Moccasins
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Moccasins are soft leather footwear with a sole and sides made of one piece of leather, the historic footwear of many Indigenous peoples of North America. This guide covers the word's Algonquian origin, hard-sole and soft-sole traditions, modern firmer-soled versions, and specialist makers and museums for further research.
What are moccasins?
In summary, a moccasin is a category of footwear. It is a shoe typically made of deerskin or other soft leather, which consists of a sole and sides made of one piece of leather. They are stitched together at the top, and sometimes with a vamp.
Etymologically, the moccasin derives from the Algonquian language Powhatan word makasin. The word moccasin can also be traced to the Proto-Algonquian word maxkeseni, meaning shoe.
Moccasins protect the foot while allowing the wearer to feel the ground. Historically, it is the footwear of many indigenous people of North America. The Plains Indians wore hard-sole moccasins, given that their territorial geography featured rock and cacti. The eastern Indian tribes wore soft-sole moccasins, for walking in leaf-covered forest ground.
The sole of moccasin footwear is soft and flexible and the upper part often is adorned with embroidery or beading.
Modern day moccasins are often made with more firm soles similar to other types of shoes. In this case, the wearer can not as easily feel the earth beneath their feet as they would with traditional soft sole footwear.
Research more about moccasins:
National Museum of the American Indian
You may want to make your own moccasins.
Earthing Moccasins provides make it yourself video tutorials and kits for making your own shoes.
- https://earthingmoccasins.com/
Where to shop for moccasins?
Manitobah Mukluks they indicate that they share their success with the communities and individuals they work with. They are keeping traditions alive while celebrating shared values and history.
- https://www.manitobah.com/collections/moccasins
Footskins Footwear by Footskins’ moccasins are American made and handcrafted from genuine deerskin leather & cowhide leather.
- https://www.footwearbyfootskins.com/leather-moccasins.aspx
Moccasins Canada Authentic Moccasins Get comfortable long lasting footwear while celebrating Native American heritage with the best handmade real leather moccasins.
- https://www.moccasinscanada.com/
Silver Moccasin Authentic Canadian native made moccasins for the whole family. There is a good reason why the word MOCCASIN is in their name. It’s their specialty!
- https://silvermoccasin.com/product-category/moccasins/
The Wandering Bull The Wandering Bull, LLC offers their own handmade Center-Seam deerskin moccasins as well as one-of-a-kind beaded moccasins and mukluks.
- https://wanderingbull.com/product-category/clothing/moccasins/
Arrow Moccasin Company Arrow Moccasin Company has offered the finest quality for over forty-five years. They are a small family owned and oriented business established in 1951.
- http://www.arrowmoc.com/
You can also find footwear options on Amazon & Etsy, but when shopping for Moccasins, you should try to support small retailers that specialize in this product.
You may want to learn more about slippers.
The next time someone asks you, "what is a moccasin?", we hope you can help answer the question.
The U.S. government officially recognizes nearly 600 Indian tribes in the contiguous 48 states and Alaska. These federally recognized tribes are eligible for funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, either directly or through contracts, grants, or compacts. Some Native American tribes of North America are Cherokee, Iroquois, Maya or Yucatec, Aztecs, Navajo and Sioux.
Learn about the The National Park Service (NPS) Tribal Preservation Program
Construction and Modern Variations
The defining construction is the wrap: a single piece of soft leather comes up from under the foot and gathers at the top, where it is stitched to a vamp piece. That gather, done by hand, is what gives a true moccasin its puckered toe and its glove-like fit, and it is the detail machine-made imitations most often simplify. Uppers are traditionally deerskin or other soft leathers, sometimes adorned with embroidery or beading that can carry tribal or family significance, a further reason the guide above points shoppers toward specialist makers and museum sources rather than treating decoration as a generic style feature.
Modern versions divide by sole. Soft-sole moccasins keep the ground feel that defines the type and serve as indoor and camp footwear. Hard-sole and rubber-soled versions add a formed sole unit under the same leather upper, trading some ground feel for pavement durability, and are the form in which the moccasin became a general casual shoe and a driving shoe. Care follows the leather: keep soft leathers dry, brush suede and nubuck versions, and store the unstructured uppers stuffed lightly so the gathered toe keeps its shape.
Common Questions
What is a moccasin?
A shoe typically made of deerskin or other soft leather, consisting of a sole and sides made of one piece of leather, stitched together at the top and sometimes with a vamp. Moccasins protect the foot while allowing the wearer to feel the ground.
Where does the word moccasin come from?
From the Algonquian language Powhatan word makasin, and it can also be traced to the Proto-Algonquian word maxkeseni, meaning shoe.
How did moccasin soles differ by region?
Plains peoples wore hard-sole moccasins, suited to territory featuring rock and cacti, while eastern tribes wore soft-sole moccasins for walking in leaf-covered forest ground. Modern moccasins are often made with firmer soles similar to other shoes.