the flameborn leggings would be good for a earth melee character. In particular a juggernaut could use armor handling to equip them easier.
there is a ring that gives 10% to strenght AND -20 reduction str requirements to armor and shield named Alke. A -20 requirements (str armor and shield) ring named timaois. Hephaestus molten shield requires 440 str and reduces requirements by 20%.
So if you had 1.1N = 440(.8) [N is strength]
N = 440(.8)/1.1
N = 320
For a juggernaut .....1.1N =440(.5)
N = 200 (would have to use a spear)
Now if you manage to find Lithe stonebinders cuffs of might or some other good item with Lithe modifier you can take even less strength....
Oddysseus armor, Etruscan Cuirass, Tiresias helm, and Thoths glory artifact has - requirements.....
Edit: symbol of polymath has +15%str,dex, int which might be better...
But its not worth it unless you plan on meleeing. But earth is good class for melee caster hybrids because it does physical and fire damage (not that physical spell damage is helped by str)
Plus some of those items are hard to find. I have 2 molten shields and once had the etruscan cuirass. I have the ring alke and timaios which is similar.
So say you had: Rhesus Whitewashed armor, alke, timaois, Tiresias, Lithe green, Thoths glory.... that would be pretty much -100 requirements
Edit: actually I am just starting to experiment with casters...I think the gear is lesser than melee gear too!
Edit: this might help....
Its magician gear (rogue/earth)....pyromancer is pretty similar (this gear is caster magician)
{credit goes to felixitus on titanquest.net for these selections}
Calypso's Cover
Seal of Hephaestus
Aphrodites Favour
Archmage's Diadem
Archmage's Leggings(all legenary caster based legs suck but 150 life are nice)
Archmage's Clasp
Fire build: Hades' Scepter (Consider this a good secondary for the granted Ancestral Horn too)
Also have a secondary staff ready to max your summons or use it as a main weapons to get much more skills.
Earth: Eye of Osiris / Summoner's Rod