new boots to go with my kilt

[duffy]

i bought some handmade elk skin moccasin boots to wear to festival. they are all elk skin leather laced together with sinew. they are super comfortable and have a sheepskin innersole. should i keep the fringes or chop them off?? what do you think?

[Lady Toadflinger]

I say chop 'em off! I've been trying to get my husband to cut the fringe off his boots for a long time now.  I always think that type of boots with fringe look too much like mountain man boots. ( this is just my opinion , though )

[Scotsman]

Keep em ... they look like Mountain man boots 

Or as the Scots say ... Highland boots

[Kate XXXXXX]

Do both.  Keep the fringes until you get tired of them/they get tatty, THEN chop 'em off.

Mmmm...  Hairy knees!

[duffy]

if i push the boots down a little and let them crinkle they look better. plus then you get to see more of my hairy knees

[Cormac]

I have a similar boot and took them off.  It just didn't work for me.

[groomporter]

Strictly speaking fringe is supposedly more of a colonial/fur trade thing, but leave it if you want.

Supposedly the fringe on buckskins helped break up your silhouette when stalking through the woods.

[Zaubon]

...
Supposedly the fringe on buckskins helped break up your silhouette when stalking through the woods.

Not trying to start an argument, but whne I was growing up in northern Michigan the old timers told me the fringe was there to help shed water away from your body and break up the sound of the water running off. I don't know, I don't play outside in the woods like that anymore. Specially when it's raining.     

[groomporter]

Yeah I've heard people claim that as well

[Jack Daw at Work]

As my persoal preference, I would cut them off to be more period accurate.  Whatever you decide to do, they are handsome boots!

[duffy]

the only thing that was stopping me from cutting them was they are beautiful boots. i had the urge to cut them today and did so before the urge passed. they look much better without the fringes. i also think they look better scrunched down a bit so more leg shows. will try to get a picture for yah.

[duffy]

here they are chopped and scrunched with my garb.

[Jack Daw at Work]

They look goo-ood!

[Lady Toadflinger]

Huzzah!!

[Taffy Saltwater]

Much mo bettah - congrats & Huzzah for new boots!