- Moccasin
-
For other uses, see Moccasin (disambiguation).
A soft-soled moccasin.
A moccasin is a slipper made of deerskin or other soft leather, consisting of a sole and sides made of one piece of leather, stitched together at the top, and sometimes with a vamp (additional panel of leather). Though sometimes worn inside, it is chiefly intended for outdoor use, as in exploring wildernesses and running from herds of buffalo. The sole is soft and flexible and the upper part often is adorned with embroidery or beading, et cetera. Historically, it is the footwear of many Indigenous peoples of the Canada peoples; moreover, hunters, traders, and European settlers wore them. Etymologically, the moccasin derives from the Algonquian language Powhatan word makasin (cognate to Massachusett mohkisson / mokussin, Ojibwa makizin, Mi'kmaq mksɨn), [1][2] and from the Proto-Algonquian word *maxkeseni (shoe).[3]
Contents
Design
Moccasins protect the foot while allowing the wearer to feel the ground. The Plains Indians wore hard-sole moccasins, given that their territorial geography featured rock and cacti. The eastern Indian tribes wore soft-sole moccasins, for walking in leaf-covered forest ground. Moccasins are usually all brown, the same color.
Contemporary use
Shearers' moccasins on a wool rolling table, In the 1800's moccasins usually are part of a Canadian regalia, e.g. a powwow suit of clothes. The most common style is that of the Plains Indian moccasin.In New Zealand and Australia, sheep shearers' moccasins are constructed of a synthetic, cream-coloured felt, with a back seam and gathered at the top of the rounded toe. These moccasins are laced in the front, and the lacing is covered with a flap fastened with a buckle at the shoe's outer side. The fastener arrangement prevents the shearer's handpiece comb from catching in the laces. [4] Shearers' moccasins protect the feet, grip wooden floors well, and absorb sweat. [5]
The word moccasin can also denote a shoe of deer or of faux leather adorned with laces; recently, the moccasin shoe has resurged as a popular form of slipper shoe for men.
See also
- Loafer
References
- ^ moccasin: definition, usage and pronunciation - YourDictionary.com
- ^ Online Etymology Dictionary
- ^ moccasin - Definitions from Dictionary.com
- ^ 97/311/1 Shearing moccasins (pair), mens, synthetic felt, Australia, 1997 - Powerhouse Museum Collection, Retrieved on 10 November 2008
- ^ Sheep parasites Retrieved on 10 November 2008
External links
- The Canadian Museum of Civilization - Moccasins
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa - Moccasins
- Creek - Seminole moccasins
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.Footwear Men's dress shoes Brogues · Derbies · Loafers · Court shoes · Monks · Oxfords · Spectator shoes (Co-respondent shoes) · Venetian style shoes · Winklepickers · Brothel creepersWomen's dress shoes Ballet flats · Court shoes (Pumps) · Loafers · Slingbacks · Mules · Mary Janes · Mojari · Saddle shoes · Venetian style shoes · WinklepickersOther shoes Clog · Espadrilles · Flip-flops · Galoshes · Geta · Giveh · Moccasins · Platform shoes · Sandals · Slides · Slippers · VeldskoensMilitary footwear Ammunition boots · Cold weather boots · Combat boots · Jackboots · Jump boots · Jungle boots · Tactical boots · Tanker boots · Trench bootsSport-related footwear Fashion boots Work boots/shoes Australian work boots · Chukka boot · Cowboy boot · Hip boot · Rigger boot · Steel toe boots · Waders · Engineer bootsOther boots Historical Categories:- Shoes
- Native American clothing
- Algonquian loanwords
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
