A while ago, while renovating our old barn, we stumbled upon an intriguing discovery that made us ponder the lives of the farm’s previous owners. Hidden among a stash of old and mostly broken bottles in the building’s foundations was a child’s leather shoe. This find led us down the fascinating rabbit hole of concealed shoes—a practice with roots stretching back centuries.
Concealed shoes have been discovered in the fabric of buildings across Europe and other parts of the world since at least the early modern period. These shoes were often hidden in chimneys, under floors, above ceilings, and around doors and windows. They were believed to serve as magical charms to protect the occupants from evil influences like demons, ghosts, and witches, or to bestow fertility on a household member.
The tradition of concealing shoes wasn’t limited to private homes. Shoes have been found in a variety of structures, including country houses, public houses, monasteries, and even churches. One of the earliest recorded instances of a concealed shoe in the UK was found behind the choir stalls in Winchester Cathedral, installed in 1308. The Northampton Museum maintains a Concealed Shoe Index, which, as of 2012, listed 1900 reports of such discoveries, with nearly half dating from the 19th century.
Our discovery made us wonder about the lives of those who lived here before us. The child’s shoe we found was worn, hinting at the everyday life of the child who once wore it. It’s fascinating to think that this small piece of footwear might have been hidden away to protect the family or bring good fortune, following a tradition that spans centuries.
Although the custom of concealing shoes is said to have more or less died out during the 20th century, our shoe was found amongst beer bottles dating from 1937 to the 1950s. Notably, the shoe was found amidst broken glass, which could have been deliberately placed to trick and harm any witches trying to enter the premises, keeping them away from the main house. Other examples of concealed shoes in Australia include a find during construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the 1920s, where workmen discovered a child’s shoe hidden in the southeast pylon. This shoe was believed to have been placed deliberately to ward off evil spirits.
One of the most remarkable examples of this custom was found at a country house in Tasmania, where a cache of 20 shoes, along with toys and hats from the 19th century, was unearthed in an attic. These items were believed to be hidden to protect against supernatural threats.
Our find adds a layer of history to our farm and connects us to this age-old practice steeped in superstition and folklore. The combination of the shoe and broken glass speaks to the lengths people went to protect their homes from unseen forces, using whatever means they believed would keep their families safe.
