Hundreds of old-fashioned shoes have been uncovered along the Vale of Glamorgan coastline during a rockpool restoration project. A total of 437 shoes have been found across four beaches, with the majority at Ogmore (293) and Llantwit Major (134). The finds were made by Beach Academy as part of an environmental initiative funded by the Vale Local Nature Partnership.
The shoes are believed to date back many decades, with styles resembling those from times past rather than modern footwear. According to a Beach Academy spokesperson, the shoes are being slowly excavated from rockpool zones where they have been embedded in sediment or trapped in rocks. At Ogmore alone, 200 shoes were removed in one week.
The strongest theory links the shoes to the shipwreck of the Frolic, which struck Tusker Rock around 150 years ago while carrying a cargo of shoes from Italy. It is thought the shoes washed up the Ogmore River and periodically reappear due to erosion. Another theory points to Bridgend's shoemaking industry, where cobblers would dump old boots into the river at Portobello.
Beach Academy stresses that the focus remains on environmental restoration, with over 12,000 items of litter already removed. The organisation is appealing for more volunteers to join the rockpool restoration sessions, which have been running since September.
