Nationalclothing.org

Sometimes shoes are the most interesting part of the national costume. They indicate the typical features of the country and at the same time the traits of the person who made and uses them. Shoes are the part of the outfit which tells more than any other piece about the wearer. That’s why traditional footwear of other countries often seems so odd for us. For example, these 10 weird national shoes: Top-10 most offbeat traditional shoes around the world (http://nationalclothing.org/13-national ... world.html).

Postoly – the traditional shoes of Eastern European countries. They are made from leather and can be tied to the leg with leather strips or thick woolen threads. The tips of postoly are often narrowed and turned-up.
On the photos below, are postoly from the western part of Ukraine (Carpathian regions), the end of the 19th century.

Vintage felt boots for winter. You can see a pair of tiny kid’s boots and a pair of felt & leather boots for an adult. Also, there are several beautiful felt flowers in the photo.
Such felt boots were popular in Europe in the 20th century. Even today, they are used in some countries.
Felt boots are very warm but not waterproof at all. That’s why they are worn with gumshoes on top.

Hutsul woolen leg wrappings worn with special leather shoes called “postoly”. Ukraine, Carpathian region. Such leg wrappings are warm, comfy, and pretty. They are usually adorned with beautiful embroidery. This pair has a tiny button that helps to keep them in place, but they also may be tied to the leg by the shoe’s leather straps.
You’ve already seen these leg wrapping put on in one of the previous posts.

Ukrainian traditional footwear. Unisex bast shoes called “lychaky” made from birch bark. Zhytomyr region of Ukraine (northern part of the country); so-called “Polissia” (woodland) area; the end of the 20th century. Handmade. These shoes also have very long (longer than the human height) hemp cords that tie them to the foot. Such lychaky were very cheap and easy to make but they frayed quickly. Similar footwear can be found in Russia, Belarus, Finland, and Baltic countries.
Lychaky were worn on top of the leg wrappings, of course. Because they are coarse and can hurt the skin.

Unisex wooden shoes called “kaidany” or “stupaky”. Central Ukraine, mid-20th century. They are handmade from one whole piece of wood and painted in black. Footwear of the same shape and design can be found in Scandinavian countries – clogs or klompen.

Women’s leather shoes called “postoly”. Velykyi Bereznyi district, Zakarpattia region (western Ukraine); so-called “Lemko” area where Lemkos ethnic group lives; the 1st half of the 20th century. Each shoe is made by hand from one whole piece of leather and adorned with metal eyelets and buckles as decoration. There are 3 leather straps on each shoe that help to keep it in place. Similar footwear was used in many countries of the Southeast Europe.

Kyrgyz felt footwear. Beautiful shoes made of wool. Handmade by artisans from Kyrgyzstan.

Female leather shoes called “postoly”. Bekhy village, Korosten district, Zhytomyr region (Northern Ukraine), the 2nd half of the 20th century. Handmade. Each shoe is made from one whole piece of leather and embellished with stamping on leather. Also, there is a leather strap with a brass buckle that ties the shoe to the foot. The back of each shoe is knit together with a cord.

Women’s leather shoes called “postoly”. Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine (western part of the country), the 1st half of the 20th century. Each shoe is made by hand from one whole piece of leather and adorned with stamping on leather and 2 ornate brass buckles. These shoes have pretty and rather modern-looking leather straps that encircle the ankle.