Sabaton Leeds Royal Armouries

8Sabaton Leeds Royal Armouries

Sabaton, also known as “Scarpa a Lame” or “d’Arme” in Italian, is the part of a composite armor that protects the knight from foot strikes that may come from an enemy on foot.

In this case, we have a pair of shoes, each consisting of seven blades that anatomically wrap around the foot.
Italian origin marks attribute this artifact to a Milanese workshop and a production period between 1445 and 1455.

The heel is hinged on the inside and secured with a strap on the outside.
A strap is riveted on the outside of the first blade, passes under the foot, and fastens on the inside.
The blades overlap upwards and are articulated by a rivet on both sides, providing good mobility for the foot.
The toe plate is beveled and features 5 rivets used for securing the leather strap of the shoe.

Length: 290 mm (both)
Width: 140 mm (both)
Height: 110 mm (both)
Weight: 0.645 kg (right) 0.625 kg (left)

Leeds Armoury
Object Number: III.1348

Photographs taken by the author during the museum visit.

Sabaton Leeds Royal Armouries