Period Correct Footware

 

Yes, walking barefoot is period correct, but for safety and comfort, some sort of period-correct footwear is needed. If you've decided that you want to go all the way in your persona, you'll need to invest in something appropriate for the period you wish to represent.

For a man or woman on the frontier, wearer-made moccasins are universally appropriate, since shoes were expensive and hard to obtain. Trappers could often trade with Native Americans to obtain theirs, or if they had access to tanned leather, make their own. 

In the interests of keeping our sport "period correct", footwear has been included as one of the five "dress essentials" necessary to score the Costume Point on the trail walk. Pants, hat, shirt, belt, and shoes. Much of what you'll need can be found at Townsends, formerly James  Townsends and Son, a company specializing in quality reproductions of 18th and 19th century clothing and accessories. Anything purchased from them would be considered period correct. However, you might want to ponder what an early 19th century fur trapper would be doing wear a pair of buckle down leather shoes. Of course, you could adopt the persona of nobleman and adventurer Sir William Drummond Stewart, and wear anything you like that appropriate for the time. If you recall, he's the one who commissioned Alfred Jacob Miller to make sketches of his adventures and later reproduce them in oil as Artist In Residence. Ah, but I digress.

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First, The Last: Before investing in any period correct footwear, consider this: Shoes made during this period in time had straight lasts*, which means there were no "left" and "right" shoes. Straight last shoes will provide protection from rocks and pebbles, but if you have fallen arches, as I do, you should consider installing some orthotics that will give you some support. 

The Moccasin Alternative: Perhaps a more appropriate alternative for the frontier trapper would be the simple moccasin. One advantage is the availability of inexpensive kits that allow you to enhance your persona while staying within a budget. Townsends can help you here too, offering a center seam moccasin kit that includes all you'll need to complete your Eastern longhunter look. I might add that there are a variety of moccasins styles associated with the native peoples from different parts of the continent. To see what Townsends has to offer, click here. From what I'm seeing, it appears that you could add an additional leather layer to the bottom for protection, in addition to an orthotic for comfort. If you go this route, give Townsends a call.

Historical Guidelines: NativeTech has an outstanding overview on moccasin styles and gives construction hints if you want to start from scratch.

Commercial Options: If you're not in the mood to do it yourself, there are commercial options. Within the Rendezvous Community, there there are three names that often come up. First, there is Arrow Moccasins. I purchased a pair of French Canadian Boots when I first started shooting at Rendezvous, and with regular maintenance, are still worn today. While expensive, the soles are thick, and provide moderate arch support right out of the box. The built-in leather leggings provide protection from the stickers and brambles found along the trail. One word of warning: The soles provide no traction when walking across dew-moistened fields. They are by far the most expensive article of clothing I wear, but they have served me well. With proper care, will last for many seasons more. A pair will currently cost you $255.00 (2021), but based on what I know from the years I've worn them, they were, and are, well worth the cost. Just keep them cleaned an lightly oiled, and they will serve you well.

Dwyer Original Moccasins may be the best known because they could be purchased through Dixie Gun Works, the quintessential source for all things black powder. Their original Rendezvous Moccasin is still available ($366.00 in 2021) They appear to provide a high degree of protection from debris, although not as much as the Arrow French Canadian Boot. The design doesn't seem to follow any historically documented style, but they certainly could have been fashioned using the technology of the eighteenth century.  I know of at least one long-time rendezvouser that wears them, and they appear to give good service.

Fagawee is a company well know for period correct shoes and boots. Their products span the colonial era through the Civil  War. Their Colonial Natural  Half  Boot is historically correct and comes in a left-right foot configuration. If memory serves, their catalog description stated that adequate clearance was provided for 21 century orthotics. I do not know what their inventory situation is, so give them a call if you're thinking about purchasing a pair. It is possible that this is a "made to order" product, judging from their availability. Current price is $176.49 a pair.

Addendum September 2, 2021: Crazy Crow has a boot similar to this Half Trekker for less than $100.00. You might want to check it out. Click here for details. Comes in black or brown.

Based on price alone, period correct footwear may be the lowest priority when going for the costume point. Now if you visit a thrift shop and find a pair of all leather moccasins disguised as house slippers, they might past muster in all but the most exacting period-correct situations. 

*Straight refers to the shape of the shoe. A straight last shoe is symmetrical relative to a line drawn on the bottom of the shoe from the middle of the heel to the middle of the toe. Source document can be read here.