We, as a species, seem to like to reinvent things we had previously mastered. Most famously, plumbing. The ancients had it, yet, with the decline of the Greeks and Romans, suddenly, we became the unwashed masses again. And remained that way for roughly 1400 years (or more, in many cases). Then, in the late 1800s-suddenly, someone came up with plumbing again! And clean water!!! Well, footwear seems to have taken that same road.
DISCLAIMER: This is all based on MY PERSONAL OPINIONS AND OBSERVATIONS, so, I may not agree with you, or you me, or, I could be completely wrong. Its been known to happen :).
Ancient cultures, as a rule, went around either barefoot, or with a simple sandal like basic type of footwear. These were thin, and easily resoled, so that soldiers (militaries marched on their feet so, by necessity, they were always at the forefront of footwear) could easily fix them in the field. Sandals worn by ancient cultures consisted of woven plant fiber (egyptians used palm and papyrus), leather (egyptians, romans, and greek all wore a sort of leather sandal), and leather boots/shoes (celtic peoples and American Indians). Of course, many of these cultures, if not all, were found to have walked around barefoot too-many, their entire lives. But, as we're discussing footwear, rather than a lack of, we will concentrate on that.
Simple leather sandals, spanning the ancient cultures, all had a couple things in common. Firstly, they obviously protected the bottoms of the feet. Second, they were thin, which allowed for a certain amount of flexibility. Third, they were generally lightweight. An old adage is, an ounce on your foot equals a pound on your back. A 20 mile march was common for a days walk for a Roman soldier-lightweight, durable footwear would be welcome! Third, most were easily repairable, or easily reproduced in the field.
Thin soled, leather crafted footwear was de rigeur for hundreds of years.
Then, man began climbing mountains. A need for a rugged,stiff soled boot was needed. I didnt do too much digging, but it looks like the Brits and the National Geographic Society spoke of heavy treaded boots in the 1800s. So, I will go with that, as a generalization. The advantages of these: the offer a solid platform for the foot on uneven (And rocky) terrain. They are heavy enough to withstand abuse. The disadvantages: they are heavy and inflexible. However, this model of boot was the go to model up until fairly recently. True, there were always people who hiked in sneakers (we will stick to hiking here), and even barefoot. But, the norm was the full leather upper, midweight to heavyweight hiking boot. These provided stability for the ankles on uneven terrain. However, they also caused, and/or aggravated, plantar faciitis-a painful affliction of the foot.
Then came the advent of lightweight hikers. Essentially, trail runners that were above the ankle. These were made from lighter material, reducing weight, and giving the foot more flex. People also began to simply wear running shoes, or even trail runners. These days, you will see a mix of what people wear out there-from standard midweight boots, lightweight boots, trail runners, sneakers, weird inventions like the 5 fingers, moccasins, and, on occasion, barefoot. Which brings me, in a roundabout way, to what I was getting at.
Moccasins. Yes, moccasins. Not the kind you find in a box store, or order from amazon. Those are made in China, and need to be replaced every couple years-even if they are never worn outside! No, there are several companies that make QUALITY outdoor mocs, ones you can wear outside, year round, and will last you a lifetime. Some of the quality makers are Russell, Carl Dyers, and Arrow. Mocs give the wearer some advantages: the foot is allowed to flex naturally; the quality ones mold to your feet, allowing for a custom fit; they are thick and waterproof; they allow you to feel the ground you're walking on-great for stalk hunting.
I chose to pick up a pair of the Arrow mocassins today. I got the lace boot model. As I JUST picked them up today, I will give my initial impressions, then revisit them in a month or so, after some real wear.
First, the cost. These cost me $179. The shop is 1/2 hour from me, so I simply called them up, and went down there (they have several sizes stocked in their shop). When you think about it, $179 for a pair of shoes you will never replace is a steal. One customer has had the same pair for 25 years. In the event you wear through the sole (I got the double sole, as I will be wearing these a lot in the woods), you can send them back to get them replaced for $60. People spend $200 (easily) on hiking boots-that are worn only for hiking. And, they need to be replaced every few years, depending on usage.
These mocs are made of 1/4" english tanned swiss leather. The soles, in my case, are doubled-but you can get a single soled boot too. Mocs can be HOT. They are leather, after all. These are designed to be worn with socks, but feel free to wear them without. My initial impressions are that they are very flexible, and allow for a great feeling of the ground. I went and shot some 3D archery shoots today, that is a little traipse through the woods. These things were awesome. Almost silent, without trying. Keep in mind, there is no tread-they are simply leather bottoms.
I will write up a more thorough review of them when I've worn them for a while but, for now, I'm impressed. I'm heading to WA for a vacation for a week, starting this Sunday, so we will see how they fare out there.
Mocs, and huaraches (a mexican sandal) are making a comeback in the hiking world. Despite all the marketing hype of space age materials, water proofness, bouncy heel cushions, etc-it seems the old ways are being rediscovered. And I, for one, am excited to be a part of that!
I took a couple pics of my new mocs. It will be interesting to see the difference in a month!!!
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