Heel rims

[Brandon Ledvina]

I am looking into buying a pair of the Jefferson Bootees from MB&S. The question I have is was it more common to have inlet heel rims or surface mounted heel rims. Was it more common in a particular theater, campaign, etc. or were they used about the same. I tried to look it up with no luck.

Any help would be appreciated.

[rlhardingjr]

Re: Heel rims

Brandon..,

If you have not already done so, just ask Robert. His knowledge on the subject of those items he offers is second to none, IMHO. I own four pair of his shoes that have heel rims applied both ways...

Regards,

[Brandon Ledvina]

Re: Heel rims

Thanks Rick,

I was thinking about that also before I order them but thought I would see if anyone had any additional info. Just curious since everything I read doesn't mention it. I guess it just wasn't something they had to wright home about back then.

[Jimmayo]

Re: Heel rims

Based on my diggings the simple horse shoe type heel plate is the most common found. However it is not the only type found. Here are a sample of heel plates from the Petersburg area. The left most heel plate has a groove where the nail was placed. The plate is worn but the groove can be seen on the bottom leg. The middle plate may be the one you are asking about. It looks to be better made and may have been installed like the MB&S shoe heel plate. The right plate is the most common type found. Hope this helps out some.

[flattop32355]

Re: Heel rims

Mr. Mayo. would it be your opinion that heel plates were common, ubiquitous, not common but not rare, or rare?
From a purely comfort perspective, I prefer to pay the extra and have them recessed, but I'm not sure that was the most common means of placement.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Heel rims

Hallo!

Heel plates do show up in CW camps and battlefields in small numbers.

IMHO, reenactors have made the exception the rule, or inverted the telescope. Meaning, they tend to be more "universal" today than back then.

While the Government appears to not have specified them, their smallish numbers would seem to indicate that some shoe contractors provided them as part of their product for their contracts. But on the other hand, that runs contrary to profit margins and seems "uncontractorish" unless a contract called for them?

I did once got to exam several dozen plates from one section of Chancellorsville. The "theory" being that a lot of lads either lost them, or lost their shoes with them on as it was hard to account for or explain teh unusual confined concentration. One lad theorized that the area was swampy back then and suck off a disproportionate number of shoes from passing or advancing troops tha thad shoes with plates.

Curt

[Jimmayo]

Re: Heel rims

Based on my recovered plates the most common was the type that simply was nailed on the heel. If you examine the images of dead soldiers from the LOC you will be hard pressed to find heel plates on the limited number of pictures where the soles of the shoes can be seen. I believe there is one image of dead CS soldiers at GB where it appears he has hobnails. I agree with Curt that the use of heel plates seems to be universal among reenactors today. I believe that is because we walk on more hard surfaces and want our heels to last.
Also I think the use of heel plates was more of a Union thing. I have found very few heel plates in CS positions.

[Brandon Ledvina]

Re: Heel rims

Thanks for the info guys. Doing confederate I like to have the heel plates off but this would be more for a Federal impression (like Mr. Mayo mentioned). I know it is over done in our hobby but it is nice to have for some of the modern surfaces we may be walking on. I'm going to leave the hobnails off at least.

[P. M. Cunningham, Tinner]

Re: Heel rims

Old thread but it already has some useful posts.

I am not impressed with the plates that are on the market these days and my metal working side is taking over. Thinking of trying to start making making repro heel plates, but need examples. Original images are nice, original plates are better, original shoes with plates are ideal (either private or public collections). I don't mind doing the ground work, hoping some folks can point me to collections that may pan out.

Pat Cunningham

[D Harrelson]

Re: Heel rims

Another approach is to use hobnails on the edge of the heels instead of plates. More readily available and seves the same purpose. Works for me.

D Harrelson

[Silas]

Re: Heel rims

I am not impressed with the plates that are on the market these days and my metal working side is taking over. Thinking of trying to start making making repro heel plates, but need examples.

Welcome to the club. I came to the same realization several years ago during a visit to the White Oak Museum east of Fredericksburg. Many original plates are displayed there. Caused me to wonder why the only ones available are horse shoes where there were other types available. Even the horse shoes then contained a ridge at the top of the U which I've never seen in a repro. You might want to give them a call, Pat. Reproduction of heel plates is a niche waiting to be filled.

There is a vendor on ebay who produces some plates based upon originals, but the bulk of the plates he produces are fanciful fiction.

[J.H.Berger]

Re: Heel rims

Pat, again if you look at artifacts and period originals that do have heel plates( there are only very few) the simple heel rim with holes for the neails approx 8mm wide and 5-6mm thick are what you are looking for. They certainly did have a lift inserted so the would be not mud scaling up in between. Period UP English shoes have the heels build up like this and it only makes sense and was used this way until the 1950s here in Germany when heelplates disappeared.
I use old WWII period stock which I have to reshape on the anvil and vise to give them the propper shape.