Riveting on shoes for extra grip
We offer many historical shoes and boots, some with modern rubber soles and some with historical leather soles. Although leather soles are more accurate, they have the disadvantage of being very slippery. Both in Roman times and the Middle Ages, people used rivets to provide more grip. Be sure to check the thickness of the soles before applying rivets. You don't want the ends to come through the sole inward. Leather here how to safely place rivets on your shoes.
What do you need?
-pencil
-shoe anvil (or something similar)
-leather- or metal punch
-hammer
How to nail shoes:
Step 1:
Since you will be making holes in a shoe sole, the sole must be supported by something hard that can withstand a blow. Naturally, a real shoemaker's shoe stand or shoe anvil would be the best option, but most people do not have one readily available. A thick piece of metal that fits into the shoe should also work.
Place the shoe over your “anvil” with the sole facing upwards.
Step 2:
Rivets can be placed on the sole in various ways. Look up some references and choose the placement that you prefer. Mark the spots where you want the nails with a pencil.
Step 3:
Use the punch and hammer to make holes in the soles at the spots you marked.
Step 4:
Place a rivet in a hole and hammer it in. Repeat this until all the rivets are in place.
