In Norse mythology’s Ragnarok, Vidar wears a thick shoe on the foot he uses against Fenrir. He places one foot on the wolf’s lower jaw and uses the shoe to force the jaws apart before killing Fenrir.
The shoe has a special mythic history. Norse tradition says that scraps of leather cut from shoes are dedicated to Vidar, allowing him to build an exceptionally strong shoe over time. This explains why ordinary footwear remnants have a ritual connection with the silent god.
Translations vary between “thick shoe,” “iron shoe,” and similar phrases, so the exact adjective can change. The stable point is that Vidar’s specially prepared footwear gives him the leverage needed to defeat Fenrir. It is distinct from the magical fetter used earlier to bind the wolf.