Sabaton

A sabaton or solleret is part of a knight's body armor that covers the foot.

History

Sabatons from the 14th and 15th centuries typically end in a tapered point well past the actual toes of the wearer's foot, following fashionable shoe shapes of the era. Sabatons of the late 15th and early 16th century followed the duckbill shoes of the time, ending at the tip of the toe but often extending greatly wider. The sabatons were the first piece of armour to be put on, and were made of riveted iron plates called lames. These plates generally covered only the top of the foot. Some sources maintain that the broad-toed variant is the true sabaton, whereas the earlier versions should be referred to as a solleret.

At least in theory, French princes and dukes were allowed to have toes of Gothic sabatons 2+1⁄2 times, lords (barons and higher) two times, and gentry only one time the length of their feet. If we assume pied du roi as the standard length, these would be 81.2 cm (32 in), 64.96 cm (25+9⁄16 in), and 32.48 cm (12+3⁄4 in), respectively.

An earlier solution was for the mail of the chausses to completely cover the foot, but later the mail terminated at the ankle, either overlapping the outside of the sabaton or extending beneath it.