Adding soles to mocs? Durability?

[alaskasmoker]

I made a pair of mocassins out of Split moosehide. They are mostly a one piece wrap around with a seperate upper attached. Ill post pic tonight after work.

How long are these going to last in the woods. This moose hide seems thick, but still?

Is there some kind of way to add a big piece of thick leather on the bottom so it will provide more durability? It be nice to do this without the whole moc looking dumb.

Or will these things last longer than I think and just leave them as is?

Thanks guys

 

[Claude Mathis]

Is there some kind of way to add a big piece of thick leather on the bottom so it will provide more durability? It be nice to do this without the whole moc looking dumb.

Folks have been known to add a thick, leather insole (rubber cemented inside).

 

[LRB]

My method is as follows. I put them on, coat the bottoms with glue, stand on a suitably sized piece of about 4, to 5 oz oil tanned leather. Then I draw a line around the moc. Once the glue sets, I remove my feet, add 3/8" to the line I drew, cut free, and sew them to the moc using a back stitch. Then I add a coat of shoegoo to the soles. the Shoegoo makes them last even longer, and stops you from slipping on grass or leaves. Not necessarily PC, but works.

 

[Brasilikilt]

Or, you can do what I did and simply go to a shoe repair shop and buy a chunk of sole material and glue that to the bottom.

It's REALLY not PC, but I was tired of slipping in the mud and needed a quick fix :redface:

 

on my shoepacs i use BARGE Cement for my second sole, get them situated and then put them toe first under the tires of my p/u and drive fwd. about 10 inches. leave overnight.
my regular mocs are single sole centerseam and provided i am not trekking in very stoney terrain, will last me for months.

 

You could just cut the tops off some tennis shoes and glue the sole to your moccasins. Or, cover your tennis shoes with leather, to make them look like moccasins. Not PC, but who cares? :rotf:

 

[pichou]

You think that's funny Carl, but I've seen too many naugahide gaiters at events. :shocked2:

:rotf:

Good moose mocs should last a while, as long as you aren't walking on concrete all the time. I wouldn't worry about patching or farbing them up with gorilla snot until they start to wear.

 

[blacksmithman64]

Pichou's right, why fix what ain't broke (yet!) I have some moose mocs I made about 3 years ago still in good shape, but I don't do as many rondy's as I used to either.

 

You think that's funny Carl, but I've seen too many naugahide gaiters at events. :shocked2:

:rotf:

Good moose mocs should last a while, as long as you aren't walking on concrete all the time. I wouldn't worry about patching or farbing them up with gorilla snot until they start to wear.

I do what Claude suggested. Putting an additional layer of leather inside accomplishes the goal and no one can see it. That way, you at least look the part (If you care) Some people don't care and that's ok. Whatever looks good to you is all that matters

 

[LRB]

:stir: Hey Carl, why don't you just eat that after it you get it stirred enough? :thumbsup:

 

:stir: Hey Carl, why don't you just eat that after it you get it stirred enough? :thumbsup:

Naw, you can spread it on the bottom of your mocs. :rotf:

 

[LaBonte]

Putting an additional layer of leather inside accomplishes the goal and no one can see it.

Dependent on time and place, etc. adding an outer sole is quite well documented - L & C for instance added them when they reached central Montana due not only to wear but to the prickly pear cacti that are still so much in abundance there and elswhere in the west - a foot full of cactus spines is no fun - voice of experience..... :cursing:

 

[pichou]

Believe it or not, prickly pear is native to western Wisconsin.

 

farbing? thanks dude.

if i might add one more thing. you dont want to wear those moose mocs (or any other mocs) while filling up your ride with petrol, cause what's on the ground at fill-up stations will eat them up quick. :shocked2:

 

[LaBonte]

Believe it or not, prickly pear is native to western Wisconsin.

I believe it the stuff is insidious, on the other hand compared to things like cholla it's pretty tame!
Ever eat the prickly pear fruit or the "leaves" aka nopales? Some pretty good eating when fixed up right......
The leaves are also pretty decent cattle fodder - due to the drought, folks down in west Texas and New Mexico are burning the spines off so their cow critters can munch on them.

 

[alaskasmoker]

Well here they are. I just sewed a thick piece of leather on the bottom. That was a pain to do after the fact. But Id bet youd be hard pressed to get the leather in the right spot before the mocs were assembled. Well, im pretty happy with my first pair of Moccasins.

 

[blacksmithman64]

wish my first half dozen pair came out that good! :thumbsup:

 

[alaskasmoker]

Thanks!Im pretty happy with them too. In total it only probably took about 8 hours to make them. Also when Im actually standing in them, you cant see that undersole at all. I traced my foot and then cut about 1/2" inside that line.

 

[Muskeg Stomper]

:thumbsup: Looking good Matt. Now you gotta make a pair for winter too.

 

[jethro224]

Lookin' real good. :thumbsup:

Did you glue the soles too? The thread might wear thru pretty fast. :hmm: