Bast shoe

Bast shoes are a traditional footwear of the forest areas of Northeastern Europe, formerly worn by poorer members of the Finnic peoples, Balts, Russians, and Belarusians.

Similar shoes have also been made of strips of birchbark in more northern areas where bast is not readily available.

Today bast shoes are sold as souvenirs and sometimes worn by ethnographic music or dance troupes as part of their costume.

Bast shoes played an important role in the founding myth of the Přemyslid dynasty, which reigned in Bohemia and Moravia until 1306 AD.

His bast shoes and bast-bag were kept as relics at Vyšehrad and Czech kings put them on during their coronations.

Lapti
In use, from below
Lubok depicting a peasant making lapti (Russian bast shoes).
Close-up of a modern lapti-maker, using a wooden shoe last and cotton round braid . Most shoes of stiffer bast are woven on the bias , with strips running diagonally, but she is weaving on the grain , with braids running along the sole (see example , and both in one shoe )