Volunteers on Ogmore By Sea Beach in Wales stumbled upon hundreds of old leather boots while clearing rock pools along the shore. Experts say the studded-soled shoes date back to the 19th century, the BBC reported.
According to Emma Lamport from the Beach Academy, who took part in the beach walk, locals associate the find with an Italian ship that sank about 150 years ago in nearby waters while carrying a cargo of leather goods. One theory suggests that the boots may have been washed into the Ogmore River and then ended up on the shore.
So far, volunteers have found more than 200 boots on the beach in just a week. Among the finds were children’s shoes and some of the smaller boots may have belonged to women. Interestingly, the feet of people living in the Victorian era were much smaller than those of modern people.
As Lamport noted, some of the boots are in fairly good condition.
Earlier this year, Kursiv LifeStyle reported that a man from Kazakhstan started a business 3D-printing shoes and selling them worldwide for $200.
