Want to buy Indian moccasins? Read on for facts and info on this traditional Native American style of making shoes…
Indian moccasins are highly prized and important footwear as part of the Native American clothing. These are basically hand stitched shoes which are crafted with a great degree of skill. The North American and Plains Indians were known to be very fast runners across land, made possible in part due to the superior craftsmanship that goes into making moccasins..
In fact the Innuit tribe was famous for its speed and skill in long-distance running. Indian moccasins were thus essential for such wonderful runners and would have to be sturdy enough to last throughout the run. The native Indians actually created beautiful carvings and embroidery on the shoes to celebrate the running skill.
By the end of fall it would be extremely cold and people would wear approximately 3 pairs of stockings and then wear the Indian moccasins on top of the stockings. This prevented hypothermia which was brought on by the extreme cold weather in North America and Canada. Generally, the Indian moccasins allow for comfortable wear due to their flexible construction and warmth. Apart from this they do not restrict circulation to the foot and this keeps the extremities warm and agile.
Different Types of Indian Moccasins
There are basically two types of identifiable moccasins created by the Indian tribes. One of them is known as the Sioux Mocassin and the other is the Ojibway Mocassin. The first one is created with a very hard sole made out of rawhide because the countryside in this region where the Sioux Indians lived was full of cactus. The Sioux Indian moccasin protected the feet of the wearer and allowed them to travel long distances in comfort.
Conversely the Ojibway Indian moccasins were also known as the pucker top because they had very soft soles along with the upper which was created out of buckskin leather. The Ojibway Indian moccasin is constructed out of three pieces of different kinds of leather. The sole is created out of very heavy moose hide, the ankle flaps are of very soft and thinly constructed buckskin leather and finally the tongue was created from very fine caribou leather. The inset was then decorated elaborately.
How to Construct a Basic Indian Moccasin
The Ojibway Indian moccasin can be bespoke and in fact if you’re good at stitching and cutting you can try to make one yourself. To start with you can use a thick hide of moose leather and trace out the outline of your foot on it.
Draw another line two inches outside your foot outline but bring it about a half inch inside closer to the middle of the foot. Draw a straight line across the heel and leave a little heel flap. Cut along the outer line to make the sole of your shoe.
Now create the upper commonly known as the ankle flaps. You can use soft leather like that of doe or antelopes. You must size this according to the size of your foot and cut it accordingly. Finally you must create the inset which is a rectangle piece of leather. Use the best leather for this piece because when the sole of your Indian Moccasin wears out you can simply use it on another shoe. There is no left or right on this shoe and you simply need to stitch it together and wear it comfortably for years to come
