Sabaton

This article is about sabaton as a type of armour. For the band, see Sabaton (band).

English-made Greenwich armour sabaton, 1587-89

A sabaton or solleret is part of a knight's armour that covers the foot. Fourteenth and fifteenth century sabatons typically end in a tapered point well past the actual toes of the wearer's foot, following fashionable shoe shapes of the fourteenth century. Sabatons of the first half of sixteenth century end at the tip of the toe and may be wider than the actual foot. They were the first piece of armour to be put on, and were made of riveted iron plates called lames.

At least in theory, French princes and dukes were allowed to have toes of gothic sabatons 2.5 feet (0.76 m) long, lords (barons and higher) 2 feet long and gentry only 1-foot (0.30 m) long.

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  Sabatons of Emperor Maximilian I, c. 1485

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  German sabaton for the right foot, c. 1550

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  Sabatons' shape evolution by Wendelin Boeheim: а) 1290—1390. b) 1300—1490. с) 1500—1530. d) 1530—1540. е) 1540—1550. f) 1550—1560. g) 1560—1590

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  Sabatons with tapered points (called à la poulaine)