Waterproof Boots: The Modern Day Galoshes

Ancient cave sketches that date back to 13,000 B.C. show men and women wearing footwear that resemble boots. Historians believe that they were worn to protect the feet from the cold and the water that made life a challenge back in those days. About four thousand years ago some cultures made a moccasin style boot by attaching another piece of leather to the leg to keep the elements at bay, but since this primitive form of footwear was in pieces that had to be stitched to keep the boot together, the moisture and the cold would seeped in through the stitching holes.

The Inuit’s that crossed the Bering Sea to settle in North America and Alaska mimicked nature and created semi-waterproof boots. These native Americans used the paws and legs of bears and created seamless boots. They even kept the claws on for traction. The ancient Northern Japanese were creative enough to use deer skin to keep the water out and they were somewhat successful, but water seepage and the cold were still a daily issue. Caribou hides and sealskins and other animal hides were used to make boots, but since the hides were in pieces and had to be stitched the feet still got wet.

Seamless Waterproof boots were actually born in 1663 when a shoemaker named Nickolas Lestage duplicated the Inuit concept using tanned calf skin. He formed a waterproof boot on a last for King Louis XIV. The king made Lestage promise to keep his design secret and it remained a secret for over one hundred years.

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