Caligae - wikipedia Caligae For the Latin Rite liturgical garment, see Liturgical stockings. Not to be confused with the Roman Emperor Caligula. 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Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2018 ) A reproduction Roman caliga Caligae ( Latin ; singular caliga ) are heavy - soled hobnailed military boots known for being issued to Roman legionary soldiers and auxiliaries throughout the Roman Republic and Empire. Caligae today can resemble sandals but the Latin term referred only to marching boots. Sandals proper were not worn outside by the Romans, rather they were regarded as indoor footwear, sometimes even carried by slaves to be changed into for such things as banquets. Contents 1 Design 2 Shoes outside the military 3 See also 4 References 5 External links Design An original caliga found at Qasr Ibrim, Egypt, dated c. 1st century BC -- 1st century AD. The open design of caligae allowed for the free passage of air to the feet and, unlike modern military boots, was specifically designed so as to reduce the likelihood of blisters forming during forced marches, as well as other disabling foot conditions like tinea or trench foot. Socks were not normally worn with caligae, although in colder climates such as Britain, woolen socks were used. Caligae were constructed from three leather layers : an outsole, the middle openwork layer which formed the boot 's upper, and an insole. They were laced up the center of the foot and onto the top of the ankle. Additionally iron hobnails were hammered into the soles to provide the caligae with reinforcement and traction, and were also an effective weapon against a fallen enemy. Shoes outside the military Various other types of leather footwear were worn within the Roman empire. The carbatina was a sandal made from one piece of leather with a soft sole and openwork upper fastened by a lace. A soccus was a sole without hobnails and a separate leather upper. A calceus was a hobnailed footwear secured by laces. A solea was a simple sandal with a thong between the toes and a hobnailed sole. Women wore sandals similar to those of men, but they were of softer, finer leather. Winter shoes were usually cork - soled. Sometimes the soles were thickened to provide the imitation of height. See also Caligula, the emperor whose nickname stemmed from the diminutive of caliga ( meaning `` little boot '' ). His father Germanicus was a well esteemed military officer. Germanicus ' soldiers nicknamed Caligula, who stayed in camp with them often, after the amusing legionary costume he wore as a child. When Caligula wore caligae as emperor, he covered them with precious jewels. References Jump up ^ http://www.legiotricesima.org/campusMartis/MakingCaligae/MakingAuthenticCaligae.html External links http://s2.hubimg.com/u/345765_f520.jpg Footwear Men 's dress shoes Blucher Brogues Brothel creepers Derby Monks Oxfords Slip - ons ( Loafers ) Spectator shoes ( Co-respondent shoes ) Venetian - style shoes Winklepickers Wholecuts Women 's dress shoes Ballet flats Court shoes High - heeled footwear Mary Janes Mojari Mules Peep - toe shoes Saddle shoes Slingbacks Slip - ons ( Loafers ) Venetian - style shoes Winklepickers Other shoes Driving moccasins Flip - flops Galoshes Platform shoes Sandals Self - tying shoes Slides Slippers Veldskoens Wooden footwear Bakya British clogs Cantabrian albarcas Clogs Getas Klompen Namaksin Padukas Pattens Sabot Träskor Military footwear Ammunition boots Bunny boots Combat boots Jackboots Jump boots Jungle boots Tanker boots Trench boots Sport - related footwear Athletic shoes Ballet shoes Boat shoes Climbing shoes Cross country running shoes Cycling shoes Football boots Ghillies Hiking boots Ice skates Inline skates Jika - tabi Kung fu shoe Minimalist shoes Motorcycle boots Mountaineering boots Plimsolls Racing flats Riding boots Roller shoes Roller skates Safari boots Skate shoes Ski boots Sneakers Swimfins Water shoes Wrestling shoes Fashion boots Chelsea boots ( Beatle boots ) Chukka boots Go - go boots Knee - high boots Over-the - knee boots Platform boots Thigh - high boots Ugg boots Work boots Australian work boots Cowboy boots Engineer boots Hip boots Rigger boots Steel - toe boots Waders Other boots Jodhpur boots Wellington boots Traditional footwear Abacas Abarkas Alpargatas Avarcas Balghas Bast shoes Clogs Espadrilles Galesh Giveh Haferlschuh Hnyat - phanats Huarache ( shoe ) Hwas Jorabs Moccasins Mojaris Mukluks Opanaks Peshawari chappals Snowshoes Valenkis Warajis Kolhapuri chappals Historical footwear Areni - 1 shoes Buskins Caligae Chopines Crakow ( Poulaine ) Hessians Pampooties Pirate boots Sabatons Shoe construction Bespoke shoes Blake construction Goodyear welt Socks Anklets Bobby socks Dress socks Footwraps Knee highs Toe socks Tabi Lists List of shoe styles Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caligae&oldid=840566419 '' Categories : Ancient Roman legionary equipment Ancient Roman military clothing Sandals Historical footwear Military boots Shoes Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from February 2018 All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from May 2017 Articles with unsourced statements from June 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Български Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español Euskara Français Italiano עברית ქართული Latina Lietuvių Nederlands Polski Русский Simple English Svenska Türkçe Українська 中文 12 more Edit links This page was last edited on 10 May 2018, at 18 : 10. 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Question: what were shoes made of in ancient rome
Answer: leather