Our Barefoot-Moccasins
In this article, we would like to clarify what our moccasins are like and why they are classified as barefoot shoes, minimalist shoes or natural footwear.
Over the years, we came to realize that most of our customers were people "upset" with shoes in general. Most of them are unable to find shoes that match their foot-shape, and others are looking for minimalist and/or natural footwear because they love the feeling of walking barefoot as well as the health benefits of such practice.
The rest of our customers are people with "normal feet" and ignorant of the topic of barefoot shoes but curious enough to try them on. Their reaction is nearly always the same: "WOW! It is truly comfortable!" and they quickly forget their first thought of "Oh! But...they don't have thick soles".
I think we have experienced what most people looking for minimalist footwear have also experienced: "normal" shoes hurt --> going barefoot --> getting hurt barefoot and/or needing shoes in town --> trying (industrial) barefoot shoes to realize they get smelly, break down too quickly for their price and don't always fit... just like at first, finding shoes seems to be a nightmare. (...) Until finding Leather Earthing Moccasins!!!
What Differences Between Barefoot Moccasins & Barefoot Shoes in General?
In the crowd of modern and industrial barefoot shoes, here are some features that make our barefoot moccasins and boots stand out.
- 100% made in High-Quality Genuine Leather (All Made in France)
- Handmade
- Tailor-Made / Custom Made / Foot-shaped
- Highly Breathable - Regulates Moisture
- High Sensory Feedback - Zero-drop Soles
- Highly Protective - Very stable on the feet
- Extremely Comfortable - Invisible stitches, no overlap of material.
- Compatible with Orthopedic Insoles
- Versatile, Robust, Repairable
High Quality Leather
Our moccasins and boots are 100% handmade in leather - No lining, no glue, no synthetic materials - This makes them highly breathable, very sturdy and repairable.
Some industrial barefoot shoes are presented like leather shoes, but they are full of synthetic materials on the inside and/or the lining is glued. Wearing them without socks makes feet sweat and quickly develops a bad smell. If they are lined, the leather used on the outside is probably very thin and could tear or break easily. Moreover, They are usually difficult to repair: most of the time, if their soles wear out (and they do, since they are thin), or if the stitch breaks, they become good for trash... With our moccasins, we do not have these issues!
We use 2 mm / 6 oz thick bull-calf leather that is extremely resistant to friction and flexibility. It is this single layer of leather that makes the shoe in itself.
This leather is very sturdy but very soft and pliable at the same time. Wearing it bare feet is totally safe, and even recommended, as it feels like wearing velvet socks.
Highly Breathable
This genuine leather regulates the humidity very well and is highly breathable. Although our moccasins are closed shoes, we have never had any issues with bad smells. We even had feedback from people with severe sweat issues saying, with surprise, that they didn’t feel any discomfort while wearing our moccasins without socks.
Are Your Moccasins Suitable to Wear in Summer?
Honestly, we tried to make and wear different styles of minimalist sandals, but their comfort never reached the feeling of our ultra-light barefoot moccasins. As mentioned above, leather is breathable, so it regulates the temperature and humidity. We are used to wearing them in hot climates and all summer long in France. We like that no dust, pebbles or sand gets in the shoe unlike in sandals. Some models like the "Sun" sandals, and the "Summer" are more open, so a little cooler than other models.
Note: They might feel warm when walking on burning grounds because their soles are very thin, but they will feel cool on natural grounds like grass and forest tracks.
High Sensory Feedback
At first, they come without any other soles than the layer of leather that makes the shoe in itself. This makes them ideal for people looking for grounding options, natural and sustainable materials, and ultra-minimalist footwear with high sensory feedback due to the fact they truly are like a second skin.
When, after a few months, the original layer of leather becomes thin (or gets a hole), it is very easy to glue another piece of leather or rubber crepe to resole them. We teach all our customers how to do it at home via a little tutorial.
Here is a page that explains how to make soles or how to repair your moccasins. Overall, with the secondary sole, the moccasin would never exceed 5 mm in thickness (2 mm of leather + 3 mm of compact rubber).
Note: Adding a secondary sole (with the material that we provide) has very little impact on the comfort and flexibility of the moccasins in general.
If you are used to wearing orthopedic insoles, it is possible to insert them in your moccasins. If you plan on doing so, it is important to give us notice to count enough space for it.
If you need more padding, adding a felt insole or a gel insole is possible. It is advised to make them a little larger to accommodate an extra insole if necessary, so please let us know.
Robust and Repairable
Over the years, the soles can be redone as many times as needed, depending on the intensity of wear.
If well taken care of with leather balm and resoling, one pair of moccasins can withstand many years, even through intensive and daily use. Over a long period of time, the weak point could become the thread but restitching the moccasins is always an option. That's the beauty of hand-made goods: they are easily repairable!
Why Don’t You Put Soles on The Moccasins Directly?
We do not put soles on straight away for quality purposes. First, it gives the leather time to stretch and perfect the fit by molding itself to the person’s feet. Secondly, it helps to give a better shape to the soles. In fact, after walking a few weeks without soles, the person's footprint will start appearing under the shoes. It then becomes very clear where to glue the secondary soles. By waiting to see the footprint like this, we avoid gluing the soles in the wrong place and stepping aside from it.
As most of our customers are far away from us, we prefer them to do it (with our instructions.) We like to enable people to repair their shoes instead of having to systematically buy a new pair when they start wearing out.
Shoes That Are Not Only Foot-Shaped but Also Tailor-Made
Don't spend any more time trying to figure out if this brand or another will match your foot-shape...
As you might know already, all our moccasins and boots are tailor-made to offer the best fit possible. Our credo is to make moccasins that respect the morphology of each individual and the physiology of feet in general. You will find more details about the topic of our Moccasin Patterns over here.
Here is an example in picture, two pairs of moccasins we've made for short but very wide feet with a high instep. These clients couldn't find shoes to fit their unique and unusual shape of feet.
Below is a picture of a shoe we custom-fitted for a customer on a local market. He had Big Feet, like huge, wearing 52 EU / 17 US. He expected that we could not provide him with a suitable pair but, lucky enough, we had prepared an extra wide pair of moccasins a few days before going to that market.
It could be the same for thin and long feet for instance...
Are Your Moccasins a Solution for My Foot Pain?
Many people in the "barefoot shoe community" speak about the benefits of wearing barefoot shoes and/or having an electromagnetic connection with the earth. The difference between "normal" or "conventionel" footwear and barefoot shoes is real, and there is a significant number of reviewers who share about their experience with barefoot shoes.
A lot of aspects pointed out are real facts. Yet, to be honest, we simply can't pretend that our moccasins will help you increase your health or happiness as some do, overall, they are nothing more than shoes! So, we won't go deep into that topic and let you research and make your conclusion with discernment. Finally, the best is to try them on to see and compare the difference beetween our shoes and your previous ones.
Are Your Moccasins Earthing?
Some customers asked us why are we not talking about the so-called Science of Earthing with all its health benefits. Our answer is the following:
When starting moccasin-making with passion, we had believed in "earthing" for a short time but, couldn't find any proof that there is an electromagnetic or energetic exchange between the Earth and the body that could have a great health impact. The Truth is that, as believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, from our own life experience, we can testify that, only God can bring men and women into spiritual life, true health, and peace. For us, the rest, even if there could be some reality in it, is nothing more than false hope used for marketing.
We praise and give Glory to God, who set us free from the lies of the world, disease, confusion, depression, addiction, ideology, ... of our sinful past life.
Nothing and no one else could have done, out of grace and mercy, such miracles in our life.