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How to Create Period Shoes from Cowboy Boots

b y E r i c J . A b b o t t

– but the actors walk across the stage in modern shoes with bows.I experienced this problem with a production

the end of the 17th into the 18th century for the sake of a more beautiful silhouette. Within a very short amount of time, I

began to remember the problems that occur in this era with shoes. I hoped to be able to purchase two pairs of the correct period

shoes for the men from a replica company, such as Amazon Dry Goods or J.A.Townsend, which produce excellent recreations

of period clothing, shoes and personal items. However, I found the cost was excessive. Our budget does not allow the

luxury of $250 shoes. Next I looked through our stock to see if there were some slip-on shoes that could be adapted. A pair of

Western boots lying on the floor caught my eye. Looking at the boots from the side view, I noted that the stitch line holding the upper

onto the boot strongly resembled the silhouette of the 18th century heeled shoe. Soon, the boots were tempting me to solve my

problem with a better idea.

I began by asking one of the actors to try on the boots. They fit! Then I asked him to rehearse in the boots for a few days to

see if they were comfortable. The actor told me he had trouble walking in the boots. I almost gave up on my idea.

However, by this time I had decided that the worst that could happen was that I would lose a pair of boots to the trash.

Sensing that the walking problem came more from the “boot” feel than from the footwear itself, I used an exact-o knife to

cut off the upper part of the boot along the stitch line. Then I asked the actor to walk in the boots again. Voila! The walking problem

was gone. Another problem that I had anticipated – the shoes slipping off – failed to develop. The boot stayed on the actor’s foot

and looked correct for the period.

To finish the cut edge of the boot, I cleaned it up first with the knife and then dyed the edge with shoe paint. I then

sanded the heel and painted it red with enamel paint. I later added a shoe clip to the top of the tongue of the shoe. Presto!

For almost no money, I had a period looking shoe that stayed on the actor’s foot. Working time on the boots was just 24

hours, including drying time for the paint. Since then, I have shopped at secondhand stores for cowboy boots. Typically, I

can find them for $10-20 a pair. I have a preference for boots with slightly pointed toes for silhouette reasons. Add decorations

at a minimal investment, and you can turn these boots into “period shoes” at a fraction of the cost of the replica pieces available

commercially.

Need period shoes for a woman? While I have used this technique only with men’s boots, it seems easily adaptable to the

Eric J. Abbott is the resident costumer atCatawba College in Salisbury, NC. If you have questions about this technique, contact him at

ejabbott@catawba.edu.

This regular column offers innovative solutions to problems faced by designers and

technicians. These include new techniques involving materials not normally used in

theatre and new methods for using traditional materials. Submissions are welcomed.

Editors are Christopher Zink of Catawba College (cdzink@catawba.edu or zink@

vnet.net) and Stuart Beaman of Gainesville (GA) Theatre Alliance (sbeaman@

hermes.gc.peachnet.edu). Send columns via e-mail to them or via postal mail to: Editor,

Outside the Box, Southern Theatre, P.O. Box 9868, Greensboro, NC 27429-0868.

The safety concerns for this project are minimal:

Cowboy boots $10-20 at secondhand store

Shoe paint to match $6-8 at a shoe repair store                                                                    

Sandpaper $2-4/pack at hardware store

Red enamel paint $1-4 at hardware store

Shoe decorations $3-8 at craft/fabric store

Jake Krickhan wears period shoes made from cowboy boots to portray Otway in Catawba

The cowboy boot is cut to ankle height (far left), then dyed, painted and fitted with a clip to create the finished shoe (left).