How to protect your feet?

Originally posted by LifeIsPeculiar
reply to post by whoshotJR

 

"back into a small city area or even a garbage dump to find materials to use..."

Exactly! That is why one of my posts mentioned automobile tires for soles. We do have to assume that we have the necessary skills to make shoes out of tires. I originally thought that was the topic of the thread; however, it does seem that the thrust is the selection of good quality and appropriate foot gear.

The only thing that seems to have gone awry on this thread is me. I came along for the self-sufficiency interests, which is not the apparent topic. As for there being anything left over from a "crash", have you seen a good pair of Aztec shoes recently? Furthermore, life after the general fall of civilization would not be particularly easy because of the two legged predators. It is, however, a topic that interests me greatly.

I have a modest library of "life skills" books ranging over a wide spectrum of topics. The "Fox Fire Series" is wonderful, but no mention of shoes. I also keep physics, math, chemistry, biology, machine shop, prospecting, blacksmithing, and many other good books on hand. So, you see, I'm not trying to be a rabble rouser, I'm just trying to goad these experts a little deeper into their interests. I want that information.

My apologies for the long quote, but I hope to address several points, and not be in the position of taking points out of context.

I cannot speak for the intent of the OP, or for others, but the thread is titled 'How to protect your feet'. I took it to be a general discussion on keeping your feet in good shape, when prepared, when not prepared, and not necessarily 'How to fabricate footwear'. Now that you have brought it up, perhaps others may post, as Suzque66 posted her snowshoe info.

Perhaps I am a bit myopic, but when discussing survival (I don't really know what you meant by 'true survival' a couple of posts up.), it is a whole picture. All of the Indian living skills are good and fine (no cries of racism, please, as my gene pool swerved the Catawba Nation. ), but as with any endeavor, you only have so much in time and resources to devote. Also, as this is a general post, read by many, more people can benefit from a discussion of foot care with some form of modern footwear than without. Most people will have access to shoes, even after a big SHTF. Modern materials will last a long time. Scrounging a pair (or two) of shoes) saves me a great deal of time making them.

You asked about 'Ho Chi Mihn' sandals. They were essentially tire tread and rope/line. If you check some VietNam sites, you will find pictures, and possibly methods of manufacture. However, the tires that HCM sandals came from were generally bias-bly. Many that you will find in the US are steel belted. Bias ply is a bear to cut, steel-belted doubly so. You will find that you will be unable to cut them without stout tools.

As for making other types of footwear, you may want to locate books by and for 'reenactors'. Many of those folks make their own stuff, and it is generally easy to understand.

Anyhoo, we are all right and I don't see any point of giving any more advice since the OP hasn't come back to his own thread to give input whether this is the info he wanted.

Originally posted by LifeIsPeculiar


Oh, goody! If you really want to discus this sort of situation, then I'm definately game.

Being "without gear" is not necesarily without shoes. It certainly might be without appropriate shoes, but my ever-present Swiss Army Knife or Leatherman tool. If one were in dire straights on sharp rocky terrain, I suspect the topic of shoes would pop up in a hurry ... maybe even just to find water.

Here is where you have me confused, now you speak of 'inappropriate' shoes, but you will always have a Swiss Army knife or Leatherman.

My take on that would be that shoes are not your immediate concern. Water, shelter, perhaps even moving to civilization (not quite sure if you are focusing upon being stranded before or after TSHTF). In a survival situation, there is a hierarchy of needs, which you either prioritize properly or you don't make it. To me, any form of modern footwear, to include house slippers, would be superior to wasting time making shoes just for the purpose of the exercise. Again, I may be missing your point. If so I apologize, but your posts seems to be more in the line of heading out in the woods to play mountain man than living through a real world 'things are really bad' situation. With that having been said, and I mean this seriously, you may want to make contact with 'Rendezvous' reenactors, that do the Mountain Man/Voyageur period. I expect that you would really enjoy it. Some of those folks have amazing amounts of information on how the mountain men and early trappers lived for years on end in the deep woods.

reply to post by Viking04

"In a survival situation, there is a hierarchy of needs, which you either prioritize properly or you don't make it. To me, any form of modern footwear, to include house slippers, would be superior to wasting time making shoes just for the purpose of the exercise. Again, I may be missing your point. "

I suppose I could make a at least once thing clear. Half a lifetime ago I was an "Army Ranger"; and, I do have additional experience in wilderness survival.

The thrust of my interest is how to protect feet in the really long run. I tend to wear pretty tough shoes that seem to take everyday wear for three years and counting. Those are what I would be wearing should the SHTF. But, you know, not everybody wears my kind of klunker shoe. I'd still be interested in thier survival even if my shoes lasted a few more years.

I'm doing the "end of the world" scenareo. No shoe will last more than a few years during rugged use. Do you know how to survive the long haul? I do in most regards. Except shoes.

Scientists estimate that the last ice age killed off all but about 10,000 people on the entire planet. What was the mean shoemaker density at that time?

reply to post by LifeIsPeculiar


OK, you were tabbed. Get involved in Rendezvous and you will be good to go after all the modern equivalents are no longer available.

Time for me to go throw the kiddies into the pool.

reply to post by Viking04


"OK, you were tabbed. Get involved in Rendezvous ..."

That does sound interesting. I bet I stink and cuss well enough to fit in.

I did find some boot/shoe making books through Amazon following a U2U book searching hint.

I'm just crazy like this. "Lucifer's Hammer" was inspiring. Thanks for your willing and friendly stream of good information. Go have fun.

reply to post by LifeIsPeculiar


We did have a good time. Glad to be of assistance.

reply to post by LifeIsPeculiar


I don't know about mocasins, but if you are caught short in the bush, a couple of bits of thick bark tied on to the soles of your feet with some stringy type of bark, or vines (woven or platted into a string) wors fairly well. They are fairly quick to make (about an hour each 'shoe') They do wear out much quicker than your average shoe, but you can get a week or two out of each pair, (depending on the thickness of bark and how far you walk,) particularly if the twine is put through the bark s it wraps up around the foot (so you are not walking over the twine). Sort of looks a bit like wrap around sandals. For more comfort, you could line it with animal skin. I've never made the skin lined ones, but the others work OK. It beats bare feet anyway.

HINT - stick some soft mulch or something (skin or hide if you have it) underneath the tie twine, otherwise it may rub blisters on the top of your foot, where you tie the twine, until it softens

It's quite common in poorer areas of the Middle East (among others) to make shoes/sandles from cut-down car tyres and string. It can be combined with some random cloth tied in place when the weather gets a bit nippy.

We can learn a lot from poorer societies such as those in rural Iraq, simply because they don't come from the throw away society we do. Everything can be used for something else when you need to.