How-To: Lace-up Moccasins

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By Becky Stern
Posted March 14th, 2009
Category Uncategorized

Check out this Instructable by user skymring for these attractive (and comfy-looking) moccasins. The pattern is made right from your own foot, so they’re bound to fit! The creator says they’re “Viking shoes,” but they don’t look like any Viking shoes I’ve ever seen; they look more celtic to me. Can anybody place the time and place when these shoes originated?

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6 Responses to How-To: Lace-up Moccasins

julie on March 15th, 2009 at 1:19 am said:

In Belgium there is always an native-american guy on festivals who sells sandals exactly like these and he makes them himself. I bought a pair and they are fantastic! I even wear them out on the street.

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ketutar on March 15th, 2009 at 1:38 am said:

Shoes like that were used in Finland some thousands of years ago, and they are not moccasins. They are shoes. Native Americans – as far as I know – have never used shoes like these.
I wonder what you think the Vikings were using?

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Shannon on March 15th, 2009 at 7:40 am said:

I actually bought a pair that look exactly like this from Medieval Moccasins–they have a website.

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Colleen on March 15th, 2009 at 9:47 am said:

Except for the bit on the front they look exactly like my pair of irish dance shoes, which, like the first commenter are called ghillies. I always cringe when people say they wear them outside, but thats only because they cost around 100 dollars and wearing them on the street really kills the bottom.

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ann on March 15th, 2009 at 10:10 am said:

I’ve seen Scottish versions of these called ‘bog ghillies’ (sp?). My understanding is that they’re medieval in origin.

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Gabriel on June 10th, 2009 at 11:02 am said:

These shoes pre-date the Viking culture buy thosands of years. Yes they are of “European” design, the Celtic tribes of Contenintal Europe B.C. used this exact desgin, and I also think that the people of the Bronze-Age used them as well. They have been found on bog bodies that date from the 1st century B.C. “Iron-Age”, leaving some to call them Bog-shoes. Many modern Celtic reenactment groups that strive on historical accuracy use this pattern for thier foot wear.

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