Mukluk

Ceremonial kamik boots worn by women in Greenland during special occasions.

Mukluks or Kamik (ᑲᒥᒃ [kaˈmik]^[1]) (singular: kamak, plural: kamiit) are a soft boot traditionally made of reindeer (caribou) skin or sealskin and were originally worn by Arctic aboriginal people, including the Inuit and Yupik. The term mukluk is often used for any soft boot designed for cold weather and modern designs are often similar to high-top athletic shoes. The word "mukluk" is of Yupik origin, from maklak, the bearded seal, while "kamik" is an Inuit word. In the Inuipiaq language the "u" makes an "oo" sound, and so the spelling "maklak" is used with the same pronunciation.

Sealskin kamik

Felt mukluks with deerskin foot

Another type of boot, sometimes called an Inuit boot, originating in Greenland and the eastern part of Alaska, are made by binding them with animal cartilage and have a centre seam running down to the foot of the boot.

Mukluks weigh little and allow hunters to move very quietly. They may be adorned with pompons and beads and may be lined with furs such as rabbit, fox and raccoon.

The design of the mukluk is used for the industrial manufacture of cold-weather boots, especially paired with a rugged contemporary sole. The key component of its success is its ability to breathe, that is, to allow air exchange. This is an advantage in extremely cold conditions where perspiration may become a factor in frostbite on one's feet. The bulkiness paired with their poor performance in slush makes them less ideal for the casual winter wearer.^[2]

Another kind of mukluk, typically made out of wool or a wool-rayon blend, is knitted with a soft leather sole. Often called "Slipper Socks", these were the traditional mukluk worn by the people of the Hindu Kush Mountains.

References

Look up mukluk or kamik in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

↑ kamik Inuktitut Living Dictionary. Retrieved September 14, 2012, from link.
↑ John, Long (2000). The Complete Hiker. ISBN 0-07-135818-8.

Footwear

Men's dress shoes	Blucher Brogues Brothel creepers Derby Monks Oxfords Slip-ons (Loafers) Spectator shoes (Co-respondent shoes) Venetian-style shoes Winklepickers Wholecuts

Women's dress shoes	Ballet flats Court shoes High-heeled footwear Mary Janes Mojari Mules Peep-toe shoes Saddle shoes Slingbacks Slip-ons (Loafers) Venetian-style shoes Winklepickers

Other shoes	Driving moccasins Flip-flops Galoshes Platform shoes Sandals Self-tying shoes Slides Slippers Veldskoens

Wooden footwear	Bakya British clogs Cantabrian albarcas Clogs Getas Klompen Namaksin Padukas Pattens Sabot Träskor

Military footwear	Ammunition boots Bunny boots Combat boots Jackboots Jump boots Jungle boots Tanker boots Trench boots

Sport-related footwear	Athletic shoes Ballet shoes Boat shoes Climbing shoes Cross country running shoes Cycling shoes Football boots Hiking boots Ice skates Inline skates Jika-tabi Kung fu shoe Minimalist shoes Motorcycle boots Mountaineering boots Plimsolls Racing flats Riding boots Roller shoes Roller skates Safari boots Skate shoes Ski boots Swimfins Water shoes Wrestling shoes

Fashion boots	Chelsea boots (Beatle boots) Chukka boots Go-go boots Knee-high boots Over-the-knee boots Platform boots Thigh-high boots Ugg boots

Work boots	Australian work boots Cowboy boots Engineer boots Hip boots Rigger boots Steel-toe boots Waders

Other boots	Jodhpur boots Wellington boots

Traditional footwear	Abacas Abarkas Alpargatas Avarcas Balghas Bast shoes Clogs Espadrilles Galesh Giveh Haferlschuh Hnyat-phanats Huarache (shoe) Hwas Jorabs Moccasins Mojaris Mukluks Opanaks Peshawari chappals Snowshoes Valenkis Warajis Kolhapuri chappals

Historical footwear	Areni-1 shoes Buskins Caligae Chopines Crakow (Poulaine) Hessians Pampooties Pirate boots Sabatons

Shoe construction	Bespoke shoes Blake construction Goodyear welt

Lists	List of shoe styles

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/14/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.

Mukluk

See also

References