Giant 2,000-year-old Roman shoe found in England: 32 centimeters long, the same size as LeBron James' foot

Mud doesn't always hide the same things, and this time it has brought to light something as curious as it is astonishing: a 2,000-year-old leather shoe that looks more like it belonged on an NBA star than a Roman legionary. The discovery was made during excavations by the Vindolanda Trust project at Magna Fort, in northern England, next to the iconic Hadrian's Wall . There, deep within a defensive ditch designed to prevent invasions, this unusual vestige of a past that still has much to tell was discovered.

What seemed like a routine day of excavation at this Roman fort ended with the archaeological team completely surprised. At the base of a trench known as a "bootbreaker," a trap designed to literally thwart the enemy's plans, they found three leather shoes . Two of them had well-preserved technical details, but it was one in particular that caught everyone's attention due to its enormous size: 32 centimeters long .

Rachel Frame, the project's lead archaeologist, documented the impact in her excavation journal: "The shoe immediately provoked gasps of amazement from volunteers and staff." No wonder. The piece retained part of its heel, several studs from the sole, and an unusual integrity for an object that has remained buried for two millennia. "This gives us a very accurate view of how Roman shoes were made: multiple layers of leather were used to form the sole, held together with tongs, stitching, and nails," Frame explained.

A foot like LeBron James's

The comparison was inevitable: those 32 centimeters of shoe are the foot size of LeBron James , the NBA star, whose shoe is a 15 in American sizing, which is equivalent to a 49-50 in Europe . This detail makes the discovery a fascinating enigma for archaeologists, who are now wondering about the height and build of the soldier who left behind such a wealth of loot. “It’s probably one of the largest shoes found in the entire Vindolanda Trust collection ,” said Frame, surprised by the discovery.

Researchers haven't ruled out the possibility that the shoe belonged to a very large legionary who could have been over 1.90 meters tall , something exceptional for the Roman era. However, much remains to be analyzed. The footwear will be studied by a specialist in ancient leather to confirm details of its manufacture and determine, if possible, the profile of the wearer. "A shoe is a very personal object; it really connects you with the people who lived in the fort," wrote one of the volunteers on the project's blog.

Judging by the size of the shoe, it could belong to a large legionary who could have been over 1.90 meters tall, something exceptional for the Roman era.

In an era when every fragment of the Roman past can provide key insights into how its soldiers lived, fought, and moved, this enormous shoe has impressed not only for its size, but for what it implies. Far from being a mere archaeological curiosity, it connects the present with a time when even a legionary could leave his mark... and quite a mark.