41929 shoes&pattens9

Sizes and wear patterns: social inferences

146 Hallux valgus (‘bunion’). The severe patch of wear on this narrow pointed shoe is at just the point where the metatarso-phalangeal joint may be expected to swell and bulge outwards if the wearer suffers from this condition. The great toe inevitably becomes twisted in the direction of the other toes.

Late 14th-century.

109

147 Hallux ńgidus. Absence of wear on the tread, but a hole in a position to correspond with the tip of the great toe, suggests that the metatarso-phalangeal joint has been immobilised and that during walking the individual’s weight has mostly been carried on the toe itself rather than on the bali of the foot. The cut-out in the upper was probably madę to accommodate a swelling above the arthritic joint. Late 14th-century.

148 ‘Hammer toe’. Excessive wear on the tread suggests that the toes have become permanently flexed, probably because the individual has consistently worn shoes that are too narrow and tight. The cut-out in the upper was no doubt an attempt to relieve pressure on swellings above the damaged joints. Late 14th-century.