So, I Got Cold Feet.

You know i've never been, what a lot of people would refer to as, cold natured. I have often credited the longevity of my marriage, due to Donner being a "cover hog". The truth be told, if i lived alone, about all you'd find on my bed would be a bottom sheet and a quilt for me to sleep against. There would probably be an inordinate number of pillows as well. So, i find it odd my feet should be cold most of the time since the move to Amarillo.

I would be remiss if i didn't lay it right out that i just don't like shoes. The first thing i lose when i walk in the door are my shoes and i only put them on when i need to. As far as house shoes go, i've found them to be less than ideal. For instance, they make my feet sweat. Sweaty feet + time = smelly shoes. Smelly shoes just don't work for me. I have two teenage boys and i just don't abide smelly anything, least of all; shoes. However, i did need something for my cold feet.

I remember when i was serving in the Army, i wore chanklas (flip-flops) or moccasins in the barracks. So, i thought i'd go to the Tandy store and by me a moccasin kit. Easy Peasy, no more coldy feetsy. Much to my dismay, a moccasin kit from Tandy is about fifty dollars here in Amarillo. That annoyed me greatly. I had something in the twenty dollar range in mind. Well, i have a whole bunch of leather here around the house and the pattern for moccasins was ten bucks. The solution was clear. I bought the pattern and enlarged it and did all of the work myself. You know, kind of a skip the middle man type of thing.

Well in true Truculent style, a plain pair of black moccasins just wasn't good enough.
I put my brain to work and thought i'd make the cuff and the toe out of patent leather and add a couple tassels just for grins. That plan was all fine and good until i noticed Tandy had small stingray skins on sale for twenty bucks. So, my next idea, and probably my favorite, was to make them with patent leather cuffs and just the black beaded part of the stingray. Well, when i got the skins home, it became painfully evident i didn't have enough skin to make them that way. As they say, the eyes have it. So, what you see in the picture is what i came up with. stingray toes, patent leather cuffs and tassels and 4-6oz black bull hide for the shoe itself. I still wasn't done. I didn't like the way white insoles looked in them. I thought they needed some sprucing up as well, so i used this muted green paisley and some anti-microbial foam for insoles. What i ended up with is definitely a one of a kind pair of mocs.

Just in case you haven't been keeping score, i still ended up paying about fifty bucks for my house shoes. On the bright side though, they are uniquely mine.

As an aside to my house shoe shenanigans, This has been a long week filled with reflection and prayer. This post is for Gus, Lupe, Johnny, and Trey.

Until i see you again, Peace be with you

Dave