of the urban men suffered from extreme bunions likely due to poulaine-wearing into their old age. Ouch!
Poulaines could reach extravagant lengths. Sometimes, they were stuffed with horsehair or moss to maintain their shape. For men, it was thought, the longer the toe, the more masculine the wearer.
The long-toed design was even copied in armor, called sabatons, with removable points that were only used on horseback because, well, you try walking in these!
Eventually laws were passed. In 1463, for example, English King Edward IV passed a law restricting anyone who was not nobility from wearing poulaines longer than two inches.
What do you think, time for poulaines to make a comeback?
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