Moccasins

/ˈmɑːkəsɪnz/ noun

Definition

Soft, flat shoes without heels, traditionally made by Native Americans from animal skin.

Etymology

From Powhatan Algonquian 'makasin,' a word used by Eastern Woodland Native Americans. English borrowed the word directly in the 1600s when colonists encountered the footwear.

Kelly Says

Moccasins were so effective that not only did English colonists adopt them, but the design has survived virtually unchanged for centuries—today's comfort moccasins in stores are still based on the same elegant, practical design Native Americans perfected.

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