What are moccasins made from? The history of the development of national shoes of the Indians

The first material used to make moccasins was bison skin. The sole for moccasins differed in rigidity depending on the characteristics of the area where the peoples lived.

For example, a hard sole was made for a flat area, and a softer one for a forest one. Moccasins are comfortable and versatile shoes, so they are always in demand and irreplaceable.

Features of making moccasins

The technological process of making moccasins has its own characteristics. The skin is stretched over the block from below and secured with an upper seam. Often handmade is used, then the top seam remains open. The outsole is rubber, leather or rubber.

The structure of the sole for moccasins can be very different, from studded straight at low speed to elegant with a small heel. Moccasins are decorated with finishing seams in the instep area, as well as all kinds of decorations for the tongue, for example, fringe, tassels, etc.

The choice of leather for modern moccasins is not limited to bison leather. In the course is calf, deer skin, for lovers of exclusivity - snake, crocodile skin, as well as pony skin. For the manufacture of horse leather moccasins, only the skin from the back of the animal is used, therefore horse leather moccasins are the most expensive.

In Italy, boar skin moccasins are considered the most fashionable, due to their unusual grainy texture.

Choosing moccasins - women's and men's

The range of moccasins is very large, and you need to make a choice depending on the purpose of the shoe. Before buying, you need to decide what you need them for, for the beach or for sports, or maybe you need a comfortable model for attending social events - based on this, choose your shoes.

Moccasins with tassels

Such moccasins in America are considered shoes for a business style in clothes. Previously, the tassels served to secure the shoes to the foot, now the shoes do not need this, thanks to the clear fit of the foot. Now tassels serve as decoration and do not play any functional role.

Loafers with tongue patch (penny)

This model appeared in the 30s of the 20th century. This model is called "Vigeance" and the manufacturer of this model is Bass. As a rule, these moccasins are black or brown, worn without socks and do not have a lining.

Moccasins "Bifroll"

One of the most fashionable models which goes well with a dark business suit. The name corresponds to the meat dish, as they resemble it in their appearance, thanks to the thickened edging in the instep area.

Loafers with knobs on the sole

The most prestigious model of moccasins. Such shoes are worn with pleasure by stellar personalities, and even by monarchs and government officials. Such moccasins are quite expensive, but mainly because of the prestige. Such moccasins are appropriate for different clothes and are worn without socks.

The best moccasin manufacturers

Italy - Gucci, Fratelli Rosetti, Moreschi, Gravati J. P. Tods

America - Timberland, Allen-Edmonds, Sebago, Florsheim, Bass

France - J. B. Weston

England – Wirdsmith

Germany - Harai

What to wear with moccasins?

• The most common moccasins made of suede for sports and recreation. These moccasins go well with sportswear or linen trousers and a blazer. Can be combined with any clothing, but not with a business style.
• Strict leather moccasins dark colors are most suitable for formal wear.
• Semi-sport moccasins can be worn under any clothes. They come in a variety of colors and with various decorations. Such moccasins are mainly common among young people.

Is it possible to find shoes more comfortable than moccasins?

Businessmen, hipsters, city slickers and even those who don't care about trends respect these shoes.

It seems that neither shoes nor boots - moccasins are self-sufficient, they occupy a separate place in shoe evolution, and for hundreds of years.

Moccasins were originally worn by North American Indians. Shoes did not have a hard sole, they were decorated with ornaments.

Today, moccasins have gone far beyond the ethnic style, being an integral part of everyday casual.

They can be easily distinguished from any other shoes in appearance. The upper part of the leather is sewn separately and stitched with a seam to the outside - this is a kind of special sign and design feature of the shoe.

Moccasins are made from suede, as well as from genuine leather of different dressing, texture and color. The price range of these shoes is quite democratic.

You can buy branded moccasins (for example, Ralph Ringer), within 5,000 rubles.

What are they valued for

Moccasins immediately have a set of advantages over other types of shoes:

• Exceptional comfort and softness. Nothing rubs, the skin adapts to the shape of the leg (why it is recommended to buy initially tight-fitting moccasins);
• Ease- in terms of weight and sensations when walking. Moccasins sit so organically on the leg that sometimes you forget about them and you don’t feel the shoes;
• Flexibility. The soles of some models can be bent 2 times;
• Versatility. Suitable for almost any casual wear, as well as for different seasons. For example, there are winter moccasins with fur that will warm you both in late autumn and warm winter;
• Noiselessness. In them, a spy or a ninja can easily slip past the enemy.

Flaws

• Enough quickly lose their original shape and appearance. Since the skin for their manufacture is soft and ductile, it lends itself well to stretching. And in the place where the thumb rests or the other finger sticks out, it can not only stretch, but also eventually tear along the seam;
• Not compatible with office style, therefore, fans of moccasins working in the business field have to enjoy these shoes only on weekends;
• It's easy to miss the size out of habit choosing loose shoes. In the process of wearing moccasins, they stretch by half a size, or even by one. If they are initially free, then in a month they will hang out, flying off when walking.

What to wear

So, moccasins are everyday shoes.

So, it will be combined with clothes for every day:

• Basic wardrobe items: polo shirts, informal shirts;
• Jeans or denim shorts;
• Linen clothes;
• Breeches, shorts, cropped casual trousers.

What they don't fit

There are incompatible things, wearing which at the same time, you can completely destroy your image.

Moccasins are absolutely not suitable for:

• Strict business suit. If the style of the suit is more or less free, then moccasins in a neutral color, made of hard glossy leather (loafers), resembling classic shoes in appearance, can approach it;
• Sportswear;
• Dress tuxedo.

And, what is very, very important to remember is that moccasins are not worn with socks. Only on bare feet!

The only possible compromise is that the socks should not be visible, that is, either the top of the moccasins should cover a significant part of the leg, or the socks should be short, like footprints.

Color combinations

Moccasins are not only practical, but also look stylish, emphasize the taste of the owner, create favorable contrasts with clothes.

Before buying moccasins, you need to go through your wardrobe and determine the main colors on which it is built:

• With the predominance of gray and black in clothes, buy black, dark red or beige moccasins;
• Brown-sand tones of things will be combined with the same shades of shoes.
• Honey or sand are perfect for fashionable khaki.
• White, gray, blue and yellow clothes are combined with blue or black moccasins.

Summary

Moccasins are not a luxury, but an integral part of everyday wardrobe. These are the most suitable shoes for sensitive feet, which are always rubbed with new clothes.

And they are also very helpful to those whose work makes them stay on their feet for a long time.

Of course, we are talking about genuine leather shoes, all other options are no longer moccasins, but a surrogate.

Photo gallery

Since time immemorial, man has taken care of what to put on his feet. Rigid grass, a scattering of stones, just hard ground or cold, all this required something that could additionally protect the limb and keep warm. Leather shoes like Indian moccasins can be attributed to one of the most archaic forms of human footwear and, at the same time, one of the most comfortable. In fact, these are two pieces of leather sewn together and tied at the top with a cord.

Among the North American Indians, almost every tribe had its own "technologies" for making moccasins. But with a variety of designs, these shoes were united by one thing - it was made from very soft, well-dressed suede. It was the characteristic "material" that distinguished Indian shoes. Depending on the purpose, the soles could be either hard or soft. Also, moccasins could be high or low, very thin or insulated with fur for winter. Of course, the materials used were exclusively natural, and beads, porcupine quills, etc. were used as "accessories". exotic

During the Wild West, Indian moccasins became very popular not only among the indigenous population of America, but also among whites. Trappers, hunters, farmers, and people of many, many occupations enjoyed wearing Indian moccasins, which were sold in numerous American trading posts along with other Indian goods such as game, fish, and furs.

Over time, classic moccasins have changed significantly depending on the requirements of the time, and sometimes simply because of fashion. However, at the heart of a fairly large number of modern shoes is precisely this practical Indian shoe. At first, these were only utilitarian hunting boots (the so-called hunter boots, with a "moccasin nose", produced to this day by many modern shoe manufacturers from traditional utilitarian American offices like to various high fashion houses outside the USA).

Boat boat shoes, civilian "holiday" loafers, and even some rugged, reliable work boots like the Red Wing or the Torogood, though very different from each other, also refer us to the idea of ​​Indian moccasins in their fundamental principle.

Nowadays, when in search of "real things" and "the same quality" manufacturers with enviable constancy turn to the "historical heritage" so often that sometimes the names of firms are already beginning to ripple in the eyes. Everyone talks about real "American traditions" (even if it is a remake company), traditional technologies and time-tested models from the "grandfather's chest". There are now so many such manufacturing companies that the buyer often falls into a stupor and is often guided when choosing the necessary product not by objective criteria, but by beautiful marketing legends, which, to be honest, sometimes have a fair amount of guile in their basis.

However, among such a huge selection there are real pearls and indisputable authorities, which are the standard of quality. These companies themselves make very original (although most often quite expensive) products and do not imitate anyone, on the contrary, smaller manufacturers imitate them, trying to sell their product, which in some way imitates the product produced by the "pillars of the genre". I don’t want to say that such an idea is completely a failure, there are quite good specimens, but we are not talking about them now. I will try to give a fairly general idea of ​​the products of the American company Yuketen and talk about my personal experience of buying products from this company in a foreign online store.

Now it is no secret to anyone that the most zealous admirers of traditional American clothing and vintage collectors of the 40s and 50s are the Japanese. An interested buyer goes to Japanese brands when it comes to traditional American jeans made according to all the canons, replica jackets of American military pilots or sports knitwear based on those times.

It was the Japanese Yuki Matsuda who became the founder of Yuketen. Note that this is an American company. Yuki founded the production back in 1989.

The goal was to make modern casual shoes, but with a reference to traditional American shoes based on Indian moccasins. Primary attention was paid to the meticulous selection of materials and meticulous leather dressing. Yuketen, with their antediluvian equipment and painstaking manual labor, is quite typical of small editions in each collection. However, if the buyer did not have time to buy something this season, with a high degree of probability he will be able to buy the same model (perhaps in a slightly different color scheme), since from collection to collection Yuketen maintain a completely traditional model range that is not subjected to any strong changes from year to year.

In general, it should be noted that Yuketen products are not "historical reconstructions" of old vintage samples, as is often the case today. Their models are absolutely comfortable modern shoes, which are more suitable for traveling through the "urban jungle" than for walking in the forest. In the old Indian samples, only inspiration and a certain similarity of external forms and some details are drawn. The founder himself says that he just makes modern shoes for modern people, he just makes them creatively and with soul.

The real spirit of the old workshop reigns in the production of this company. Shoes are made by real master shoemakers, many operations are performed only by hand.

For example, the edge of a moc toe is only stitched by hand. If desired, of course, this operation can also be "entrusted" to a machine, but here they believe that shoes sewn by human hands "have their own soul" and each pair made by a master shoemaker will be absolutely unique. Moreover, most of all Yuketen products are made by one master, that is, if you, for example, hold a pair of suede moccasins in your hands, then they are made from and to one master, another pair from the same batch may have been made by another master. Often, a slight unevenness of the stitches is visible on the products, but this is by no means a marriage, these are precisely the features of handmade work (without any posturing and advertising hypocrisy).

Nowadays, Yuketen began to produce not only shoes, but also some leather accessories, such as waist belts. The approach to production is still the same: careful selection of materials, traditional classic design and the famous Japanese obsession with the quality of the final product.

My acquaintance with the shoes of this brand took place during the sale in the British store Superdenim.co.uk

The store itself is quite a cozy both online and offline space with a dozen or two typical brands, including Yuketen shoes. The basis of the assortment of the store is quite venerable brands well known to the buyer who is looking for comfort, maximum quality, and, perhaps, the minimum recognition of all this stuff on the street. That is, with the assortment, everything is quite typical. Strong set of Japanese, American and European manufacturers. A person can be safely dressed in this store from head to toe.

Prices... Prices are quite high. But here it's not so much about the store, but about the pricing policy of the brands presented. However, every cloud has a silver lining, during the sales period the store quite generously discounts prices (sales up to 50% for some brands). Plus, from time to time Superdenim holds promotions with free delivery or distribution of promotional codes for additional discounts (usually 10-15% no more). The store deducts VAT automatically, for this you don't need to disturb the support. Delivery at the moment, the store has express DHL (unfortunately, they refused from Fedex for some reason), and quite a budget delivery by Royal Mail, the UK state mail. I used this delivery method, and I recommend that all other buyers use regular mail, it is objectively cheaper and there are no problems like with DHL (DHL does not work with individuals in many regions and has additional restrictions).

The store itself is quite convenient, customer support answers somewhere in a day or two, but always answers in detail and to the point. If you need to take measurements of any thing or consult "the size will fit, it will not fit," here the store advises very well. Tracking is also issued upon personal contact by letter to support. So the store is worthy, I recommend taking note.

I bought the Yuketen Blutcher model. These are laconic moccasins of sand color. I decided to wear them in the summer. In principle, they are quite suitable for wearing on a dry autumn or spring day. However, it is better to choose a darker color in this case (there are many color options available). For example, here is a color that will go very well with jeans.

My parcel was received about two weeks after sending by the store (the order was going to be three days). I think this is normal for regular mail. Everything was packed in a regular Royal Mail plastic bag.

Inside is a small cardboard box with a logo. And a rather simple cloth bag for storing shoes with a beautiful leather tag on which the brand's logo is embossed and it is proudly written that this product was made by "tanners" in the USA.

In general, moccasins make an impression literally as soon as you take them out of the box. The suede is quite thick but amazingly soft. It may seem ridiculous, but the thing is really interesting to touch, examine and absolutely do not want to let go of. That is, if we compare these moccasins with, for example, some popular high-quality mass brand (let it be topsiders from Sperry), then we will see that there is thinner and somewhat rougher leather. At the same time, in no case can I say that Sperry is made poorly or from low-quality material. You can just see the difference in the approach to production. In one case, this is production in huge runs with possible savings while maintaining quality to an acceptable level, on the other hand, these are small runs and manual production. By the way, the "hands" are really noticeable, just look closely at the moccasins.

The sole is stitched at the bottom, in much the same way as topsiders (this is typical for this type of shoe). It does not add any heaviness to the total weight of the moccasins. By weight, this is quite a comfortable summer shoe.

The color is well suited for summer (Orion Khaki). It will go well with chinos and similar summer clothes. Theoretically, it can be worn with jeans, but there is a nuance here. If they're raw denim jeans, they'll paint the shoes a little anyway. But such soft light suede is just the most "favorite" option for blue cowboy pants. In general, I will briefly say that wiping off blue stains on light suede is not an easy job. So for socks with jeans, it is better to take a different color, for example, such as was given above for autumn. Yuketen tends to have a fairly large selection of colors for each model.

Another nice moment. Usually leather laces on such shoes cause quite a lot of inconvenience. Namely, they tend to unleash at the most inopportune moments. I suffered for a very long time with Sperry, to the point that I just wanted to sew or glue these laces to fix the knot :) In the case of Yuketen, for some reason I did not have such problems. It seems that both here and there, the skin, but the fact remains - these laces did not spontaneously untie during the "test wear".

Their heel is absolutely non-rigid. So you can wear immediately on bare feet and not be afraid to fill the corns at the first sock. And in general, this is the kind of shoes that you definitely don’t have to wear in and “soften” the skin. I repeat, the skin, although quite thick, is VERY soft.

The same leather ergonomic insole is laid inside. When worn barefoot, it is quite comfortable and will add comfort when worn, the feet will say "thank you")). "Yuketen made by leather artisans in USA" is also embossed on the insole.

As for the size, there are several nuances. This shoe is not a "sneaker" size. For example, I wear Adidas and some Nike and New Balance models in size 9.5US. For this shoe, I took 9US and absolutely did not lose. The leg went in tightly, but without undue pressure. In general, shoes of the "moccasin type" should initially sit very tightly on the leg and take its shape a little. In any case, soft suede will stretch a little. As for the completeness, the designation E was indicated on the box, which means after all "wide". In fact, the fullness is rather on the average foot, that is, according to my feelings, it is closer to the fullness of D. But I repeat, these are only personal impressions, everyone's feet are different and the sensations from shoes can be different.

Unlike moccasins, they have a welt and a hard sole with a low wide heel. have a thick sole, and the lace runs not only around the perimeter of the heel, but also in front through 4 armholes.

Types of moccasins

"Light, thin, soft Indian moccasins - the best shoes in the world - are incomparably better than clumsy, hard European boots that Indians cannot wear."
J.G. Kohl

According to the intended purpose allocated women's, men's and children's moccasins, as well as models . There are casual, office, evening and sports types of moccasins.

According to the material, moccasins can be textile, leather, suede and made of leatherette. The sole is usually made of rubber, rubber or leather.

By country of origin the following types of moccasins can be distinguished:

• American, which are primarily valued for their practicality and comfort of wearing (Allen Edmonds, Bass, Sebago, Timberland, Florsheim, Hush Puppies);
• European, characterized by an attractive appearance - Italian (Tods, Zegna, Fratelli Rosetti, Moreschi, A. Testoni, Alberto Guardiani,), French (, J. B. Weston,), English (Wirdsmith, Richmond), German (Harai,), Spanish ( , );

• Australian, the most famous of which are produced by the manufacturer,.

Story

"Do not judge another until you have walked two miles in his moccasins."
Indian proverb

The oldest moccasins (pre-colonial period)

Moccasins were the traditional footwear of the Indians of North America. The name of the shoes itself comes from the word "mohkisson" from the language of the Algonquin Indians. Moccasins were discovered in a cave in Armenia in 2008 and are approximately 5,500 years old. The oldest shoe in the world is 24.5 cm long (size 37) and is made from a single piece of cowhide. Before this discovery, the shoes of Otzi, an ancient man who lived about 5,000 years ago and was found in 1991 in the Tyrolean Alps, were considered the oldest specimen. Otzi is wearing a cross between sandals and moccasins. His shoes are made of woven leather straps and various herbs, and the soles are made of bear skin.

In Oregon's Fort Rock Cave and Missouri's Arnold Cave, North American Indian leather moccasins were found, worn from around 3575 B.C. e. to 970 AD Moccasins have replaced the woven shoes that existed 8000-10000 years ago.

Moccasin dating back to 700-900 AD was found in the swamps of Ireland. By this time, this type of footwear had undergone significant changes: moccasins were now made by sewing, which made it possible to get rid of excess leather and add a heel part to the shoes.


Colonial period (1607-1775)

During the colonial period, there were two types of moccasins: rawhide and whole cut. The latter were cut out in a single fabric and sewn in the center - from the toe to the middle of the instep, or on the side from the outside from the toe to the heel. Moccasins with a central seam were found among the southeastern and northeastern tribes. So that the seam was not noticeable, in the middle of the rise it was masked with embroidery. Moccasins, sewn on the side, were often complemented by an oblong tongue. The Indians of the Pacific coast considered such shoes to be “true moccasins”.

Indian shoes were durable, comfortable and silent, which was of great importance in hunting. Moccasins were usually sewn from the skin of deer, bison or elk. The Indians rarely left the natural pale color of shoes: the shade depended on the time, the method of smoking and the type of burning wood. Each tribe had its own methods of making moccasins: in Athabaskan clothes, shoes and pants were one piece, the Iroquois used the skin of the hind leg of an elk, which has a shape similar to a human foot, as winter shoes, and also wore woven moccasins from corn leaves and wood fibers. The men of the southern plains wore moccasins with a fringe attached to the heel seam. It was believed that the fringe covers not only the physical, but also the spiritual traces of its wearer.

19th - early 20th century

In the 1830s and 1840s, the Indians made mainly rawhide moccasins. Rough and thick rawhide was used for the sole, and suede for the upper. This variant originated in the American Southwest. For a long time, shoes were sewn together from the tendons of slaughtered animals, but in the 19th century, the Indians began to use strong nylon threads. Since the 80s that century, many tribes stopped using rawhide thick leather for soles and began to purchase factory calf. White leather was left in its natural color, while natural or artificial pigments were used to obtain other colors. By the end of the 19th century, the tongue of moccasins began to be cut out separately - in trapezoidal and rectangular shapes. Occasionally, men's moccasins were sewn with a forked tongue, resembling buffalo hoof marks, which symbolized strength and power.

Women's moccasins now had a knee-length or slightly higher and consisted of, in fact, shoes and leggings. Among the Indians from the northern and central plains, these parts were not sewn together, and among the southern tribes, moccasins and leggings were one, connected with ropes or buttons. Buffalo fur served as a heater in the cold, from which the inside of the shoe was sewn. Men's moccasins had a shorter length, but, like women's moccasins, they could be embroidered with beads, fringe, porcupine quills, appliqués. Decorated shoes were exceptionally festive. In the 30s. Comanche tribes began to use white fringe made of silk thread as decoration.

The Indians of the southwest wore moccasins with a stiff, upturned sole. Both men's and women's shoes of these tribes were knee-high, which provided protection from the sharp thorns of plants and the bites of poisonous snakes. Men fastened their shoes on the side with buttons made of silver or cupronickel, occasionally some decorative elements were used. Apache women decorated moccasins with beads, Hopi and Navajo natural pigments. An important feature of the women's shoes of this region were white long strips of deer skin, which wrapped the legs from the moccasin to the middle of the knee.

At the beginning of the 20th century, interest arose in the West in the image of the "Indian princess". At that time, women from North American Indian tribes at Pow-Wow dance events wore beaded crowns, white leather dresses and moccasins.

Moccasins are first found in literature on the pages of the novels of James Fenimore Cooper (Pioneers, 1823; The Last of the Mohicans, 1826; Prairie, 1827; Pathfinder, 1840; Deerslayer, or the First Warpath, 1841).

XX century. America

By the end of the first half of the 20th century, American moccasins began a new history. In 1946, Philip Miller, in the Minnetonka Moccasin project, decided to fully reflect the centuries-old culture and traditions of the indigenous people of America: his company began to sew traditional Indian moccasins by hand. Cowhide, elk and deer skin for production was purchased from the leaders of the Indian tribes. A distinctive feature of Minnetonka Moccasin shoes was the fringe that adorned most of the models. Since 1960, moccasins began to be decorated with the image of "Thunderbird" - a thunder bird that served as a talisman for the Indians.

In 1980, the film "Urban Cowboy" with John Travolta was released, where the hero of the picture wore Minnetonka shoes. After the release of the film, moccasins began to be worn by both ordinary people and celebrities. Currently, Minnetonka shoes are worn by Vanessa Paradis, Nicole Ricci, Jennifer Aniston and others. During its existence, the brand has gained popularity in more than 50 countries.

In 1958, the Hush Puppies brand was created in the USA. Moccasins in style provided men, women and children with ease and comfort while walking. Most models had latex insoles and pads with soft filling in the heel area. In the 90s. the company produced a series of colored moccasins, which made the brand really popular. Today, Hush Puppies are produced in over 130 countries. The brand's fans are Eddie Murphy, Sharon Stone, Bruce Willis and others.

XX century. Europe

Native American moccasins were very popular in their homeland. Many travelers bought these shoes for themselves as a souvenir. Thus, Indian shoes became widespread in Europe. Then the manufacturers decided to produce their own moccasins, adding luxury and elegance to traditional shoes. Since 1902, for 60 years, the Arfango brand has created loafers and moccasins that were very popular among the Italian elite. In 2006, Alberto Moretti launched the handmade production of Arfango shoes again.

In 1959, the Fashion House released a trial batch of women's moccasins "Hairpin" in Paris, and in 1962 the Inca model was released, decorated with braided pigtails.

Luxury moccasins for men began to be produced in 1965 by the Italian Vittorio Spernanzoni. Shoes were sewn completely by hand from the skins of lambs. Currently, the most famous fashion houses trust Vittorio Spernanzoni to work on their lines.

Moccasins became widespread in Europe thanks to Gianni Mostile. In 1963, the Italian government granted him a patent for the production of shoes for motorists. These were men's moccasins with a rubberized sole, on which bumps protruded. This version of the sole provided the ideal grip of the shoe with the pedals of the car. Moccasins acquired the name "Car Shoes". Later, the Italian brand "Car Shoe" was founded. Initially, this shoe model was used only for driving a car. The first to appear outside the car in moccasins was US President John F. Kennedy. Later, Car Shoe was worn by Fiat owner Gianni Agnelli, director Robert Rossellini and other celebrities. In 2001, the brand was acquired by Prada Fashion House.