Rogue Footwear

TardiS

Newbie
I found a previous thread on footwear but it doesn't address my current concern. I play a rogue and currently either wear Vibram Five-Fingers (Which are awesome in every way that isn't being in period) or an old pair of plain black boots (which are terrible for running and sneaking). I'm looking to in the nearish future get some footwear that's more in period, but I need to be able to sneak around in them as well as run. So the question is, does anyone know any kind of in-period footwear that has a sole that I can sneak in but is also soft enough for me to sprint in?
 
Sodhoppers' "Stealth Trackers" with "Goop" soles seem to meet your criteria. You can even buy extra Goop to re-apply as needed (instructional DVD available).

-Luke
 
boot covers are your friend. You can wear any footwear you want with a good set boot covers.The best possible shoe you can get for rogue-ing, IMO, is a good pair of cleats.
 
Dom said:
boot covers are your friend. You can wear any footwear you want with a good set boot covers.The best possible shoe you can get for rogue-ing, IMO, is a good pair of cleats.
Swiss leather gaiters. Several people in Oregon have them, they look great.
http://rustybayonet.com/pro1142174.html
 
It looks like those covers wouldn't cover much of the shoe. Is that just from the picture or should I try and get a shoe with a 'believable' front and use the covers for the rest?
 
Gaiters tend to leave the toe exposed, but if the shoe you're wearing is black or brown, it tends to look okay under gaiters.
 
TardiS said:
It looks like those covers wouldn't cover much of the shoe. Is that just from the picture or should I try and get a shoe with a 'believable' front and use the covers for the rest?

Black hiking boots look pretty damn good with them. I would wonder how they look with various other things. I got a pair on order (they finally got another shipment in). My hiking boots are this style (last year model is darker olive brown), so I will see how they look together when they get here.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-M ... s/14649470
 
For my tarantula-kin character, I made my own. I found a leather skirt at a thrift store (though any thin, yet durable leather would work) and make a pair of high boots akin to moccasins with lace up sides.

It was a really fast project, but since they don't have padded soles (or at least, mine don't) you can still feel every rock in the road. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with bad feet. The leather will keep your feet from being cut open, but it won't stop anything else.

That being said, they were absolutely silent when I wanted them to be, even over things like twigs and leaves (because of the flexibility of the foot, and being able to feel the sticks under my feet) and fit perfectly, since I had sewn them to my foot shape.
 
TardiS said:
I found a previous thread on footwear but it doesn't address my current concern. I play a rogue and currently either wear Vibram Five-Fingers (Which are awesome in every way that isn't being in period) or an old pair of plain black boots (which are terrible for running and sneaking). I'm looking to in the nearish future get some footwear that's more in period, but I need to be able to sneak around in them as well as run. So the question is, does anyone know any kind of in-period footwear that has a sole that I can sneak in but is also soft enough for me to sprint in?

Vibrams are the love of my life... the one issue I find is that they SUCK in the wetness and mud. I hate the feeling of icky mud between my toes (If you have Flow, I guess that's a non-issue, but I have Komodos, so it is;))!! If you play a dark elf you could likely get away with them being "barefoot" in black.

Personally, I LOVE my sandlars... I know I say it a lot, but I can't think of anything I'd rather wear to game (well aside from the NEW sandlars, since mine are a decade old) - I have no issue sneaking in them (though, nothing will have the flexibility and control of a pair of vibrams). Boot covers are a cool idea - might want to look into a pair of minimalist hikers - they won't have the toe separation, but they'll give you that flexibility and control that you likely crave after being a five-fingerer ;)
 
That's a great idea! I'd love to get stealth trackers or a pair of similar custom stuff but im having trouble justifying 3-400 for just the shoes for my costume.

I have the brown leather kso treks and just say i'm 'barefoot.' I love them except when they get wet.

I'm going to take a look around at minimalist hiker stuff and see if I can't find something that would look good with gaiters.

One last side note, if I do find a custom leather footwear place like sodhoppers (I think there's one at the pa renfaire) that has a bit more affordable lower cut boots, does anyone have experience running and sneaking in that style of shoe? How do they work out?
 
I've got a pair of the kneehigh Sodhoppers with the goop soles - the traction's not as good as I'd like in, say, wet grass, but otherwise they're pretty good. I've had no issue running in them or sneaking, they're lightweight and flexible.

Minnetonka Mocs has some boots (both low and high) that are good - they look more like they'd be appropriate for Davy Crockett, but they'd work well on a wild elf or barbarian. Definitely get the ones with the good soles, though - the plain leather soles are great for feeling stuff under foot (unless you're walking on rocks), but they've got very poor traction. That said, even their tall boots are only about $80 or so (last time I looked).

I've seen a lot of people use leather gaiters over combat/SWAT boots - you can get some lightweight ones with great treads that are still good for quiet moving.
 
If either A) the area you are sneaking in has few rocks, B) you have tough feet, or C) you get something along the lines of Shoe Goop to cover the bottoms, I would highly recommend swamp ghillies. I have two pair; one for dancing and one larping. These shoes consist of a single VERY long string, and a small amount of deerskin or other soft hide. One of the things I love about these is they will fit PERFECTLY if you make them yourself. You will also be able to feel, to a muted degree, everything you are stepping on... including that stick you didn't see in the dark and are halfway though breaking. I generally carry boots for general use at an event, and keep these in a pouch if I need to get sneaky.
Here is a pretty good patterning of them: http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-shoes/
 
Awesome! I'm going to look into a few of these idea's when I get home from work. I'm trying to balance In genre/character with Sneaky and Traction cuz from my (very) limited experience I seem to be able to sneak up on stuff, do some damage, then have to run the heck away because the monsters turn on me after. I'm going to try and find a sole to attach to those ghillies that would be quiet enough but still not cause me to eat grass if it's wet out.
 
So - my fiance just picked these up last week - http://www.cushe.com/US/en-US/Product.m ... mensions=0 they look even cooler in person & have a vibram sole. With pants that are long enough you really can only see the moccasin looking part in the front :)

They don't have ankle support (but if you're running around in Vibram's I'm going to guess you don't care). We found them at Track & Trail - but I'd be willing to bet EMS would have them too :)
 
I've been wearing these tabi for a little over a year now, and I'm reasonably happy with them. On the plus side, they're light, give good traction, easy to put on/take off, and wash in the laundry. On the downside, they're cloth (though, I need to play with Scotchgarding them) and provide zero ankle-support. If I were to improve on them (beyond maybe making them from leather), I'd make the flap that velcros extend another foot or two and taper, so that I could wrap my ankles with them. I might even just end up sewing a length of black canvas across them to do just that.
 
Speaking of Tabi, I know a few people who have these:

http://www.ayyawear.com/store/footwear/tabi/spiral-tabi

They are amazingly light, durable as heck, have amazing soles that don't wear down, look awesome, are waterproof, and are extremely comfortable. You also get to customize precisely what you want on them. They are the perfect in period rogue boots.
 
Those are pretty awesome! I'm leaning towards getting one of the cheaper pairs of Tabi's while I tuck some money away for Sandalar boots at the moment. But those custom tabi's are pretty rockin.
 
jpariury said:
I've been wearing these tabi for a little over a year now, and I'm reasonably happy with them. On the plus side, they're light, give good traction, easy to put on/take off, and wash in the laundry. On the downside, they're cloth (though, I need to play with Scotchgarding them) and provide zero ankle-support. If I were to improve on them (beyond maybe making them from leather), I'd make the flap that velcros extend another foot or two and taper, so that I could wrap my ankles with them. I might even just end up sewing a length of black canvas across them to do just that.

I've been looking to upgrade my footwear for a while now, and I'm considering getting those. My question is: how do they do in the wet? Can I walk through wet grass? Can I step in mud? I assume I can't step in water...

Also, do you need the split-toe socks?

Thanks!
 
Vry_Young_Pup said:
Speaking of Tabi, I know a few people who have these:

http://www.ayyawear.com/store/footwear/tabi/spiral-tabi
Those look pretty hawt. I just can't get myself to justify $350 for 'em (yet).

Mendacity said:
My question is: how do they do in the wet? Can I walk through wet grass? Can I step in mud? I assume I can't step in water...

Also, do you need the split-toe socks?
I recommend spraying them down with Camp Dry. They're not super permeable, but if you're in the grass long enough, they're going to soak eventually. What's great is that they're fabric, so if they get muddy or dirty, I can rinse them off, then run them through the washer. Worst case, I might need to reapply the Camp Dry.

And I actually do fine with regular socks just tucking the fabric between my toes.
 
jpariury said:
Vry_Young_Pup said:
Speaking of Tabi, I know a few people who have these:

http://www.ayyawear.com/store/footwear/tabi/spiral-tabi
Those look pretty hawt. I just can't get myself to justify $350 for 'em (yet).

Mendacity said:
My question is: how do they do in the wet? Can I walk through wet grass? Can I step in mud? I assume I can't step in water...

Also, do you need the split-toe socks?
I recommend spraying them down with Camp Dry. They're not super permeable, but if you're in the grass long enough, they're going to soak eventually. What's great is that they're fabric, so if they get muddy or dirty, I can rinse them off, then run them through the washer. Worst case, I might need to reapply the Camp Dry.

And I actually do fine with regular socks just tucking the fabric between my toes.

+1 on either Camp Dry or Nikwax.
I use Nikwax TX.Direct on my motorcycle gear & have ridden in some serious downpours with the only places getting water in was where my pants tend to push up around the top of my boots or up at my neck.
Great stuff, washes in & holds up well.
 
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