I was in correspondence with Bob Greesh in the US before Christmas and we discussed the scarcity of accurate info for making quality replica footwear for depicting Irish Kerns of the 16th century. I tossed out the suggestion of an on-line workshop or open source project. I must admit I got the inspiration for the idea from the Gislinge  boatbuilding project by Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark and the amazing Dr. T!

So, here it is, for anyone who wants to make a replica of a genuine 16th century Irish Brogue from the heart of Dublin. The drawings are 1:1 scale and full size for a Woman’s size 8 and a Man’s size 6 brogue. All you need do is print them on A4 paper and scale them to your own foot size as appropriate. I’d welcome any comments or feedback on your efforts which will go into shaping future on-line workshops.

Phase 1 involves making paper patterns, transferring the shapes to veg-tan leather and then cutting out the individual pieces. For the double layer sole I am using 3mm thick leather for the outer and 2mm thick leather for the inner soles. All the other parts are 2mm thick leather. Check out my previous posts to see the tools – I forgot to photograph them specifically for this post! All you need are a sharp knife and awl plus some artificial sinew or narrow thong for stitching.

Assembly will begin with stitching the back part and vamp together to form the upper.