a b c d e f g h John Tyman. "Winter Clothing (III.1: INUIT CLOTHING/SHELTER)". INUIT ~ People of the Arctic. Three-layer winter footwear system. Left to right, short inner slipper, inner (fur inwards), outer (fur outwards). Related boots [ edit ] Testing slippers meant hours of changing one out for another. We alternated many, many times to get the best possible comparisons.

Usually, the uppers of summer kamik are made from ringed seal skin, while the soles are made of bearded seal skin, which is tougher. [11] Winter kamik are often made of caribou leg fur; caribou, unlike seals, rely on fur rather than blubber for insulation, so their fur is warmer. [4] [11] Mukluks may be worn over an inner boot liner and under a protective overshoe. [4] [5] The term mukluk is often used for any soft boot designed for cold weather, and modern designs may use both traditional and modern materials. [6] The word mukluk is of Yup'ik origin, from maklak, the bearded seal, while kamik is an Inuit word. Mukluks are often made with a wrapped sole, so that the seam around the sole is on the top and sides of the boot, not on the bottom edge. This helps avoid leaks, and wear and tear on the seams.As mukluks are soft-soled, and flex with the feet, they allow hunters to move very quietly. A wearer can run, tip-toe, and even dance in mukluks. They are also designed for use in the tundra. [6] Issenman, Betty Kobayashi; Rankin, Catherine (1988b). Ivalu: Traditions Of Inuit Clothing. Montréal: McCord Museum of Canadian History. ISBN 0-7717-0182-9. OCLC 17871781.

Kamiks made for cold, dry winter weather may have fur low down on the outside, and other features that would be a problem when not on dry, powdery snow. Kamiks for warm, slushy, muddy, or open-ocean conditions are finely stitched from waterproof sealskin (see illustration above). [11] Mukluks weigh little. While, for instance, U.S. Marine extreme-cold-weather boots weigh 3.6 kilograms (8lb), soft-soled boots made using modern materials weigh less than a tenth of that. [7] Lighter shoes also allow for more efficient running. [8] [9] Care [ edit ] Drying summer kaamit, Pangnirtuuq, Nunavut, 1951

ecological

Because mukluks weigh little, there is no need for heavy lacing; friction is enough to hold them on the foot. Some mukluks are very lightly laced (through external loops sewn into the seams, so as not to leak). They may be laced over the arch of the foot, or around the top of the boot to stiffen it. Many, however, are designed without lacing, to avoid constricting the circulation and making the foot cold. The top of the boot stands up somewhat stiffly, and may be open at the top, which allows moisture to escape. a b c d e f John Tyman. "Summer Clothing (III.2: INUIT CLOTHING/SHELTER)". INUIT ~ People of the Arctic.