How to Make Pampooties: Old European Deerskin Slippers

Pampooties are a pucker shoe with pointed toes, made from one piece of deerskin or elk hide, and seams sewn with sinew. These leather slippers are cute, comfortable, and simple to make.

In the old country, making pampootie slippers entailed wrapping salted, raw deerskin, with the hair on, around the feet until it dried. Nowadays that won't go over very well, so this is a modern version of those old deerskin slippers. This design can be made from tanned deerskin or any other soft leather. The slippers shown here are handcrafted from elk hide and have laces added around the ankles for style.

Tools required for making soft leather slippers

1. Tissue paper
2. Marker
3. Ruler
4. Deerskin or other soft leather
5. Sharp utility knife
6. Hole punch or awl
7. Two needles
8. Imitation sinew

Pampooties Pattern

Place the foot flat on the tissue paper and draw around it. Measure the width across the widest part, and add half on both sides, following the shape of the foot.

Draw a straight line perpendicular to the toes one inch past the toes. Draw a parallel line at the base of the heel.

Cut out the pattern, then put your foot back on it and bring the straight edges behind the heel together. Mark five holes down from the top.

Now fold the paper over the toes so the edges meet and make a point in the front. Starting at the point, mark six holes for the top seam. Mark 15 more holes one-half inch apart on both sides toward the ankle. The exact number will need to be adjusted according to foot size.

Cut the laces before cutting out your leather slippers. They should be at least 40-inches long. Now place the pattern on the flesh side ("suede" side) of the leather and tape it to the leather with small pieces of masking tape.

Mark your holes on the leather with the marker or the awl. To stabilize the leather where the cut will be, apply masking tape along the edges on the suede side. Carefully cut thorugh leather and tape with a very sharp utility knife. Peel off the masking tape. Punch holes with an awl or leather punch.

Using a two-needle whip stitch, sew the back seam crossing the sinew like an 'X', from the ankle down. Tuck the unstitched part under the seam. You can punch two small holes and tack the flap to the seam.

Use the same stitch for the top, starting at the pointy toe. Tie a knot after the sixth hole. Loop the sinew over and under the 15 holes along the sides. This part will be gathered to shape the leather to the foot. Put your foot in the slipper and pull on the laces until the fit is snug, then loop the sinew through the last two holes a few times and tie it off. To add ankle laces, punch three holes on each side and attach.