Slipper

This slipper is sewn from thick and firm cowhide. A vegetal fibre, most probably linen, was used for sewing together the details. The slipper had a platform made from cork or another timber, which has unfortunately not survived. The entire construction and materials used in this artefact confirm the protective purpose of this type of shoe. Slippers lacked a heel and covered only the front part of the foot. It is thought that slippers started being worn in Europe at the end of the 14th century, when similar types of footwear from the East were noticed during the Crusades. For a long time, the main function of slippers was protective. As such, they usually had a sole thicker than that found on other types of shoes, consisting of several layers of leather or a wooden platform. They were used as over-shoes worn on top of more delicate footwear in order to protect it from moisture and dirt. The thick sole functioned as insulation, protecting the feet from the cold. Slippers were worn both inside and outside. Decorative slippers with a heel inner sole started being sewn in the 17th century, serving mostly as indoor slippers. However, among the lower classes, they remained a very popular daily shoe until the 19th century that was convenient to quickly slip on when going outside and slip off when coming inside. A slipper with a widened nose was a very fashionable model in the first half of the 16th century. It is thought that this style of footwear originated in the Germanic lands in the late 15th century, not far from the Austrian border: instead of a narrow, elongated nose, footwear with a very wide front started being worn. This fashion trend quickly spread through the rest of Europe. Its spread is associated with the Germanic Landsknechte, mercenary infantrymen who fought in many European military campaigns in the first half of the 16th century. It could be that they brought this fashion to the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as well.