Hose/Flashes with tall boots?

[tripleblessed]

Something that might be relevant here. As an actor, I found that costume affected presentation; that is, if I was struggling to get the character, sometimes changing the shoes or clothing pushed me to move in a different way, and that allowed a more appropriate revealing of the character. When I found myself sliding down the road with 600lbs. of motorcycle attempting to push my ankle through the pavement, I was inordinately grateful for tall boots and the extra few seconds they bought me to get out from under to on top of it before I started losing bone.

My point is that clothing choices have many motivations, and THCD is only one of a whole spectrum of reasons. Sometimes you just want tall boots. Sometimes you just want a kilt. Sometimes you just feel like wearing your Stetson with the feathered hatband. It might all happen on the same day. I don't feel motivated to be responsible for any other person's choices, and I won't apologize for my own. I certainly don't choose with an eye to offending
anyone, any more than does the Duke of Argyll. I DO appreciate knowing
what everyone thinks, to help inform choices.

As English Bloke points out, either kilts are modern clothing, or they are
costume wear only for ceremony and only for Scots.

[Bob C]

How about keeping the flashes and foregoing the tall boots?

This.

[piperdbh]

I think if 'twere I making the choice, and I knew that I would be wearing tall boots, I would want long socks between the leather and my leg-flesh. And, if I were wearing tall boots that were strapped to said leg-flesh with multiple lacings, I wouldn't worry about what was holding up the socks because the lacings of the boot would be tight enough to do the job. However, since my feet sweat like a son-of-a-gun and the thought of being bound up in leather boots gives me the willies, I think I'll stick my my Keens.

To the OP:
For Ren Faire, I think the shoes you pictured (the "Gaelles") look better than the tall boots. What kind of sole do they have?

[Riverkilt]

Here's a pic of a Flagstaff Arizona police officer at the Flagstaff games a few years ago...he made an effort to wear flashes with his low boots. Might give you some idea of how it would look.

[Nighthawk]

Understood. Might long boots be a tad warm over there at this time of year though?

It depends. I wear Minitonka moccasins myself. Those are designed by the native tribes, and they work GREAT in my climate! Problem is that people mistake them for some sort of costume garb when I wear them with my kilt...

As for the hose thing, I think the hose I was wearing in that picture is the natural or tan color, it just looks white in the picture, same with the silly shirt I'm wearing.

I think you have me leaning towards getting a pair of these:


And, it's my understanding that the Scots of ole went bare legged... does that mean no socks or hose? The sandals pictured, according to the vendor selling them, are based on the shoes worn by "the Gaels (hence the name "Gaelles"), Celts, Scots, English and mimicked by the Romans." I'd tie them a little higher up on the leg.

Any thoughts?

Those aren't bad. They're not quite right, though (but close!!), and the descriptors have it backwards- the Celts stole them from the Romans. As to being historical, they are in the most basic sense. If you really want to be accurate, get your hands on a hide, cut out 2 pieces to roughly fit your feet, sew them, and use leather strips as ties, very similar to those. Or if you don't do leather working yourself those are actually pretty good. Honestly I want a pair myself. As to the bare legged thing, the term is redshanks. Yes, that was common. The hose that were worn were sewn from tartan left over from the kilt. They were simply sewn tubes- think Larry the Cable Guy sending you his sleeves- with the feet closed off.

[The Thirsty Viking]

These are the Son of Sandlar boots I wear to faire and sometimes out kilting:


While not at all historically accurate, they are extremely comfortable, and amazing at traversing the very rocky and uneven terrain of my local faire. They are a widely popular boot and great to work in. They also have a very distinct "Renn Faire" look. The brass World Tree buttons also sold me a bit

[Nighthawk]

In that case, why not go bare-legged (as the "Scots of old"), or perhaps hide-out/fur-in deerskin shoes? In either case (Renaissance Festival or regular kilted wear) it doesn't seem like the tall boots would really fit.

If the OP is bound and determined, though, to wear these tall boots, then I agree that wearing kilt hose and flashes would just add to the confusion.

It's funny- I read this after making my post! My friends joke about their Rennie burns, which are the sunburns the ladies get on their chests. I joke with them about my Rennie burn- which I get on my feet! If the festival is in grass, I go barefoot!

Here's an excellent example of what a Scottish Highlander of the late Renaissance (meaning early 1600's) would have looked like. The shoes are just hides roughly sewn together, and very similar to those... gaellies? Is that the vendor was calling them?

As English Bloke points out, either kilts are modern clothing, or they are
costume wear only for ceremony and only for Scots.

That's no more true of kilts than of pants. This pair of pants, for example, is no longer worn in the mainstream:



However, if you're a Revolutionary War era reenactor, they are very appropriate. Same holds true of the kilt. It was worn in a different way in the 1650's than it is today, and if you're portraying a person from that time period, then like pants, the kilt does in fact become costume. Does that all kilts are costumes? Of course not! It's all about context.

[Bugbear]

I just had a strange thought of reenactors in the distant future reading this thread, having excavated an old harddrive, and arguing about how to properly portray people of the early Twenty-First who are reenacting the early Seventeenth century.

[tripleblessed]

Apologies all_left off the part on the original question. Gotta stop posting while cooking supper.

If you're gonna have the tall boots, as observed, no need for flashes with the Son of Sandlar boots, as they are probably tight enough to keep hose up. If a looser boot, ties hidden as much as practical. The "Gaelles" are definitely more appropriate for the period flavor. If your character is a gentleman of the clan, more leeway, but the common kind of guy would mostly have made
his own very like the picture. And most likely have been bare-legged, if not
completely barefoot.

Nighthawk, if those pants aren't mainstream, does that mean I can't wear the three pair in my closet any more? And are you saying the kilt IS, or IS NOT mainstream? I dassn't be seen in anything not comfortably in the mainstream,
whatever would become of me? It would likely go on my PERMANENT RECORD.

[Droid]

So many great opinions and some very solid advise. I'm glad I joined this forum, you all are a wonderful resource.

I am close to settling on a decision... Even though I would love to own a pair of 8 button fantasy boots, I'm going to go with the laced up sandal things that I pictured in an earlier post. I have chosen that vendor based on friends recommendations, lifetime warranty and they are supposedly very comfortable.

I'll go bare under the shoes and I wont worry about having a modern kilt. Just as long as don't forget the sunscreen or my goblet, I'll be on my way to having a fun time.