The Care and Feeding of Catskill Mountain Moccasins

Dear Friends,

Our moccasins are made by a small group of dedicted craftspeople. We are proud of each and every pair of Catskill Mountain Moccasins and hope they bring joy and pleasure to those who wear them. We ask that you take a few moments to read the following information on how to become and stay best friends with your new moccasins. Please remember to save your patterns! We must have them to do any warrantee repairs, adjustments or resoles

Step 1:

Remove them from the box and unlace them, if they are laced. Now look at them and say, "Wow! They're even nicer than I expected!"

Step 2:

Remove your socks or stockings. This will make it much easier to put them on. After a few days you will be able to wear thin socks with them if you like. The first time you put them on may be a bit difficult. Don't Worry! Go Slow! They're supposed to fit that way.

You may have to tug a bit the first time you put them on. Only pull from the front trim and the lower back See figure 2. Do not pull from the sides! If you are having trouble at this point relax and put your foot on the floor. Now wiggle you toes and inch your foot forward in the moccasin while pulling as instructed. This should do the trick. After a day or so of wearing your moccasins, they will be much easier to put on.

Step 3:

Now that your foot is in, it is time to lace them. Make sure your foot is centered over the sole and as far forward as possible. It is very important that the bottom button is always laced tight as in figure 3. This will help from "walking off" the back of the moccasin.See how to lace your moccasins video Pull the lace from the TOP of the heel piece tab over and around the TOP of the first button. Now pull the lace from the TOP of the second tab over and around the TOP if the second button...and so on until you reach the top button.

When your moccasins are laced, the laces should cross themselves and look like figure 4. To finish the top button make a loop as shown and bring it down between the button and the lace and pull forward to the button. This will hold the lace tight. be sure your moccasins are laced snug so they don't sag. Oiling your laces will make it easier to lace them.

Step 4:

Your moccasins should be treated as soon as possible and definitely before wearing them in any inclement weather. We recommend Bic 4®, Neatsfoot Oil and mink oil for treating your moccasins. All of these fine products are available for your purchase on our website.

Bic 4® is a cleaner and conditioner and repels water. Neatsfoot is a conditioner that's great for summer. Mink oil (with no silicone or wax) is a paste and not only waterproofs but adds insulation during cold weather as well. When applying mink oil make sure to rub it in very well so it soaks deep into the leather. Your moccasins should be treated any time they start to feel "dry". To clean them periodically we recommend using a quality saddle soap. just follow the directions on the can. if you moccasins have suede on them, avoid getting oil or soap on it. Gard-More® spray that will protect suede and leather and won't darken your moccasins. Your moccasins are MACHINE WASHABLE. Once a year or so pull out the laces and wools and wash them in the machine in cold water on a gentle cycle. Use "Woolite" or a quality castile soap. After they are washed, take then out of the washer and hang them up to dry, out of the direct sun. Before completely dry, oil them again with either neatsfoot oil or Bic 4®.

It is important to hand wash your sheepskin liners when they get matted or odiferous (generally after you've worn them 20 or 30 times). To do this, pull them out by lifting the heel up and walking your fingers under the liner up to the fron of the moccasin. Hand wash them in "Woolite" and lay them out to dry. Give them a stretch lenghtwise before you lay them down to dry. To put them back in, roll them with the fluffy side facing up, from the toes to the heel. place them in you moccasin and roll them back out heel to toe.

Note:   Do not machine wash light colored moccasins with dark color trims or moccasins with elaborate trims, beadwork or gemstone buttons. Any doubt? Call us!

Step 5:   Very Important!!!

When you take off your moccasins make sure that you hang them up to dry so they can breathe. Do not leave them in a pile on the floor. Leather must breathe if it is going to last.

Step 6:

When you moccasins have beaten the dusty tral or the city streets for a number of years, they will proibbly need resoling. if you bought Vibram® soles, you can have your moccasins resoled at any quality shoe repair shop or you can send them to us for expert resoling. If you have conveyer belt soles you must send them to us. This takes about 12-16 weeks and costs $169.00 plus shipping. If we think your moccasins need additional repairs we will contact you for your approval first. All resoles must be paid for before we will ship them back to you. We won't ship them C.O.D. For resoles send your clean moccasins to Catskill Mountain Moccasins.