Jackboots

Black leather men's shoes were worn for festive outfits. They were made by a shoemaker, were bought in Nałęczów, and were worn until 1976. They are high, consisting of a sole, heel, and three sheets of upper leather. Two of them form the upper, the third one the vamp. The upper is connected to the vamp at the bend of the leg by a seam. The toe is rounded. The leather sole consists of three layers, and the heel of seven, and is connected by wooden pegs. Shoes of this type were made in only three sizes, and were usually bought larger, which made it possible to insulate them with straw in winter. The foot was first wrapped in onuca, i.e. a rectangular piece of fabric, and then straw was added.

Buying shoes for villagers was a big expense, which is why shoes were held in high esteem. They were only worn on important events, when men wanted to look good. A special wooden device called "a dog" was used to take them off. It was a rectangular board which had a semi-circular hole cut in one side in which the heel of the shoe was blocked and the other foot held onto the board, thus pulling the foot out of the centre. The shoes were cleaned before each use with a linen cloth soaked in soot mixed with grease. In this way they retained their colour and shine.