How to Make Moccasins

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Learn How to Make Moccasins.  Anyone who knows me knows I hate wearing shoes. I always have. They are restrictive and they make me feel disconnected and claustrophobic. I have happily traveled this whole country barefoot but something changed about 15 years ago, when I got to Missouri. Missouri is made out of chert. If you don’t know what chert is, well, it’s the rock our ancestors made arrowheads out of and it is sharp. Now my feet are super tough. I can walk on broken glass without even noticing but chert has a way of sticking straight up out of the ground and wedging itself between callouses. So I decided I had to make moccasins. The mocs I chose were the ghillies and I have been making them for so many years now I can’t even remember how I first learned the technique. Maybe in 15 years you won’t remember reading this blog but I bet you remember how to make moccasins. They are super simple to make

Ghillie moccasins are credited to the Scottish and Irish and they are still used today in Gaelic dance. The Romans had a very similar shoe called a Carbatina which was probably the precursor to the ghillie moccasins.  While the history is not all that interesting, its use for thousands of years does prove the design is sound.

The reason I love to make moccasins is because they are so simple to make. Also they can be made with thick leather or rawhide unlike most moccasin styles which use buckskin. There is little or no sewing involved and each moccasin is a single piece of leather.

More importantly, though, they are incredibly comfortable. They are so light you can barely tell your wearing shoes at all. You can feel the earth beneath your feet without getting shredded. They also will not interfere with grounding because they are a natural skin material. If you don’t know what grounding is, look it up. It’s pretty cool

These Ghillie Moccasins are also very durable. They will last a long time with a little care and repair occasionally. They do tend to wear through rather quickly on concrete so if you plan on wearing them around the city I recommend adding a sole when you make moccasins. Old tires make pretty good soles as long as you get pre-steel radials. As you can see from the pic of the Roman Carbatinas, they needed repairs even back then. The right foot carbatina has a sewn up cut in it and the left carbatina is wore through at the heel.

Another reason I love to make moccasins is because they just look nice. I mean, check out my feet in this pic. I proudly wear these whenever I have to go into a store or restaurant and people ask about them often. They are a conversation starter and the ladies love em.  You, too, can be a bushcraft superstar. Just follow the simple instructions in this video and you’ll be impressing the masses and protecting your kickers in no time flat. Try it out, make moccasins, and share your results with us. Your feet will thank you.  Also, please Share, Like, and Subscribe. Thanks

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