roman soldier boots 3rd century adThis is a reconstruction of Roman soldiers boots (calcei) from the 3rd century AD. They are made of 2 mm thick cowhide with a 7 mm sole, which is not studded with nails. In northern forts such as Vindolanda (near Hadrians Wall in present day England), evidence has been found that soldiers often had two types of footwear: open caligae and lighter closed shoes. Closed shoes offered better protection against the often wet climate of central and northern