I always wore them as a 1745 re-enactor with cut and sewn hose ( socks) they are great and when I got home from work after wearing heavy boots they were a delight
Put moss on the inside of the shoe for extra cushioning and stability in the wet. The moss will stop your foot from slipping inside when wet. It makes a BIG difference. It will also make the shoes a lot more comfortable.
In Skandinavia and polar region those shoes would've been used in winter time, because of fur. And people would've go to water with bare foot, instead of putting shoes wet, and be shomewhat unusable until they are dried. Or avoid to go into water, if too cold. But otherwise, I approve this video and content.
I have several pairs in somewhat different design and have water proofed the ones without hair. I wear them often on the farm or bring a pair when backpacking to wear around camp. I call them McHobbits lol
It's incredible to imagine how humans survived until maybe just a hundred years ago with nothing but what nature provided. Man-made petrochemicals are still new compared to the whole of the Earth. Drop a modern human even just 200 years ago and how would they fare? I wonder what else that was once common knowledge that we will rediscover? Great channel, love it all.
Almost ALL would die, before re-discovering anything. All that "lost knowledge" was learned over thousands of generations and passed down because it was literally a "matter of life or death".
Patriotgal1 I couldn’t agree more. People think if you unplug you’re back to the 1800’s. But that civilization was as you say the result of all of human history. We’d return to the Stone Age and have to start over with most things. Sounds like a good science fiction movie.
@Seriously Doe You completely misunderstood my comment. Ancient man was a genius. Had to be to get us here but literally had only wood, stone, bone, eventually minerals, elements. But a lot of that traditional knowledge is gone. Modern humans will start from the bottom again.
This sort of shoe was popular with some populations of eastern Europe. That's why Hungarians still call Wallachians "szűrős talpú", literally "hairy feet".
Very cool. You are definitely keeping old traditions alive. The editing and ideas you incorporate into your videos make them engaging to watch, shooting arrows towards the camera...lol. The quick and easy approach does make sense when dealing with material like hide; no matter how elaborate the design, if a person travels a lot the footwear is going to wear out accordingly. Awesome video!
I love your channel, bro! And you confirmed that my own hide-shoe design, which is very similar, has some real functionality! Also the drainage holes are a fantastic idea that i would have had to come up with on my own. All in all man, this was a good one. Protecting our feet is super important.
Here in the States I used to go to a lot of rondivues (sorry for the spelling) and one guy that made moccasins he used elk hide for the soles and guaranteed the for life. My thinking is to get a thicker type of hide from your area and attach that to the sole to make them last much longer as well as giving a bit more padding for walking on hard surfaces like you did on your 4 day hike where you wore out your soles. Love your content and my great grandma was Sstewart who had married a Bruce I have always loved the history and culture so your content is a treasure for me. Cheers mate
I have made the same style of shoes for my viking outfit, they sure get soggy if you walk in damp areas, but as long as you have tick wool socks to go with them you keep the warmth inside! Do not use them on asphalt because they'll fall apart quickly and try to avoid gravel stone as well! Good videos! Good material! Skål!
I love your channel - it explores how our ancestors adapted and dealt with life in a pretty harsh environment. As a certain Ray Mears says information weights nothing and goes everywhere with you. Who needs to be a 'prepper' when you can make what you need
Pampooties are quite tidy, low to the side. They were usually left in a pot of water by the fire. Warm in the morn ties over thick wool socks. Lasted up to a year. My dad made a pair a long while back.
I can't say they look good but if they are warmer, tougher, and do the job they ain't stupid. I've got a pair of 12th century turnshoes and they are my favorite shoes to wear both in and out of the house.
When I made mine I cut fingers along the toe box portion. Then laced them there and two across the bridge of my foot. The back I cut from the heel of my foot about the width of the back of my achilles and brought the sides up and stiched that with a X pattern. I did modernized them by sewing a thuck raw hide sole, so I could cut groves to give me some traction. I mostly wear them during my local Renaissance Fair.
Well Done Tom! Another extraordinary practical recreation. Scots mercenaries in Ireland ( known as a Kearn or Gallowglass ) were also referred to as 'Redshanks' from their Red Deer leggings & footwear. - Well done again - Steve Stewart.
The "Kearn", aka Ceithearnach, were Irish not Scottish. The Redshanks were not so called because of deer leggings...the opposite is true...from not wearing leggings their skin got red in the sun.
I am glad to see more & more of the old arts being kept alive! I also enjoy a few... I do some simple blacksmithing & make chainmaille. I want to learn how to make sweetgrass baskets... I live in the Charleston area in the US
I'm a masive fan of historical shoes so this was really awasome😁 also I was wondering how you're fandabi do is going and if you had any updates on it thanks
Fantastic stuff Sir! Had not seen this video until now. I was thinking only the other day after skinning a rabbit out (right down to the nose) that the first shoe must have been when somebody, having done this and ended up with a fur lined tube, pulled it over a foot and thought: "Hmmmm... that's nice, that's er.... what's the word.... Cosy. Yes, new word: Cosy. I shall have to find a rabbit for the other foot!" (Perhaps I should make a video on it!)
These looked great for summer wear, you might want to make an inner shoe with fur side in for winter wear and grass insulation between the two layers. It might even help with the slimyness. Good video.
Or make the winter shoes roomy enough to fit in some grass. You might also want to take some inspiration from the Sámi winter footwear and make more complex shoes with two-piece soles, as that would help counteract sliding forwards/backwards/sideways (whatever direction is opposite the way the hairs point).
the hair was on the outside for grip,and they were kept damp to keep them pliable,theyre too stiff to walk in when dry,and for this reason deliberately stepping into sea/fresh water was a thing.Source:J.M Synge 'The Aran Islands'
Thank you for making this video! I’m currently working on a stone age outfit and while these might be based on later finds the design seems simple enough that it fits for a pair of shoes from that period. Going to use a moose hide that I tried tanning but ended up too tough. Cheers from Sweden!
I think usually an awl is used instead of a knife because an awl makes a round hole but a knife makes a slit, which tend to tear further. Did you have any trouble with the slits?
I ran barefoot as a kid and it is great for your feet. If you can't do barefoot, moccasins such as these are the next best thing. I've also worn mukluks and they are super comfy also.
Hi Tom, I'm a big fan of how you keep Scottish traditions alive. Although I'm not of Scottish heritage personally, I appreciate the old ways from many cultures. I was wondering why you didn't use the fur on the inside. Also, did you think about adding a sole or cutting another piece of hide to use as an insole? Love the channel, thank you for sharing!
Great vid! I'm curious why you used salt water instead of fresh water before you shaped the leather. For some reason I thought that the salt would make the fur fall out more readily, and make the shoe less hardy
Its what Peter recommended when disussing making these. The hair did slip a little. His reason was its anti bacterial so reduces the chance of the hide rotting.
The look really does fit together. Great job!!! I wonder how long a pair of markissons would hace lasted to the average highlander crofter... Maybe a year? Two?
That's awesome I think I'm gonna try to make some for the Scottish highland games and renaissance fairs for next year. Thanks man great video 😁👍. Hey can you tell me what video you have that talks about making traditional oats or porridge?
Great video thanks. Does having the hair on outside help with ware and tare and or better traction. Having the hair on inside maybe help with your feet from slipping around in the shoe when wet. Maybe fur is on outside so it does not itch or maybe hair inside would be slippery.
Deer hair is naturally water repellent, so keeping the hair on the outside would help keep your feet dry, as long as you didn't step in any deep water.
I wonder, how easy would It be to Wear those nowadays? And on urban context. Would you consider using them more permanently, how would you compare those to regular shoes?
Great idea for the heather hoppers, not too surprised to hear of similar being used into the 20th century. I guess if it isn't broke don't fix it! I couldn't help notice you were using leg wraps in a couple of shots, would you have come across much evidence of their use in the Highlands during the 17th century? I do viking reenactment with an ever increasing Hiberno-Norse influence and wonder is this might be a hanger-on from the era.
Hi, I watch some of your videos and like too ask if you have a music playlist of the keltic music what did you use in your videos. Or can you make somthing short about keltic/scotish music. And secound. What kind of ruins did you find in your area where you make all dis?
Mate. Thanks again for another quality video. When you say ' rawhide' are you meaning fresh right after the kill hide? If so.. i take it theres a good bit cleaning and washing to do before using it even in its raw state. Or is there some preserving to be done to stop it rotting? Thanks again.
I would expect you'd put the fur on the inside. Is this for grip and/or handle abrasion better? If you put the fur on the inside you can stitch an extra rawhide sole underneath and keep replacing that when it wears down...
I've heard of Irish/Highlanders in the 16th century making a brat (cloak, right?) but turning the fur side to the inside for more warmth and less drying time. Could you do that with the shoes?
whistlingbadger Wouldn’t the fact that all the hairs point in the same direction cause some of the same problems? I know that the Sámi make their winter shoes with two-piece soles, so that they can make the hairs on the front and back of the sole point in opposing directions.
@@ragnkja Cool idea; those Sami know their footwear. I think the simplicity and quick construction of the Highland shoe probably outweighed other considerations. Sometimes, good enough is good enough. Uni-directional traction is a lot better than none at all. On the other hand, most Native American tribes wore moccasins with slick rawhide or buckskin soles, and they seem to have done alright. One would just have to adjust.
@@FandabiDozi Oh I thought it was legal in small quantities, thanks for letting me know. By the way, I'm loving the Highlander series, it's interesting to learn more about my ancestors, and it's sparked an interest in Scottish history that I never really had.
So in America the natives would use large squirrels if you skin them right you can use the feet legs to tie them to your feet I leave the tail to add a Conversation Piece
All kinds man. If you look at my old videos its a mix of everything. Just the Highlander series is my most popular and lots of interesting topics that no one else has explored yet on RUclips
That is the real bushceaft
I always wore them as a 1745 re-enactor with cut and sewn hose ( socks) they are great and when I got home from work after wearing heavy boots they were a delight
Do you do renaissance fairs?
You're going to start a baggy-shoes trend. :-) Nice little project, thanks for sharing.
Put moss on the inside of the shoe for extra cushioning and stability in the wet. The moss will stop your foot from slipping inside when wet. It makes a BIG difference. It will also make the shoes a lot more comfortable.
In Skandinavia and polar region those shoes would've been used in winter time, because of fur. And people would've go to water with bare foot, instead of putting shoes wet, and be shomewhat unusable until they are dried. Or avoid to go into water, if too cold. But otherwise, I approve this video and content.
I have several pairs in somewhat different design and have water proofed the ones without hair. I wear them often on the farm or bring a pair when backpacking to wear around camp. I call them McHobbits lol
It's incredible to imagine how humans survived until maybe just a hundred years ago with nothing but what nature provided. Man-made petrochemicals are still new compared to the whole of the Earth. Drop a modern human even just 200 years ago and how would they fare? I wonder what else that was once common knowledge that we will rediscover? Great channel, love it all.
Almost ALL would die, before re-discovering anything. All that "lost knowledge" was learned over thousands of generations and passed down because it was literally a "matter of life or death".
Patriotgal1 I couldn’t agree more. People think if you unplug you’re back to the 1800’s. But that civilization was as you say the result of all of human history. We’d return to the Stone Age and have to start over with most things. Sounds like a good science fiction movie.
@Seriously Doe You completely misunderstood my comment. Ancient man was a genius. Had to be to get us here but literally had only wood, stone, bone, eventually minerals, elements. But a lot of that traditional knowledge is gone. Modern humans will start from the bottom again.
It's good to learn these things, especially for when the end comes... by the way, in the Chilean Patagonia they're called Tamangos...
A modern human would be almost totally clueless, of course, but if you taught them what to do they would be fast learners.
Between the lacing and drainage, can really see the ancestry of the modern brogue
I always thought the fur of the animal would be on the inside of the shoe. Nice video!
This sort of shoe was popular with some populations of eastern Europe. That's why Hungarians still call Wallachians "szűrős talpú", literally "hairy feet".
This seems like the inspiration for Hobbits hairy feet
Very cool. You are definitely keeping old traditions alive. The editing and ideas you incorporate into your videos make them engaging to watch, shooting arrows towards the camera...lol. The quick and easy approach does make sense when dealing with material like hide; no matter how elaborate the design, if a person travels a lot the footwear is going to wear out accordingly. Awesome video!
I love your channel, bro!
And you confirmed that my own hide-shoe design, which is very similar, has some real functionality!
Also the drainage holes are a fantastic idea that i would have had to come up with on my own.
All in all man, this was a good one. Protecting our feet is super important.
Here in the States I used to go to a lot of rondivues (sorry for the spelling) and one guy that made moccasins he used elk hide for the soles and guaranteed the for life.
My thinking is to get a thicker type of hide from your area and attach that to the sole to make them last much longer as well as giving a bit more padding for walking on hard surfaces like you did on your 4 day hike where you wore out your soles.
Love your content and my great grandma was Sstewart who had married a Bruce I have always loved the history and culture so your content is a treasure for me. Cheers mate
I have made the same style of shoes for my viking outfit, they sure get soggy if you walk in damp areas, but as long as you have tick wool socks to go with them you keep the warmth inside! Do not use them on asphalt because they'll fall apart quickly and try to avoid gravel stone as well! Good videos! Good material! Skål!
I rather enjoy watching you try new techniques and work with different materials. Also, a great look back into history and tradition!
I love your channel - it explores how our ancestors adapted and dealt with life in a pretty harsh environment. As a certain Ray Mears says information weights nothing and goes everywhere with you. Who needs to be a 'prepper' when you can make what you need
Looks like the hair side out makes them excellent for not getting stuck in mud!
You make very good content.
Pampooties are quite tidy, low to the side. They were usually left in a pot of water by the fire. Warm in the morn ties over thick wool socks. Lasted up to a year. My dad made a pair a long while back.
I can't say they look good but if they are warmer, tougher, and do the job they ain't stupid. I've got a pair of 12th century turnshoes and they are my favorite shoes to wear both in and out of the house.
When I made mine I cut fingers along the toe box portion. Then laced them there and two across the bridge of my foot. The back I cut from the heel of my foot about the width of the back of my achilles and brought the sides up and stiched that with a X pattern. I did modernized them by sewing a thuck raw hide sole, so I could cut groves to give me some traction. I mostly wear them during my local Renaissance Fair.
A truly minimalist shoe! Nice!
Very cool to learn how to make some hide shoes! Thanks!
Nicely done Laddie!
Well Done Tom! Another extraordinary practical recreation. Scots mercenaries in Ireland ( known as a Kearn or Gallowglass ) were also referred to as 'Redshanks' from their Red Deer leggings & footwear. - Well done again - Steve Stewart.
The "Kearn", aka Ceithearnach, were Irish not Scottish. The Redshanks were not so called because of deer leggings...the opposite is true...from not wearing leggings their skin got red in the sun.
I am glad to see more & more of the old arts being kept alive! I also enjoy a few... I do some simple blacksmithing & make chainmaille. I want to learn how to make sweetgrass baskets... I live in the Charleston area in the US
Very informative and interesting! Thank you for sharing.
I like the looks of those better than what we usually see for moccasins here.
It would be funny to meet somebody on a hike wearing those shoes.
I'm a masive fan of historical shoes so this was really awasome😁 also I was wondering how you're fandabi do is going and if you had any updates on it thanks
Fantastic stuff Sir! Had not seen this video until now. I was thinking only the other day after skinning a rabbit out (right down to the nose) that the first shoe must have been when somebody, having done this and ended up with a fur lined tube, pulled it over a foot and thought: "Hmmmm... that's nice, that's er.... what's the word.... Cosy. Yes, new word: Cosy. I shall have to find a rabbit for the other foot!"
(Perhaps I should make a video on it!)
Excellent video, thanks for sharing this! 👍
I still wear shoes exactly like this for my job, every day. Sheep shearer in aus.
These looked great for summer wear, you might want to make an inner shoe with fur side in for winter wear and grass insulation between the two layers. It might even help with the slimyness. Good video.
Or make the winter shoes roomy enough to fit in some grass. You might also want to take some inspiration from the Sámi winter footwear and make more complex shoes with two-piece soles, as that would help counteract sliding forwards/backwards/sideways (whatever direction is opposite the way the hairs point).
Tom, you have an awesome channel.
Some of the more complex shoes (at least in Sápmi) have/had two-piece soles with the hairs on the front and back in opposing directions.
Nillie for added grip in ice both up an downhill ?
R C
And general grip on snow and ice.
Noice
I’m curious do they have an idea why the hair was on the outside instead of the inside was it for grip or is that just more comfortable?
Better wetness resistant I suppose
Maby more resistance against sharp rocks.
the hair was on the outside for grip,and they were kept damp to keep them pliable,theyre too stiff to walk in when dry,and for this reason deliberately stepping into sea/fresh water was a thing.Source:J.M Synge 'The Aran Islands'
Clearly "Bog-shoes" is the best name.
Thanks for the Inspiration Vivienne
Those look sooo comfy
Love your videos man
Your content is gold
I'm an Appalachian of Scots-Irish descent. I try to do things the old way, and find you inspitational
Thank you for making this video! I’m currently working on a stone age outfit and while these might be based on later finds the design seems simple enough that it fits for a pair of shoes from that period. Going to use a moose hide that I tried tanning but ended up too tough. Cheers from Sweden!
Great stuff as always Tom.
Awesome, thank you for this lovely content
Great video, good on you.
From a Stewart in the States.
Do you know when you are going to start selling the Sgian dubh and will you ship them to Canada
I think usually an awl is used instead of a knife because an awl makes a round hole but a knife makes a slit, which tend to tear further. Did you have any trouble with the slits?
Wonderful been looking for something to replace regular shoes but true moccasins are a lot of work to make
I ran barefoot as a kid and it is great for your feet. If you can't do barefoot, moccasins such as these are the next best thing. I've also worn mukluks and they are super comfy also.
You walk and run differently when you’re barefoot or in soft-soled shoes than in hard-soled shoes.
Sweet video! Wish you had shown how the bottoms looked after 3-4 days of use.
Awesome job
This was a cool video. Good job.
Awesome video. Super interesting
I feel like these would have been combined with some sort of wool sock or foot wrap. Like a nalbinding sock or winigas.
Hi Tom, I'm a big fan of how you keep Scottish traditions alive. Although I'm not of Scottish heritage personally, I appreciate the old ways from many cultures.
I was wondering why you didn't use the fur on the inside. Also, did you think about adding a sole or cutting another piece of hide to use as an insole?
Love the channel, thank you for sharing!
The fur was usually worn on the inside.
Great vid!
I'm curious why you used salt water instead of fresh water before you shaped the leather.
For some reason I thought that the salt would make the fur fall out more readily, and make the shoe less hardy
Its what Peter recommended when disussing making these. The hair did slip a little. His reason was its anti bacterial so reduces the chance of the hide rotting.
Soaking in salt water is traditionally what they would do on the West Coast as it stops bacteria, it’s a form of pickling.
A good watch, more vids please thank.
Thank you
My father used to put hay inside his wellies.
The look really does fit together. Great job!!! I wonder how long a pair of markissons would hace lasted to the average highlander crofter... Maybe a year? Two?
A good idear and good work.Whay they didn't use hay for isolasion
That's awesome I think I'm gonna try to make some for the Scottish highland games and renaissance fairs for next year. Thanks man great video 😁👍. Hey can you tell me what video you have that talks about making traditional oats or porridge?
Great to hear! i have one on Oatcakes from beginning of last year :)
@@FandabiDozi thanks man
what a legend
Great video thanks. Does having the hair on outside help with ware and tare and or better traction. Having the hair on inside maybe help with your feet from slipping around in the shoe when wet. Maybe fur is on outside so it does not itch or maybe hair inside would be slippery.
Deer hair is naturally water repellent, so keeping the hair on the outside would help keep your feet dry, as long as you didn't step in any deep water.
Well done
OMG ❤️❤️❤️❤️ nice thank you
I wonder, how easy would It be to Wear those nowadays? And on urban context. Would you consider using them more permanently, how would you compare those to regular shoes?
Great idea for the heather hoppers, not too surprised to hear of similar being used into the 20th century. I guess if it isn't broke don't fix it! I couldn't help notice you were using leg wraps in a couple of shots, would you have come across much evidence of their use in the Highlands during the 17th century? I do viking reenactment with an ever increasing Hiberno-Norse influence and wonder is this might be a hanger-on from the era.
Gotta ask, for your highlander survival / camping series, what tartan is your plaid / great kilt?
how much damage/wear did the shoes take and how long do you think they could be worn before needing to be replaced?
Could you reverse and add a extra leather sole for cold weather?
Cool video
Hi, I watch some of your videos and like too ask if you have a music playlist of the keltic music what did you use in your videos. Or can you make somthing short about keltic/scotish music.
And secound. What kind of ruins did you find in your area where you make all dis?
Mate. Thanks again for another quality video.
When you say ' rawhide' are you meaning fresh right after the kill hide? If so.. i take it theres a good bit cleaning and washing to do before using it even in its raw state.
Or is there some preserving to be done to stop it rotting? Thanks again.
"Lets go test them out"
*Keemstar "I'm fast as fuck boi"* begins
Do you happen to know what kind of tanning it is that is hard when dry and soft when wet?
Nice.
How do the hairs help them handle on steep dirt? I found I slip a lot in the mountains in leather soles, but have never tried it with hair on them.
Any tips on the best way to dry these shoes out? By a fire? Hang them outside?
Heatherhoppers, eh? In the US we have clodhoppers.
some more of ya bow would be awesome.
Legend!
Check the island called coll it cool
I would expect you'd put the fur on the inside. Is this for grip and/or handle abrasion better?
If you put the fur on the inside you can stitch an extra rawhide sole underneath and keep replacing that when it wears down...
Native Americans used pine pitch as glue instead of stitching the soles on but yeah
6:01 RIP cameraman
I thought that the thumbnail was giant tarantulas eating your feet
I've heard of Irish/Highlanders in the 16th century making a brat (cloak, right?) but turning the fur side to the inside for more warmth and less drying time. Could you do that with the shoes?
what you would need to do in winter snow and Ice would be different than what you would need to do in spring or summer
I believe the hair was worn on the outside for traction. Hair-in or hairless moccasins have a way of turning into skis on wet grass.
whistlingbadger
Wouldn’t the fact that all the hairs point in the same direction cause some of the same problems? I know that the Sámi make their winter shoes with two-piece soles, so that they can make the hairs on the front and back of the sole point in opposing directions.
@@ragnkja Cool idea; those Sami know their footwear. I think the simplicity and quick construction of the Highland shoe probably outweighed other considerations. Sometimes, good enough is good enough. Uni-directional traction is a lot better than none at all. On the other hand, most Native American tribes wore moccasins with slick rawhide or buckskin soles, and they seem to have done alright. One would just have to adjust.
whistlingbadger
Sámi summer shoes have one piece hairless soles too, and they seem to work just fine.
I would have cut a tung in and made them high tops for added protection.
Fandabi Diddas!
Damn, wish i hadn't tossed my snowshoe moccasins. They had moose soles, with cariboo uppers. They only needed restitching.
Can turn some heads at the pub wearing a set of these!
This would be more comfortable if you were to double up or even Triple the layers of rawhide, Better protection for sharp rocks etc :-)
Question. Why wouldn't you put the fur inside?
Do you do anything with that bow other than play with it?
(Serious question.)
Bow hunting is illegal in the UK. So tent to just play with it at targets :)
@@FandabiDozi Oh I thought it was legal in small quantities, thanks for letting me know. By the way, I'm loving the Highlander series, it's interesting to learn more about my ancestors, and it's sparked an interest in Scottish history that I never really had.
So in America the natives would use large squirrels if you skin them right you can use the feet legs to tie them to your feet I leave the tail to add a Conversation Piece
Why wouldn’t you flip it on the other side tho? It’s fuzzy inside and warm while the cool looking hide leather is on the outside
Hey brother do you do just native Scottish survival techniques or do you do all kinds nothing negative here just curious
All kinds man. If you look at my old videos its a mix of everything. Just the Highlander series is my most popular and lots of interesting topics that no one else has explored yet on RUclips
Did you make your bow?
It's similar to American Indian moccasins!