calcĕus (also calcĭus; cf. Burm. and Oud. Suet. Aug. 73, and Calig. 52), i, m. [calx], a shoe, a half-boot (covering the whole foot, while soleae, sandals, covered only the lower part, Gell. 13, 22, 5; v. solea, and cf. Liddell and Scott s. v. ὑπόδημα, and Dict. of Antiq.; very freq. and class.): calcei muliebres sint an viriles, Varr. L. L. 9, § 40 Müll.; Titin. ap. Fest. s. v. mulleos, p. 142 ib. (Com. Rel. p. 128 Rib.): calcei habiles et apti ad pedem, Cic. de Or. 1, 54, 231: calcei et toga, id. Phil. 2, 30, 76: in calceo pulvis, id. Inv. 1, 30, 47; Quint. 11, 3, 137; cf. id. 11, 3, 143; 6, 3, 74: laxus, Hor. S. 1, 3, 32. laxatus, Suet. Oth. 6: sinister, dexter, id. Aug. 92: laevus, Plin. 2, 7, 5, § 24: pede major subvertet, minor uret, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 42.
When the Romans reclined at table they laid aside their shoes; hence, calceos poscere (like soleas poscere, v. solea), i. e. to rise from table, Plin. Ep. 9, 17, 3: calceos et vestimenta mutavit, changed, Cic. Mil. 10, 28; but also, because senators wore a peculiar kind of half-boot (cf. Becker, Gallus, III. p. 132, 2d ed.): calceos mutare, i e. to become senator, Cic. Phil. 13, 13, 28.