The history of the development of the national shoes of the Indians. How to choose men's moccasins

From time immemorial, representatives of a surprisingly strong, hardy and mysterious people have lived on the territory of modern America. These people believed that all life on earth is endowed with a soul. They are said to be able to talk to animals and plants. And the souls of their ancestors always remained with them in the breath of the wind, in the flickering of sunlight and the quiet rustle of trees. These people hunted not for profit, but for subsistence, respectfully guarding their land and the gifts that it gave them. And for communication, they used sign language and all kinds of signals more often than voice. Now this people is called by the general term "Indians", but in the old days there were several hundred separate tribes. Only in North America there were about 400 of them. They differed from each other in traditions, culture, way of life. Some of them were hunters, others were brave warriors, others were raising cattle and farming. The clothing of the Indians of America was also different.

Some Indian tribes

Indians is a common name And all because when Christopher Columbus discovered these places, he mistakenly considered them to be the lands of India. The Ottawa and Ojibwe lived in the northern part. Closer to the East - Iroquois and Mohicans. The southeast was inhabited by the Cherokee and Seminoles, Central America by the Mayan and Aztec peoples. In South America, the Incas hunted, and in the deserts of the Southwest, Apaches and Navajos.

Indian warrior clothes

The clothes of the Indians (photos are presented in the article) were different depending on the situation and weather conditions. On ordinary days, going hunting, they dressed simply and comfortably. But for rituals, at solemn moments or during the courtship of girls, the Indians dressed up richly and colorfully. consisted of either leggings and moccasins. Usually men preferred to walk bare-chested. These people did not attach much importance to the wardrobe, as is customary among Europeans. Going hunting, the men pulled on their ankles leggings, reminiscent of modern leggings. The chiefs of the Prairie Indians wore white shirts adorned with the scalps of their enemies. In cold weather, a cloak of buffalo skin was thrown over the shoulders, with fur to the body. Gradually, the Indians began to prefer capes from sheep wool. The clothes of the North Indians were supplemented with mittens and a shirt made of deer and antelope skin. They also had cloaks like blankets made of cotton. For hunting, some tribes wore wide leather belts or sleeveless jackets to protect against injury. Only in the 19th century, imitating rich Europeans, did the Indians begin to use velvet, chintz, silk, satin ribbons for sewing clothes. Quechua liked to wear a poncho - a cloak made of two pieces of rectangular fabric with a hole for the head in the middle, sewn from sheep's wool. In the warm season, the cloak was folded in half and worn as a scarf.

What did the women wear?

The clothing of the female Indians was less conspicuous and simpler. Residents of the southern regions wore only skirts, others - a belt of modesty, tied at the waist with lacing. In the middle of America, women covered intimate parts pieces of fur, later replacing them cotton cloth. In cold weather, women wore a sheepskin shawl. On the back, it could be tucked up and put into the resulting space any burden or even a child. Prairie women wore long straight shirts made of suede. But they were all skilled weavers. On improvised machines, they made shirts, dresses, poncho raincoats and bedspreads. Women embroidered with beads and threads, sewed on fringe and braid, made the body and face of the girls were often painted with tattoos. The noble representatives of the tribe had their faces and hands covered with fanciful patterns, women from a simple class applied only a few lines to the skin. In some tribes, drawings on the face testified to a low position in society, and on the hands, on the contrary, to a high status.

Indian children's clothing

Children up to 5-6 years old went completely naked. It was believed that they deserve to wear adult outfits only when they learn the rules of behavior and learn the necessary skills. Exactly at childhood began to outline the body with the first patterns. Old and respected women did it with the help of fish bones or cactus thorns.

Hats

The Indians didn't cut their hair. Therefore, even men had chic hair, intercepted at the back with a wide ribbon, bandage or belt. In some tribes, in order to instill fear in the enemy, they shaved their heads, leaving a comb or a thin pigtail. Or they smeared their hair with fat, gave it unimaginable shapes. National clothes Indians, rather, was an ornament, an opportunity to show off, than a necessity. Feathers were worn on the head, variously colored and trimmed, on the body - otters, foxes or other animals. The number of feathers and the type of fur were determined by military rank or special services to the tribe. For example, the skin of a panther could only be worn by the most outstanding warrior. On weekdays, the Indians wore hats made of tree bark or straw, which protected them from the hot sun. Plains tribes built a crown of feathers. The southern population used hair nets, and a red thread with shells and beads strung on it was attached to the forehead.

Shoes

On their feet, the Indians wore soft moccasins. It was a piece of leather, tied at the top with a cord, which was pulled through holes along the edges. Such shoes allowed them to silently approach prey or the enemy. But at the same time, it protected from numerous poisonous snakes and insects. Going hunting, the man took with him several pairs of moccasins at once in reserve. There were shoes with soft or harder soles, high and low. Prairie Indians richly decorated moccasins with porcupine quills.

Decorations

The style of the Indians in clothing was distinguished by peculiar ethnic ornaments. Drawings, embroidery were applied to leather products, fringe, beads, shells were attached. Feathers were a special attribute. Both men and women loved bracelets not only for hands, but also for legs, earrings. Necklaces were made from feathers, fruit seeds, deer hooves, shells, grizzly claws, shells, and animal teeth. Later they began to make jewelry from copper, silver and brass. The more massive they were, the higher the position in society the person occupied. The Indians were very fond of applying tattoos to the body, especially for the peoples of the South. But the men mostly wore war paint, which was washed off to look intimidating in hunting and war.

The clothes of the Indians did not at all speak of their belonging to a particular tribe. Often, many of them, after winning the battle, took the trophies for themselves and wore them with pride. Women decorated shirts obtained in battle by men with beaded embroidery and ocher. And it was already impossible to figure out which tribe the outfit belonged to. In addition, warriors could put on the hats of killed rivals in order to confuse the enemy.

Accessories

The clothes of the Indians were not as important as other things that complemented the outfit. The men always had a tomahawk - a small hatchet, which was a symbol of the honor and valor of a warrior. Its handle was made from antler or wood, and the blade was flint or metal. The tomahawk was intended for close combat, it was decorated with suede fringe and cherished.

It is still considered a sacred object for a few descendants of the Indians. Initially, it was a symbol of fertility. It was lit in a circle, in turn, to call for rain. The smoke symbolized the clouds. Later, the pipe was smoked with Europeans to seal peace agreements. The peace pipe was decorated with eagle feathers.

Indians still live in America. Now the clear boundaries of the division of the people into tribes have practically disappeared. But, despite the fact that there are very few purebred Indians left, they still managed to preserve their culture and individuality, and they continue to deeply honor the memory of their ancestors.

In pre-colonial and colonial times, moccasins were used by Indians in almost all of what is now the United States and Canada. They were less common in California, on the northwest coast, on the Plateau, where not only in warm weather they preferred to walk barefoot, but also in winter, using moccasins only to protect their feet from rough ground and in severe frosts. In the Southwestern United States, woven and leather sandals were used in antiquity. Various woven shoes were also used in the Southeast, where leather moccasins, apparently, began to spread only about 1000 years ago. And also throughout the southern part of the mainland, it was often preferred to walk barefoot. And for women, wearing moccasins was even less typical. Moccasins were also used by European settlers, especially hunters, trappers, explorers, and others.

Different tribes had their traditional ways cut moccasins. Initially, only rawhide of deer, elk, bison, less often beaver or other animals was used, but quite early the Indians also began to use purchased tanned skins. Initially, moccasins were sewn only with the help of an awl or piercing with sinew threads, vegetable fibers and leather straps, or they used needles made of bone, forged copper. Porcupine quills and plant thorns were also used. Later, steel needles and factory threads appeared.

The shoes of the peoples of the North and the Far East have a certain resemblance to Indian moccasins. Southwest moccasins have counterparts in northern Africa.

Cut features

One-piece moccasins with center seam embellished with porcupine quills, East Woodland, XVIII or early. 19th century

Loafers with soft soles

In the forest zone and originally on the Great Plains, moccasins were made entirely of soft suede rawhide. buckskin, deerskin), devoid of the front surface. The skin was oriented with the bakhtarma inward. Patterns and, accordingly, finished goods different tribes differed in shape, small details and ornamentation. Although this does not exclude the use of several types of cuts in one tribe, since similar types of moccasins were used by the most different nations. But each pair of moccasins is usually very individual.

More often completely or with the exception of small details, moccasins were cut from one piece of material. Archaic is widespread among Eastern Forest Tribes, to a lesser extent in the Plains (Eastern Sioux) and also known in California and the Northwest Coast. the simplest option moccasin with one vertical seam forming folds (small or very large) in the middle of the instep ( puckered-center-seam-style). There is a second seam at the back. Lillooet, Nootka, Cherokee, Seminole, Alabama, Muscogee moccasins of this style (they are also called "swamp moccasins") were more often sewn not with veins, but with leather straps. At the same time, instead of a knot on the toe itself, a smooth or serrated extended tip of the strap remains. In the Southeast, the soles of moccasins could be coated with tree resin for protection. Moccasins with a central seam until the middle of the 18th century. worn by the Apaches. They are preserved for ritual dance by the Navajo and as ceremonial dance by the Osage. The latter are sewn together through only four pairs of holes in front and two pairs in the back using pieces of coarse veins. Such a cut of the modoki complemented chopped off toe, but only on summer moccasins. Also the simplest, kuapo moccasins and women's osage, however, they have a seam that runs not along the rise, but along the sole. Later, the old style often began to be replaced by moccasins of other cuts.

On the northern and central plains, as well as in the forest zone and in the mountains, many tribes used moccasins made of one piece of soft leather, having a side seam passing along the toe and then only from the outside to the heel. They often had a one-piece tongue, but it could also be sewn on or absent altogether. It is believed that under the influence of European shoes, it was moccasins with a side seam that became the model for moccasins with a hard sole (mainly on the plains). Soft moccasins of the old type with a side seam have not disappeared from use. So among the Blackfoot they got the name "real moccasins." This cut was also preserved for winter moccasins made with fur inside.

Apparently, patching worn moccasins with soft soles was not common, but some Indians (for example, modocs), after the moccasins were worn, sewed on a hard sole. And since the soles of both types wore out quickly, when going on a campaign, the warrior had more than one pair of spare moccasins. If the sole of an embroidered moccasin with a hard sole was rubbed, then it was thrown away, and the decorated top was used again.

In moccasins with a median cut at the instep, into which the lower wedge-shaped part of the tongue is sewn, not only soft, but also hard soles were used. Moccasins with hard soles of Mescalero Apaches have a long and narrow insert, for utes it is shorter, and for Osage the cut is left open, without a tongue, but there are holes for a lace in its lower part.

Apache boots painted with paint

Pants with Athabaskan moccasins

High moccasins

Often moccasins do not have decorative, but such ankle flaps or cuffs of different heights, which, if they are not embroidered, can be raised or wrapped down. Decorated cuffs, rather, were always turned up. Covering the bottom of the leggings, they save from the cold and snow. Sometimes there are cuffs and decorative lapels. Sometimes solid cuffs are sewn to the neck without a cut in front and they are half bent outwards. Vertical seam style moccasins ( puckered-center-seam-style) are cut in one piece with cuffs. High cuffs can sometimes have extensions at the front to help wrap them tighter. Raised cuffs are tied with long laces ( ankle band).

Since the end of the 19th century, there have been specimens fastened on the side or front with copper or any other buttons. A rare variant is the clasp on a pair of Cheyenne moccasins. They have a beaded strap sewn to the raised rounded fabric cuff only in the area of the heel seam. The front strap fastens with a button. With ordinary narrow cuffs, one button and a loop are located at their upper corners. At higher cuffs, the buttons are located on their extensions. There are already two to five of them. On one pair of non-Persian high loafers, they even form a tight row of 11 pieces. This is already a transitional option for the next type of moccasins. A button closure can sometimes be used in conjunction with lacing.

In the tribes of the southern part of the Great Plains (Kiowa, Comanche, southern Cheyenne), partly in the Southwest (Apache), for unmarried women, moccasins (both with soft and hard soles) can be sewn with leggings that are held by garters under the knees. Leggings often have a slit at the side or near the front that is closed with buttons (sometimes forming a tight row), tied with leather ties, or simply wrapped and wrapped with laces. When using ties, a pair of rows of brass buttons can be sewn onto the valve only for beauty. The top of the bootlegs is often wrapped down and decorated with fringes. Some leggings without a cut have a full leg length, which is confirmed by their continuous ornamentation. For others, the length is much reduced, as it is designed to wrap the bootleg out and down. Wrapping can be multi-layered (down-up or down-up-down-up). At the same time, ornamented and empty surfaces are distributed in such a way that it is the ornamented ones that are on the outside. In other tribes, leggings and moccasins were not sewn together (some tribes of the Plains, Plateau and Great Basin). The Arapaho and the Blackfoot used both options. Sew-on leggings were sometimes cloth.

Moccasins of the Southwest (Pueblo, Navajo, Apache, Paiute, Walapai, Yuma) have high cuffs that are tied or fastened on the side with buttons, for example, from German silver(nickel silver) or Navajo silver work. Although at the beginning of the 20th century there were Apache moccasins with a front closure (complemented with a lace encircling the moccasins at the level of the fold of the foot). (Rarely, at the beginning of the 20th century, and among more northern Indians, low tops without lapels could also be fastened with buttons on the side.) Pueblo women's moccasins of a similar cut have one very long cuff each of thick white leather, which is wrapped several times around the leg and tied with a strap below and above the knee. But there is also an option when the windings in the form of narrower stripes or bandages of the same skin are not connected to the cuffs of high moccasins. Often, both men's and women's moccasins of the Southwest are knee-high boots with one-piece shafts or similarly fastened at the side. In the Navajo and Pueblo they are sometimes only mid-calf high. If such boots made of soft leather do not have ties on top, then their tops fall down like an accordion. The tops are either sewn separately to the boots, or cut with them as one piece. In the latter version, sewing goes directly to the sole.

Also in the forest regions (Atabaskans and Mikmaks), in addition to ordinary moccasins with soft soles, knee-length boots were also known, and the Athabaskans also had shoes that were one with the pants. That is, moccasins were sewn to the trousers. Winter option usually sewn from skins with fur inside. The furs of various animals were used. Moccasins could also be made of fish skin. The soles of the stockings were sewn separately, from the same " rovduga" or from the skin of a bear and a beluga whale (coastal athabaskans). In different Athabascan tribes, such trousers were worn either only by women in winter in a dwelling, or by men and women at different times of the year. In wet weather, over ordinary shoes, they also put on "... upper torbasas made of fish skins."

In the later period, Canadian white hunters and Indians (Cree) began to use high moccasin boots (English moccasin boots, plainsman style) with a tightening lacing of the European type in front, along the entire shaft.

Lacing

Moccasin with lace-up cuff Thomas Bateman

A feature of moccasins is that they usually do not have cross-lacing through parallel rows of holes. In plain types, laces (leather straps) are passed through two or four (occasionally more) paired supporting holes (cuts) located around the neck in the middle of the height of the moccasin. The laces tie in the crook of the foot or rise a little higher to the corners of the slit through a pair of double eyelets. Less often, the entire lace passes under the very neck of the moccasin. Sometimes the laces are also passed through a pair of holes on the tongue or passed through single holes on opposite upper corners of the cut. It happens that they do not cover the back of the moccasins, but are fixed in the holes on the sides with the help of knots. If there are only two holes at the corners of the front cut, then short ties are passed through them and tied. Or the ties are double and held in the holes with knots. Although there is an option when two ties are used: a long one - from the bottom through the supporting holes and a short one - through the upper corner holes. The laces are tied in front with a bow (with two laces - two bows).

Often a cloth tape, narrow or wide, is used for the sling. It can also pass under the lowered lapel. A fabric ribbon is also sewn along the edge of the entire neck like a fringe, and its free ends form ties. But in the same place, the lapel can form a drawstring stitched with threads, through which a leather lace is passed. More rarely, short ribbon ties are simply sewn to the front corners of the neckline.

Moccasins with high cuffs have a much longer drawstring so that they can be wrapped around the calf to hold the cuffs up. They are also passed through paired or single holes, which are in their usual place or higher, at the bottom of the cuffs. Similar moccasins montagnier and naskapi may have leather loops instead of holes, which contributes to tightness. Cuffs with front lugs may have lugs at the ends that aid in tying. In moccasins of the forest tribes, a long leather lace can simply (without supporting holes) wrap the neck a couple of times at the junction with the cuff raised up. Laces can be skipped not only from back to front, but also from front to back. According to the second option, the laces are passed through only two front holes, cross and go back. They cover the cuffs twice without the use of additional holes and are tied in front. Another option is when the lace goes as usual from back to front, makes a turn and ties at the back.

Moccasins-boots are also tied at the junction of the foot and lower leg. They just do not require such long laces. In the Southwest, moccasin-boot laces can be passed not just through holes, but through loops formed by strips of leather or drawstrings from rows of four strands of beads. If the tops are made of sufficiently soft leather, then they also have holding ties along the top of the tops. If the upper part has a lapel, then the lace is hidden under it. To support it, there is sometimes a pair of double holes near the lapel cut.

The oldest known moccasins also have bandages through the sole and instep, which was not practiced later. There are examples of imitation of the European way of lacing through holes (Hurons) and through three pairs of brass rings sewn on the central section (Iroquois). European style lacing stand out late style high moccasin boots plainsman. They do not have a cut in front along the entire top, but two folds or sewn strips of leather with holes along the edges, through which cross-lacing is made.

Decoration

Hopi dance men's moccasins. End of the 19th century

Comanche Dusters, 1880-1890

The design of the moccasin followed the prevailing tribal style and used the symbols of this tribe. At the same time, the specifically embedded meaning of the pattern was often clear only to the owner himself. Moccasins are often embroidered with beads, dyed porcupine quills and elk hair, among other materials, and patterned with paint. The latter was typical, for example, for the tribes of the northeastern coast of the United States and Canada in the 17th century. The design has a certain symbolic meaning. Also, moccasins are dyed in whole or in part. Smoking also adds color, although from time to time there was a fashion - including during the reservation period - for the use of white leather. Lapels of moccasins are also sometimes embroidered, for example, with porcupine quills. Sometimes lapels are made of fabric or sheathed with fabric appliqué. But high folding cuffs, with rare exceptions, do not decorate. The long tongue of the moccasin is often embroidered with beads. A strip of beaded sewing of the “lazy stitch” style can cover the lace passing around the neck, forming a kind of drawstring, solid or from separate fragments. The laces themselves can also be decorated. The back of the non-tying part is occasionally wrapped with colored porcupine quills, and the laces of modern Athabascan moccasins are decorated at the ends with colored tassels. woolen threads. In the steppe tribes, since 1880 (on reservations), even the soles of moccasins were embroidered with beads (rarely with porcupine quills). It is believed that they were intended for funeral, wedding and other ceremonies, although it is known that they were walked. An exceptionally rare adornment is the perforation of the top of a moccasin (the Blackfoot Bears military society).

The tribes of the southern plains (Comanche, Kiowa, Kiowa Apache, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Wichita, Tonkawa, less Apache) are characterized by the so-called "dusters" (English dusters, literally - dusters) - moccasins with a long fringe on the instep and a vertical heel seam . The fringe on the heel seam may not be cut completely, but in such a way that a wide whole flap remains on top. The fringe on the rise can be replaced by a row of hanging tin cones. Some soft partridge-style Ojibwe moccasins have a not very long fringe along the center seam.

Occasionally, flat moccasins with a hard sole are decorated with a short fringe around the entire sole, which is cut from a protruding welt strip. But for moccasins with a hard sole, as well as for soft ones with an outer side seam, this fringe can be quite long. At the same time, it is complicated by the transverse connection of all the fringes with a cord and winding each at the base with porcupine quills. Such a fringe does not capture the inside of the moccasin, but it can be complemented by an incredibly long fringe on the vertical heel seam. Moccasins with soft soles were decorated with a short fringe along the circular side seam of Plateau (British Columbia) nlaka-pamuki. It was either applied over the seam, or also sewn in as a welt. The fringe was made circular, limited to the outer side or occupied only part of the outer side seam.

Moccasins of the steppe tribes sometimes have on the heel, in the center of the sole seam, a fringe of just one or two or three short or long stripes. In the Blackfoot, the heel fringe is partially wrapped with porcupine quills or beads, and is cross-connected with large beads. Or beads are strung on fringes. For moccasins with soft soles, such a pattern element as a heel tongue may not be sewn on, but left free ( trailer), in the form of a simple square of skin or cut into cloves or fringes. Also left hanging on the heel are not completely removed moon-shaped cutouts, which are obtained with a T-shaped seam. Very rarely, the neck of a moccasin is cut into a fringe.

The Cheyenne had decoration for the best men's moccasins in the form of buffalo tails sewn to the heels or strips from the beard of a buffalo that dragged along the ground. A similar design of moccasins could refer to the system of gradation of feats. So, the tails of a coyote, skunk or fox were sewn to the moccasins, denoting the killed enemies (for the Crow, each of them meant one feat). Bodmer's paintings show how they were attached to the back of the heels or to the neck, or to the side - to the outer corner of the lapel. Other decorations of mandan and hidatsa moccasins are also captured there: wide false fur lapels (which can be either with short or very long hair) and very long outer ends of such lapels dragging a ribbon along the ground. The latter are also fur, but on the other hand they are painted red and decorated with embroidery along the edge. Such lapels may not be connected to moccasins, but fastened over them with their own strings. They were made with fur outward or inward. Such decorations made of bear fur, along with claws, were used, for example, by Sioux shamans. The mandans also have an even more bulky decoration. A tail is attached to the heels, which has a red color, elongated with an ornament with four hair strands at the end, which are decorated with their usual winding and beads.

On the southern plains, the flaps of the leggings of high women's moccasins were often decorated with 1-3 rows of metal plaques made of cupronickel, copper, brass or silver, smooth or ornamented. Loops for fastening were soldered on their reverse side. Navajo craftsmen made plaques from silver ingots, while the rest used converted ones from coins. From cheaper metals, the Indians stamped and turned plaques themselves, until they switched to more beautiful purchased ones.

Moccasins of the southwestern cut often do not decorate at all. The only decoration can be round plaques made of silver or cupronickel, which serve as clasps. But for the Southwest, the use of color is especially characteristic. For example, among the Pueblos, women's moccasins have soles dyed black or red ocher, while the top and leggings are naturally white. (The toe of a moccasin can be colored.) Men's moccasins (among the Pueblo Zuni, Akoma, Hopi and Navajo), on the contrary, have a light sole, and the top of the toe and sometimes the top are brown, red, blue, less often black. But the embellishments of men's Hopi and Zuni dance moccasins can be more elaborate. This also applies to the use of beads, and coloring (in squares or in the form of patterns), and other elements, for example, lapels on the tops, fringes. They have a decorative leather tongue in the middle of the instep, usually multi-layered, and their back part is covered with a kind of decoration in the form of a loosely fastened leather strip embroidered with colored threads using the macrame technique, beads or porcupine quills. Men's dance moccasins could be painted completely white on top, except for the cuffs of the tops, which were red with yellow edging and a multi-colored tongue. Ornamental non-functional tongues were also featured on high yak moccasins. The kicker was also occasionally decorated. On its front surface, in-depth patterns (Apache) were cut out and covered with paint.

Nowadays, high windings of women's pueblo moccasins are decorated with beads, which was not done before. Athabaskan boots are richly decorated with embroidery and furs. There are examples when modern Indians embroider with beads and other shoes, usually sneakers, which gives them the appearance of moccasins. And Seton-Thompson advised children playing Indians to paint shoes under moccasins.

The oldest finds

Currently, the oldest known moccasins are found in a cave Hogap, Utah, moccasins dating back to 420 AD.

In the early 1930s in a cave on Cape Promontory An 800-year-old hoard of 250 moccasins has been discovered in the Great Salt Lake. They belong to the same-named culture promontory, chronologically located between the prehistoric Fremont culture and the historical Shoshone. Shoes are made in the style of "wrinkled toe", later characteristic of the tribes of the northwest coast (Tlingit, Tsimshians). There are children's and adult sizes. The material was the skin of a bison, as well as a deer, elk, pronghorn and bear. Sewn with veins and plant fibers. There are traces of repair. Many moccasins have insoles made from ground juniper bark. Some are fringed and have remnants of porcupine quill embroidery.

Fremont style moccasin from Hogap Cave, Utah, 420.

Moccasin style " hockey» from Hogap Cave, Utah, 420 Buffalo skin, grass stuffing

Moccasins from Promontory Cave I, Utah, 1225-1275.

Moccasin from Promontory Cave I, Utah, 1225-1275. Buffalo skin with wool inside and wool stuffing

Fancy moccasins

The Iroquois, in addition to ordinary moccasins, also had a peculiar old look. For him, they used a part of a whole skin from the lower leg of the hind leg of an elk, which has a suitable shape for this. Sometimes moccasins were made from the hind legs of a bear, and along with the claws. The clawed feet of large turtles were used in a similar way.

Moccasins with a hard sole could have a canvas top instead of leather - a variant of summer or poor shoes.

When repairing moccasins, the Indians could hem parts from old European boots to them (namely, the upper half with holes for lacing).

Woven moccasins

Among the Iroquois and other eastern tribes, woven moccasins made from corn leaves and wood fibers are known. It is believed that similar shoes were also used to protect leather moccasins.

Woven moccasins as a look winter shoes or shoes for crossing rough terrain or through crusted snow were known in California, the Great Basin and the Plateau among the Modoc, Nlaka Pamuk, Shoshone, Klamath, Paiute. For difficult transitions, they could have a couple or two more in reserve. They were woven from the bark of some species of wormwood (for example, lat. Artemisia tridentata); from different types swamp plants: local species of sedge - body(lat. Schoenoplectus acutus), rush; in the south of the region (southern Paiutes) - from yucca; as well as other herbs. Unlike simple sandals, they were made with closed insteps or in the form of slippers and differed in several ways of weaving. Their early examples have been preserved from the Paleo-Indians, and the later ones were already influenced by Euro-American shoes.

Moccasins woven from sedge could be worn continuously for 10-20 days, and from wormwood - a little longer, but they were more laborious to manufacture. They were insulated with bark, fur or dry grass. It is believed that moccasins made of wormwood keep warm better, even after getting wet. The Nlaka Pamuk made not only low shoes from sagebrush, but also taller boots and even boots. Sometimes they were decorated with small feathers. The boots were supplemented with leather details: on the toe and bordered with a cut at the instep, which made it possible to make the usual lacing.

Use of moccasins

Many moccasins have a very long rise and a correspondingly small neck. To put on such a moccasin, you need to bend inward back and insert the foot like a slipper, and then pull the heel.

Thin raw material of moccasins easily gets wet, but they are also easy to dry. Usually they are hung over the hearth, where they are further treated with smoke.

In the northern regions, in winter, they wear moccasins made of skin with wool - fur inside, which is also observed on the oldest surviving samples made from bison skin. Less often they sewed with fur outside - to protect against water. Moreover, fur moccasins were preferred by women. It depends on the region, but still the additional insulation of leather moccasins was uncharacteristic. This was done with woven shoes. In winter, wool, dry marsh grass, wormwood fibers were stuffed into such moccasins, fur insoles were inserted. In mild weather, they managed only with stuffing under the foot, and in cold weather they also insulated the upper part, for example, with wormwood fibers. In colder areas and in leather moccasins, they wore and now wear socks made of thin skin, from groundhog or rabbit fur. They do without socks, but at the same time moccasins are made of double-thickness leather. Currently, in the northern Canadian forests, several thin felt inlays are used in the winter, which have the same cut as the moccasins themselves.

The northeastern forest tribes (Ojibwe and others) sometimes tied strips of fur to the soles of their moccasins to keep them from slipping on the ice.

Since moccasins usually have gaps between the tongue and sidewalls where debris and snow can get in, some white users sewed leather triangles into these places.

In order for new moccasins to take the form of a foot more quickly, they sometimes begin to wear a new pair with soles that have not yet dried out (Sioux, Crow). Also, moccasins can be worn in the process of wearing. And, for example, Crow women, who preferred tight moccasins, recut them for themselves several times.

Distribution of shoes in North America

Shoes of the Indians of North America
Tribe	Always barefoot	Often barefoot	Swamp moccasins	Moccasins	Sandals
Southeast
Alabama		✓	✓
Caddo		✓	✓
Calusa	✓
Cherokee		✓	✓	✓
Chikasawa		✓		✓
Choctaws		✓		✓
screams		✓		✓
Nachteza		✓		✓
Powhatans		✓	✓
Sekotans		✓		✓
Seminole	✓
Siouan peoples		✓	✓
Timukva	✓
Yuchi		✓	✓
Northeast
Abenaki (western)				✓
Ojibwe				✓
Delaware				✓
fox				✓
Huron				✓
Iroquois				✓
menominee				✓
Miami				✓

IN European fashion this model first "made noise" in the 60s of the last century. It was then that a wave of popularity went to comfortable and not always trivial styles of clothes and shoes.

History of moccasin shoes

Ingenious and, without a doubt, universal, the designers borrowed the idea of \u200b\u200bthe style of these shoes from the indigenous Indian tribes of North America. It is known from history that soft shoes made of rawhide, in which it was convenient to do literally everything, were invented by them. Everything about it was leather, including the soles. Worn by both men and women, fashion history claims that there were multi-season models designed to provide comfort in any weather.

More than half a century ago, moccasins became a favorite among men in France and Italy - many dreamed of changing tight shoes for comfortable shoes. Casual came into fashion for the first time.

Of course, fashion treated the ethnic idea rather harshly, leaving only the best of it. Closed cut, soft sole, obligatory delay along the contour and "tongue" - this is how moccasins look like half a century ago - and today.

Literally immediately, as soon as the model appeared on sale, women began to wear it. Designers sensitively caught the demand, and beautiful - colorful and elegant models literally became a symbol of the 60s.

But today they, in no case, can not be called shoes in the style of "retro". First of all, because they fit perfectly into dynamic modern looks, meeting their main requirement - comfort and individual style.

Most accurately to the question "what are moccasins?" These photos will answer:

Their style has remained unchanged today, such models are sewn from genuine leather or suede. The deliberate simplicity of the style in a duet with expensive material is the main and no one has yet unraveled the secret of these shoes.

These women's moccasins in the photo most accurately reflect the design intent:

What is the difference between moccasins and loafers or topsiders

What is the difference between moccasins and topsiders? In a series of topical and most fashionable styles it’s easy to get confused, and to the question “what is the difference between loafers and moccasins?” not every stylist will answer you.

Loafers, literally translated as “shoes of loafers”, became fashionable thanks to British sailors - in such they went ashore. Their style is almost identical to the style of moccasins, but there are two important details that decide everything and allow them to be separated.

A low, stable "square" heel and a decor obligatory for loafers - a fringe or a buckle - as a decoration. Moccasins are characterized by a laconic and very refined style, and most importantly - an absolutely flat sole.

This stylistic note could not be spoiled even by completely new trends, such as the total fashion for the platform. The platform fit perfectly paired with this perfectly comfortable style.

Such as in the photo moccasins on the platform - a non-standard, but very original solution:

A great idea and a model idea cannot avoid replication, and in the 70s of the last century, based on moccasins, new model- topsiders.

They are, since loafers are associated with a marine theme - originally they were men's shoes for avid yachtsmen. Despite this, the style has taken root perfectly in women's wardrobe. How exactly do topsiders differ from moccasins?

First of all, the presence of stitching along the entire upper contour of the model with leather edging and lacing are decorative, but important elements of style. Real topsiders must be with low (2-3 centimeters) and very stable heels - the light chic characteristic of yacht owners has always remained in this style.

What do women's and girls' moccasins look like?

First of all, stylish. Any kind of moccasins are great shoes for a variety of looks: from business to romantic. But it is worth considering that the absolute flat sole - a characteristic feature of such shoes - is a serious argument in order to reconsider the proportions of your image.

They will not add height to you and will not make you slimmer - for this you need a heel, wedge or platform. But lightness and carelessness will be brought into the image without much effort. These are shoes for comfortable walks and at the same time sophisticated outfits.

Do not forget that this model is still one of the most fashionable in today's world. men's wardrobe, which means that it simply does not make sense to overload the image with additional brutal accents.

Most stylishly, they will fit skinny trousers with a length of "seven-eighths" or jeans elegantly tucked up to the ankles. This is a special style that is set by hipsters - trendsetters of urban fashion.

But moccasins will look great, not only with jeans, but also with the most romantic outfit, in combination with maxi-length clothes, they look touching and even gentle.

Aren't you afraid to show off your great legs? Then denim shorts or a pleated skirt of “school” length will be the best companions for such shoes.

She has one immutable rule - it is obligatory to wear it on a bare foot - no socks and knee-highs, this is the only way to maintain the style of the model.

They should not be chosen specifically - for a bag or favorite outfit. Color and material play a decisive role. These shoes never act as an addition, they are always an independent accent. Therefore, you should not be modest, but choose models of the brightest and most non-trivial colors: from orange to purple and pink.

This style looks discreet only in classic black and brown shades. But if you need a model of a dark shade, then the models of burgundy and all shades of red will look most impressive.

Moccasins require their own approach to creating an image. A little frivolity will not hurt any, even the most adult lady. Moreover, these models are a real hit not only for youth, but also for children's fashion.

Look at the moccasins for girls in the photo below - each of the models deserves special attention:

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 ethnic style, being an integral part of everyday casual.

They can be easily distinguished from any other shoes by appearance. Top part the leather is sewn separately and stitched with a seam outward - 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. Just on bare foot!

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. This is 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.