Native American Moccasins And Costume Boots

The word moccasin comes from the Algonquian Indian word for shoe ‘maxkesani’. Moccasins are believed to be the oldest footwear known to man dating back to 12000 BC. Native American moccasins had a u-shaped or puckered up vamp-top positioned over the instep. The name of the Great Lakes Ojibway tribe means ‘people of the puckered moccasin’. Two basic styles, hard sole and soft sole, were made depending on the climate in which they were worn. All moccasins were inverted to hide the basic stitching.

Soft sole moccasin were made from a single piece of leather. The sides were gathered around the foot and puckered or with a special tucked-up toe. Wedge-shaped holes were cut along the outer edges with a sharp knife. Soft soles were preferred by many tribes since a soft sole allowed the wearer to have more contact with Mother Earth.

Hard sole moccasins or boots were made using two or more pieces of hide with the tougher portion of the material used for the sole. These boots often had a cuff around the back of the ankle which could be worn either turned down or pulled up and tightly laced to protect the ankles in colder climates.

While all moccasins and boots were constructed in the same basic manner, unique touches were used to differentiate between tribes. The main feature used to denote a tribe was the pattern used for the vamp portion of the moccasin. Ornate beading was often used with the amount of beading depending on the occasion for which the moccasins were being worn. For wedding moccasins, the entire vamp was covered with beading. Burial moccasins had a top similar to the wedding moccasin but also had the sole entirely beaded or with a special design believed to be important in the after-life. Many moccasins displayed delicate hand-painted designs on the vamp. Most soles were made from rawhide, rabbit fur or sheepskin. Often there was an animal tail attached to the back edge of the sole to brush over or hide tracks made by the wearer.

Muklaks were a heavy-duty boot believed to be first worn by the Inuit Eskimos. These boots were constructed with materials needed for protection from frostbite. The soles were made from sealskin, reindeer, caribou hide or buckskin.

In warmer climates a sandal moccasin was made using a light weight sole, no heel and sinew laced around the lower ankle.

These native american boots will complete  your halloween Native American costume.