I've begun making moccasins for our children. Several of them have Soft Star Roos and we like the style for the most part. I've made several pairs like these from polar fleece.
Our current goal is to find a zero-rise winter outdoor shoe from easily accessible materials for minimal money for growing children. That's not too much to ask, right?
Here's our first try. It's a three-piece moccasin made from a synthetic fabric I bought. It has a brushed surface on one side that gives it a look of suede. The other surface is a synthetic sheep-skin look/feel. I treated the outer surface of the completed moc with 2 coats of a silicone spray.
I made these for our 10 yo daughter, M. She has worn them for 2 different outdoor uses: Dog chores & general play.
For dog chores, she is only out for 15 min or so and is not running though loose snow. She wears the mocs either barefoot or with 1 pair of cotton crew socks. She says they keep her feet warm just fine in these conditions.
For play she would outside for an hour or so. She was hiking though loose snow, sledding and other typical Minnesota child games. The mocs were worn with 3 pairs of cotton socks. Her feet were cold with 2 pairs so she came in for a 3rd pair and was just fine that way. The snow came in where the front piece overlaps the back/side piece and it melted in her shoe making her feet wet. This and snow pack from the top of the moc was the source of wet - not through the fabric itself.
My first adaptation to these will be to make them taller like a hiking boot. After that (or maybe at the same time) I hope to come up with a sole insulation. My current ideas are either a rubber/vibram sole similar to the huaraches from Barefoot Ted OR an interior insulation made from a flexible foam like yoga mats.
Sarah K
Those are very cool! Great work! One suggestion would be to use wool socks instead of cotton, the kids feet would stay a lot warmer, especially if they get damp or wet.