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Honestly, this is something that really doesn't have an answer unless you start getting into mass-produced apparel.

Sizing shoes in general is really difficult to do because of how different our feet are. My experience with small batch leather boots for an outfit of around 250 fighters all using the same kind yielded very different results; some needed the extra half size up and some didn't and claimed the fit was already on the snug side. Others said they were far too loose.

I don't know what you're leatherworking experience is like, but boots are the hardest things to make by a substantial margin. Unless you're a professional cobbler, odds are you're going to get some things wrong on the first few attempts regardless. Even if using a template, all templates vary in how much spare room there might be inside the shoe.

My feet are personally quite flat in the sense that arch to ankle is only around 2.5 inches, so I'd probably be able to get away with it without changing the size.

I guess the best I can offer if you're going to make them is to make them at-size and buy some insoles that can be cut and see. What matters absolutely most in a pair of boots is good ankle support so your choice of pattern and leather thickness matters a lot here as well.

If you're not a cobbler or using a pattern I'd recommend staying away from making leather boots unless you have the money to burn doing it as a learning experience rather than expecting a final product to come out well on the first attempt. There's a reason most shops stay away from footwear, and those that do it don't do much else.

Generally, it's just best to buy something and layer over it. A number of fighters I know, including myself, use these and just cut the fringe off and they look great (wax is recommended). They've lasted me over a year and show very little signs of wear and tear, and the soles are only sketchy on very wet days:

https://www.amazon.com/Minnetonka-Front-Lace-Knee-Boot/dp/B0009IY8AQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1525231276&sr=8-3&keywords=minnetonka+moccasin+boots+men

To clarify, what I'm looking for is 1/4 or 3/8th ID foam (that is to say, fitting a tube that size/the inner hole) with a 5/8ths wall. I get very close to that on Amazon, with a 1/2 ID hole, 5/8ths wall:


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BVS1E0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
( Thermwell Products P10 Foam Insulation, 3-Feet, 4-Pack)


For cores, it's fiberglass wound .414, which I pick up locally from B3 (their site has it:
https://www.b3is.com/shop/Fibreglass-wound-Ultralight-Weapon-Cores-p81955553 )


At one point, I ordered a box of 1/4 ID with 3/4 in sidewall, but it's too thick at this point (we have gone super light).


I checked out Forge Foam, but it's definitely too thick. The foam that B3 sells is great and super durable, but too heavy for our needs. A couple ounces winds up being night-and-day between the weapons we use and the stock stuff we have around for NPCs to use. The stuff that winds up the *absolute* lightest are the .414 core with kite-tape covers (however, for ease, the very-well-fit nylon covers that B3 sells on their flat blades are almost as light. I live local to them, so I just pick up a handful when I buy cores).


For handles, we put on either 1/2 CPVC (can't get in Massachusetts, but ol NH has it at Home Depot), or junior golf-club handles from Golfers Galaxy (they have kits, or, for $3, will put one on for you).

I think it would be a really good idea to choose sides in advance, if only to allow the folks who really want to do their own costuming the time to do the job well. A couple weeks minimum, a month would be better.

Another possibility would be to have a costume workshop day some time before the event. This could give some of the people who may not have the experience or comfort with costuming resources and support to get started.

Finally, I highly recommend Star Wars Costumes by Brandon Alinger. This work contains many many close up, detailed images of costumes and props used throughout the original trilogy. I've found it to be incredibly valuable in helping me figure out what makes the look of Star Wars costumes unique.

Good luck!

1. Wool and linen. NO COTTON! Socks, tunics, scarves, gloves, hats. Lots of wool, and linen underneath.
   
   
2. Use a product like Montana Pitch Blend or Sno-Seal to make your boots water-resistant. Reapply regularly.
   
   
3. Propane heaters for unheated buildings! We have eight of these, they're great: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002WRHE8
   
   
4. Pace yourself, make sure you eat and drink, and go indoors for a warming break BEFORE you need to.
   
   We gets lots of snow in upstate New York. :)
   
   http://i.imgur.com/sLqdgFc.jpg
   
   http://i.imgur.com/otc62rc.jpg

Oh, sure, that's understandable. LARP can be an intimidating hobby - there's a lot of social stigma attached to it.

If you just want to get people used to the idea of playing characters in a live setting, murder mystery parties are a good training tool to consider. There are board games out there that give you instructions on how to run one.

You can also just consider coming out to NPC for an event. It's often less of a commitment than making your own character, and frequently an easier way to learn (depending on the specific game). Most local games allow you to NPC inexpensively or for free.

It's probably "King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine" by Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette. Although that book seems to only talk about 4 and not seven archetypes.

We generally end up getting stuff like this when we ask.

My friends and I have never had problems finding materials.

I just started using This stuff for a local game here in Atlanta, and it worked pretty well.

http://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Celebrations-Holidays-Weddings-Decorations/dp/0811728668/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405909205&sr=8-2&keywords=mark+p+donnelly

This has been a great resource. Also the Florilgium:

http://www.florilegium.org/

Make your starting capital by running games for other people. For example, Liars' Dice. Everybody puts up a copper, and that's my take - four copper for being the guy running the game. (This is peanuts; drinking money at best.) They they throw in a copper whenever they lose a die. Last man standing wins a total of two silver. (Two silver is still a pittance in the grand scheme of things, but you can eat and pay your taxes for two months on that much.) I just show up with my cups and make drinking money for watching other people gamble, without a hint of risk to myself. There's another guy - a better rogue than I'll ever be - who did a similar thing with a game called Shut The Box. Him being a better rogue, he figured out a way to make a killing running that, with minimal risk to himself.

Couple of thoughts:

You could paint the zippers black.

There exists Velcro tape with adhesive on both sides (like this) and if you look around a bit you can probably find one that has fairly ridiculously strong adhesive. You could cover the zipper with the Velcro, adhering one side (the hook side, say) to the boot and cutting it in half so one half is on each side of the zipper, then adhere a strip of black cloth or black leather to the other side (the loop side, say) so you can use the zipper functionality and then cover it with the Velcro cover. Note that the adhesive will probably start to fail if it gets very wet but you could stitch the hook side on and the stitches wouldn't be visible so wouldn't have to be very pretty.

I found a book (in german though) by Psychotherapist Andreas Schick called Selbsterfahrung Mann, that mentions three more archetypes than the book, that /u/emilfranord suggested, does. And you're totally right, "warrior" is most probably a lot easier than "father". Nevertheless, I'm still curios to get your opinion! What character do you usually transform into?

CRYSULLY Men's Summer Military Tactical Breathable Hiking Sport Slim Fit Outdoor Shirt Hiking Shirt Gray https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N74QR78/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_cCT4DbSK21KVZ

So these are really dependant on a ton of factors. Material, size, style, era, etc., so to get exact weight ranges, you're going to want more information.

However, Wizards does provide tables for this sort of thing. The SRD also has a table here: https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/5e_SRD:Armor

You may want to investigate some historical armour texts also: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1581605366/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_tR9NDbT79Y7M4

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Coghlans-2-Liter-Bota-Bag/dp/B000IZ9I00/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1394547429&sr=8-6&keywords=bota+bag
Should be available at any store with camping supplies