Caespitose, phyllopodic perennial graminoid. Culms terete, slender, 273-490 x 0.2-0.9 mm, culm bases flattened and held grouped together by a thin sheath. Leaves basal, distichously arranged so that base appears flat, 2-4(-7), (36-)65-115(-207) x 0.2-0.9 mm, straight, proximally channelled, margin serrate above sheath. Sheaths membranaceous and often shredding with age, loosely to firmly clasping the culm and translucent, longitudinally striate. Ligule firm, varying lengths, 0.2-2.7 mm long. Inflorescence a pseudolateral panicle, 19-40 x 4-11 mm, proximal rachis length 4-18 mm. Proximal primary inflorescence bracts slender, brittle, not channelled, apex acute to acuminate, never widened at base, 60-112 mm long, exceeding length of inflorescence up to several times, without notable longitudinal veins. Proximal and subproximal primary inflorescence bracts never with membranaceous extensions at base. Spikes 3-11, 4.0-12.0 mm long, usually dispersed along rachis. Spikelets ovate, 2.4-4.0x 1.1-1.4 mm, pedicellate, 2-8 spikelets per spike, reddish-brown sometimes with narrow hyaline margins. Proximal spikelet prophyll 1per spikelet, prophylls with a raised vein extending to mucro, 0.3-1.3 mm long, prophyll mucro 0.8-2.4 mm long. Rachilla 0.4-2.8 mm long. Glumes 6-8 per spikelet, proximal glume 0.5-1.4 mm long, subproximal glume 0.5-1.3 mm long, upper glumes longer than basal ones, apex acute to acuminate. Glume mucros relatively short, proximal mucro 0.1-0.6 mm long, subproximal mucro 0.2-0.7 mm long. Stamens 3 per floret, anthers 1.9-3.3 mm long. Stigmas 3-branched, vestigial stigmas of second bisexual floret sometimes present. Perianth bristles not observed. Nutlet not mature on examined specimens recorded specimens of S. calceolus have been collected from sites below 150 m in the southern Agulhas Plain region of South Africa. Schoenus calceolus mostly grows on limestone-derived soils; however, a specimen has been collected from a site on calcrete overlying shale.
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