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Story: Shearing

Making moccasins

  • Making moccasins, Step 1
  • Making moccasins, Step 2
  • Making moccasins, Step 3
  • Making moccasins, Step 4
  • Making moccasins, Step 5

Along with the legendary black singlet and woollen trousers, shearers usually wear soft moccasins on their feet to make it easy for them to move across the wooden floor. Traditionally, these were made out of a wool bale. Follow the stages in the making of a shearer’s moccasin.

Using this item

Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: AANR 6329 67 K676 - K680

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

Des Williams, Shearing – Modern shearing, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/18261/making-moccasins (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Des Williams, published 1 March 2009.