Fig. 31.Fig. 32.Fig. 33.
Fig. 31.Fig. 32.Fig. 33.
Fig. 31.
Fig. 32.
Fig. 33.
When the crusading army was before Nicopolis, thesepoulainesastonished the Turks very much, who probably wondered how fighting was to be done in them. When it came to decisive action, however, it was found that thepoulainesimpeded the movements of the knights so much that an order was given to cut them off.
There was also made, at this time, in order to avoid trailing thepoulainesin the mud of the narrow streets, a kind of wooden clog (Fig.27), with cross-bars edged with iron; this was fastened to the foot by an embroidered leather strap. By means of this contrivance thepoulaineswere kept from contact with the ground.
This fashion flourished for a long time despite the anathemas of the bishops, who stigmatized them as immoral, and the denunciations of officials.
By an act of Parliament, in 1463 shoemakers were prohibited from making, for the lower classes, shoes with points more than two inches long; and afterwards excommunication was pronounced on any person found wearing them; so they were forced to retire, after a vigorous reign of almost three centuries.
From thepoulaine, fashion ran into the opposite extreme, and in the sixteenth century people wore shoes with square toes as broad, and sometimes broader, than they were long (Fig.26). They had no straps, and were only held on the foot by the narrow piece rising above the heel. It was shoes of this kind that were worn by FrancisI. of France, and HenryVIII. of England.