An apology to Howard Pyle

[Matty Bottles]

So I was reading this book called Pirates! (it might have been by Angus Constam, I don't remember nor care) and I was looking at many of the images in their painted by one Howard Pyle, who I have been invoking as responsible for the pirate/boot misconception in modern times, and I noticed that the buccaneers who Sacked Cartegena wore shoes. Not boots, but shoes!

So I looked for some other images of Mr. Pyle's. And look!

Here, the cover of The Books of Pirates: shoes!

And here, in "Marooned": shoes!

And here, in this sketch: shoes!

And in "How the Treasure was Divided": shoes!

And here depicting Thomas Tew: shoes!

In fact, there are more shoes, but I couldn't find large enough images to show them clearly. But in "Which Shall be Captain" they are pretty clearly wearing shoes.

Yeah, there are boots, too, but I am impressed by the volume of shoes in his paintings, and I feel that I should publicly apologize for maligning his character. Mr. Pyle, I apologize.

[Rats]

Very honorable!!

Rats

[sirhenrymorgan]

Ironically, buccaneers would have been more likely to be the ones wearing boots. They were more in fashion then and helped immensely as one trekked and hacked their way through thick jungle.

Take the Palisadoes even. Head a few hundred feet out of Port Royal and you're in bushes that will cut your legs to ribbons, along with cactus, stickers and prickly plants. Danged nasty stuff.

I pity the later comers in GAoP who would have to make through similar vegetation in the tropics with buckled shoes.

Next time you want to test footwear in pirate times go to the Palisadoes. The vegetation there hasn't changed a bit in 300 years.

-- Sir Henry

[Black Hearted Pearl]

Okay I'm going to say this not for historical accuracy, but from my own practical experience. We are in the Pirate Pop forum, afterall.

I LOVE my boots. When I'm on the sea, I'm barefoot.

Here are my reasons why:

1. On shore, my feet would get awful dirty if I wore just shoes and stockings. My stockings would be hole ridden and filthy. I can spit shine my boots faster than I can repair a hole in my stockings.

2. Short of steel toed shoes, anything you wear on a ship is not going to prevent you from getting hurt if you drop something on your feet. However, shoes...short of watershoes with nasty blacksoles... will not equal the gripping power of your barefeet.

3. Shoes will get caught on things on the ship. I've never fallen overboard while barefoot (knocking on wood), but I've nearly pulled my leg out of socket and gone into the drink while wearing shoes (Vans;white soles) on a boat.

My boots fit like a second skin. If I were sailing, they would be down below and I would barefoot. If I were in a battle, I'd be wearing my boots regardless of land or sea.

My two dubloons worth,

[Nelson Cooke]

I'm pretty sure Howard's got no beef with you, Bloody Jack.

[Captain Midnight]

Despite any inaccuracies in Howard Pyle's artwork, he will always be my favorite pirate artist of all time. I love his work.