I actually uttered a **** me under my breath when I found them.
A bag of nails from the cobblers. Anyone remember buying these to nail their cleats to their shoes?

Yup, ’65 – ish

Your memory might be slipping, weren’t they called ‘plates’?

Remember er no. but then i can’t remember whether i’ve “been” or not 😯

The first pair of proper cycling shoes I had needed the cleats nailing to the sole. I rode without the cleats to wear mark the sole to locate the cleat, popped into the cobbler and he nailed them in on his last. I doubt I’d find a cobbler in town now.

These are the flattish plates with a slot, to engage with the back edge of a rat-trap pedal? Their purpose is to cause you to fall off in an embarrassing manner if you didn’t flick your toe strap loose?

Or is my memory slipping too?

Cleats ? Ghastly Americanism. Shoe plates if you don’t mind, nailed to the bottom of proper cycling shoes, with leather soles.
How do riders secure a spare tub (or cape) behind their saddle now that toe straps are no more ?

How do riders secure a spare tub (or cape) behind their saddle now that toe straps are no more ?

Would this do, Grandad?

Plates, you are right.
mcmoonter, that’s the method I used. Though for some reason we had an old cast iron foot? thing in our garden that cobblers use.
I have two Binda straps left, then that’s it.

yup, still got the last as well somewhere 🙂

addidas mercx !

toe straps, even leather ones, are available (I’d say “easily” too, you can mail order them from me )

As mcmoonter says – ride first to mark the sole and then nail the plates on. I seem to remember my first pair had wooden soles with leather uppers and ordinary laces. Lasted for years until Look came up with the clipless variety.