Contriving footwear Part 3

High moccasins rarely used a front lacing unless it was covered with a spat type wrap. Front laced high moccasins would allow snow and wind to penetrate chilling the skin. Side lacing was the preferred method of drawing the moccasins tight around the leg. The leggings were stuffed into the high moccasins and then laced.

If the weather was especially frigid or there was a lot of snow, an outer “boot” was made. These were usually made from a small animal. A simple sock type design pulled over the high moccasins and tied below the knee. The larger surface allowed for better walking on the snow preventing one from sinking into it. They lived close to nature and developed ways of surviving harsh winters.

Just remember that one of the skills that could be invaluable in the future is the ability to tan hides. Without commercial production of shoes and many other items we take for granted now, having a material like leather will make life much easier.

For more information on how to tan hides, without the chemicals used today and unavailable tomorrow, check out “Raising Rabbits for Meat”. Not only will you learn how to raise rabbits to feed your family, you will learn how to use the brains of almost any animal to tan it’s own skin (with the exception of the cow).