Sheepskin Moccasins - New Design

Warranty and Return Policy

100 Year Warranty

These sheepskin slippers come with a 100 Year Warranty on defects in Materials and Workmanship. That means, if we did something wrong in manufacturing them or we made them with defective materials, return them and we will take care of the issue, at no cost to you.

Natural Wear and Tear

Just like natural wear on brake pads, tires and windshield wipers are not included in a car warranty, so it is with our natural sheepskin slippers. All sheepskin slippers eventually develop a bald spot at the heel. Even rocks wear and so eventually will all leather soles and thread. Depending on how you walk and wear your slippers, a thread may fray here and there. This is not a defect and is easily fixed by touching the thread quickly with a flame. Immediately when it balls up, spit on your finger and press it down to flatten it.

90 Day Return Window in Unused Condition

You have 90 days to return them. But you have to return them in new condition. We have to be able to put them back on the shelf to sell again, so the bottoms can't be scuffed or the sheepskin packed out.

Returns for Fit and Comfort

Please try them on when standing on a rug or blanket. Don't walk around on hard surfaces that will scuff up the bottom, but please don't wear them on hard surfaces as you are checking the fit. If they don't work for you, then just send them back in new condition. They should be snug because the sheepskin still has to pack out after about 3 or 4 hours of wear.

The nature of shoes and slippers is such that we can't put them back on the shelf to sell again once they've been worn and returned. They can't look used. Some people feel that buying worn slippers is like buying used underwear. If 25% of people bought a pair to try out and decided they didn't like them after a day or two, then it would not be good business for us and we would have to either double the price or stop selling them.

What to Expect for Breaking In

Once broken in, don't be surprised if you want to wear them to church and forget to take them off when you hop in bed.

Sheepskin Break In Period

They're snug to start, but the sheepskin "packs out" and gets nice and casual loose after four hours of wear.

Leather Break In Period

If your feet are really wide, then you can get the leather on the top of the toe box very wet with a rag over and over again for about 5 minutes. Let it soak in thoroughly and then wear the slippers for one hour.

Muscle Density

If you're used to foot and ankle weakening soft squooshy slippers filled with padding, then it may take a couple few weeks for your muscle density to adjust back to normal. The layers of leather and sheepskin are plenty.

Do These Have Arch Support?

Absolutely not!!! Walking barefoot strengthens the arches because they get to extend and contract with every step and so these barefoot sheepskin slippers are the next best thing. Arch support keeps arches fixed in one place, so they stay weak from inactivity.

What Materials Are Used to Make These Sheepskin Slippers?

• 100% Dense Colorado Raised - Texas Tanned Shearling from Heel to Toe (Shearling is when wool is still attached to the sheep's hide. Sheepskin is wool shaved off and glued to a chemical based pad. Some brands say made "WITH" real genuine sheepskin, but that is only where you can see and synthetic everywhere else.)
• 100% Soft and Tough Full Grain Leather uppers that age beautifully
• 100% Thick Vegetable Tanned Indoor/Outdoor leather outsole, insole and heel

How Can These Sheepskin Slippers Strengthen Feet?

The way you strengthen feet is the same way you strengthen a healed up broken arm. You take the cast off and let it extend and contract the way it was designed to.

Our barefoot sheepskin slipper design helps strengthen and keep feet strong. Weak feet are the root cause of most foot, ankle, calf, knee, hamstring, hip and lower back pain, according to all medical science. Our slippers can't fix all of those problems but they can help get the feet back to better health and natural alignment again.

Not so strangely, barefoot cultures don't have all of the pain problems that shod cultures have because their feet stay strong from walking naturally. Our sheepskin slippers and moccasins, as well as our Italian made shoes and boots, make your feet walk like they do when they are barefoot.

These sheepskin slippers are based on the critical features Dr. Munson (strangely, a relative of mine. I'm Dave Munson) outlined in his famous 1912 book The Soldier's Foot and the Military Shoe. For 4 years, they studied the biomechanics of the feet of thousands of soldiers, marching with different shaped boots, and then created the Munson last (shoe form) that was comfortable for all day marching.

The new boots strengthened the feet and eliminated almost every single problem the soldiers were having with their feet. The military used the Munson last and the biomechanic principles to make all boots from 1912 to 1970 for hundreds of millions of U.S. soldiers.

Foot Strengthening Features

The whole barefoot shoe movement for healthy feet and body alignment is based on the following principles:

• Wide Toe Box - If feet and toes can't spread out with each step (up to ½"), the foot weakens and the second toe gets pushed out to be longer than the great toe.
• Straight Inner Line - Straight big toes should be in line with the foot bones to keep the arch strong. If the big toe bends too much toward the second toe, it stretches and weakens the arch ligament.
• Absolutely ZERO Arch Support - Arch support causes arch muscles, tendons and ligaments to weaken because they can't extend and contract with every step.
• Minimal 5mm Heel - It's amazing how raising the heel makes it effortless to keep the foot forward in the slipper and walk naturally. It also helps to not slip in the grass. Dr. Munson says to not have a heel over a 20mm height difference from the ball of the foot.
• No Foot Weakening Padding - Leather and sheepskin are all the shock absorbing padding you need. Soft cushy padding makes for soft cushy ankles and feet by lowering muscle density and changing muscle load. Feet adjust to normal in a couple of weeks.

What Was Upgraded in This Redesign?

This is the 4th redesign of an already very nice sheepskin slipper. Each time I improved them from the last. I made these 6 changes to our sheepskin slippers and moccasins.

Indoor/Outdoor Sole Is More Grippy

The new sole provides better traction on a variety of surfaces while still maintaining the comfort and flexibility you expect.

Almost Hands Free On and Off

I redesigned the foot hole of the sheepskin moccasins to be larger and with a flexible tongue so they're WAY easier to slip on, even hands free for some.

Roomier

I made the toe box a tad longer, a little wider to account for wider feet.

More Sheepskin

I redesigned the sheepskin slipper and moccasin to have more sheepskin around the edges for aesthetics and to keep the edges super comfy as they wear.

First Anatomically Shaped Barefoot Sheepskin Slipper We Know Of

Designed so the foot is free like it is when barefoot. The toe box is wider and the inside line of the shoe lets the big toe stay straight in line with the bones of the foot instead of pushing it in toward the second toe. It was designed around the principles of the Munson last and therefore helps strengthen the feet of the wearer. Some people call it a barefoot slipper.

Removed Synthetic Padding

I said our last sheepskin slippers were 95% biodegradable because I had a sliver of high quality Poron padding under the heel. But I removed it because it was causing my slippers to stink a little. And since I had been wearing my own high quality shoes that didn't have padding, my muscle density has increased and my feet and ankles have strengthened. They feel great without padding.

Slight Heel for Traction and Shock Absorption

I used to put a 3mm synthetic pad between the sole and sheepskin, but I replaced that with a 5mm shock absorbing leather heel that also helps to keep from slipping on the grass.

Why Are Your Sheepskin Slippers So Expensive and Theirs So Cheap?

Uninformed people ask me, "Why are your sheepskin slippers so expensive compared to theirs?" and I tell them, "You're asking the wrong question. You should ask, 'Why are theirs so cheap?'"

Prepare to become an informed expert so you stop wasting so much money on low quality sheepskin slippers for the rest of your life.

I am exposing all of the low quality, corner cutting and deceptive tricks they play to manufacture, market and sell their low quality sheepskin slippers for so cheap compared to our straightforward old fashioned high quality ways. If it is not a good deal for the buyer, the seller, the makers and for our planet, then it's not a good deal for anyone. Sadly, they only want it to be a good deal for themselves.

Tricks #1, #2, #3 - Fake, Partial, Low Grade or Glued on Sheepskin

Sheepskin is the generic term for the wool fibers from a sheep. When the wool is still naturally attached to the sheep's skin, that is called Shearling. When it's been shaved off of the skin, it's just called Sheepskin.

Our Key to High Quality Sheepskin Slippers

We exclusively use the highest grade of Merino shearling because of its density, softness and durability. 100% of our sheepskin is this with no faux anywhere on the slipper.

• Benefit 1: Naturally thermostatic - wool fibers adjust to body temperature and regulates for all year wear.
• Benefit 2: The sheep's skin absorbs moisture and helps it pass through to the other side.
• Benefit 3: The skin of the sheep slowly indents to the form of your feet for more comfort.
• Benefit 4: All leather is antibacterial so it is hard for it to ever stink.
• Benefit 5: Sheepskin is hypoallergenic for no contact allergies or rashes.
• Benefit 6: Skin of sheep breathes and so wicks moisture away from the skin.
• Benefit 7: The wool fibers stay attached far longer.

Trick #1 - Sheepskin Carpet

It's much cheaper to shear sheep or shave the shearling manufacturing scraps and then make a low quality wool carpet by gluing the wool to a synthetic pad.

• Problem 1: It is not as durable.
• Problem 2: The synthetic pads reflect moisture and body heat and make the feet hot and sweaty.
• Problem 3: Bacteria is what stinks because it grows on those synthetic pads.

Trick #2 - Made "WITH" Sheepskin

They put a little sheepskin where you can see it and then stick faux fake polyester sheepskin where the sun don't shine, on the inside of the slipper. They can now technically say, "Made WITH high quality sheepskin". To test if it is sheepskin or not, pull off a few fibers and burn them. If they ball up then they are synthetic. If they turn to ash then they are real genuine sheepskin slippers. Did you know that leather seats in most fancy cars are only 35% leather and 65% vinyl?

Trick #3 - Full Petrochemical Synthetic Vegan "Sheepskin"

They try to give the faux sheepskin some luxurious name, but it's just a way to save almost 100% on their sheepskin costs.

• Problem 1: Stinky from the bacteria growth. Not antibacterial.
• Problem 2: Contact allergies and skin conditions arise from contact to many chemical compounds like this. Not hypoallergenic.
• Problem 3: Try putting your foot in a plastic bag versus putting it in a linen bag. The more synthetic, the more sweat. The more sweat, the more bacteria. The more bacteria, the more stink.
• Problem 4: Falls apart sooner than shearling.
• Problem 5: Does not insulate very well.

Tricks #4, #5, #6 - Upper Body of Sheepskin Slipper

NOTE: A decent quality natural sheepskin slipper is when they take the shearling hide that still has the hair on it and turn it inside out so the suedy inside of the hide is facing out and the wool is against the skin. This isn't a bad thing, but the skin is very absorbent and stains and looks bad quickly.

Our upper is 100% full grain leather, which is the holy grail of leather grades. It still has the full amount of the leather's tight grain fibers on top. It is the toughest leather you can buy.

• Benefit 1: Very insulative against cold AND heat
• Benefit 2: Doesn't stain easily
• Benefit 3: Easy to clean
• Benefit 4: Doesn't stretch much
• Benefit 5: Long lasting
• Benefit 6: Biodegradable
• Benefit 7: Breathable
• Benefit 8: Antibacterial
• Benefit 9: Gets better looking with age

Trick #4 - "Genuine" Leather

Genuine is the technical name for weak suede or split leather that has been mechanically separated from the strong and tight fibered full grain top half of the hide. It is so cheap because it is the most stain absorbing, hard to clean weakest part of the leather and so stretches out a lot over time.

• Problem 1: Stains quickly
• Problem 2: Hard to clean
• Problem 3: Gets ugly in a hurry
• Problem 4: Falls apart quickly
• Problem 5: Stretches out of shape

Trick #5 - Made "WITH" Full Grain Leather

As long as one square inch of leather is full grain, then technically it was made "WITH" full grain leather while the rest of the sheepskin slipper is made with a crap look-a-like synthetic or genuine leather.

Trick #6 - Full Synthetic Vegan "Leather"

It is a sheet of vinyl polyurethane coated with a thin layer of some sort of plasticized natural coating. Sometimes it is a faux suede called microfiber.

• Problem 1: Peels and gets ugly in a hurry
• Problem 2: Takes 200 years of leaching chemicals into the water table for it to decompose
• Problem 3: Falls apart quickly
• Problem 4: Causes feet to sweat

Trick #7 - Cheap EVA or TPU Soles

The 4 types of soles used on sheepskin slippers, with supplier's cost. Saddleback Leather uses long lasting and classic solid leather soles for our sheepskin slippers.

• $0.75 EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) - Lightweight and squooshy dense foam - Think Crocs
• $4 TPU (Thermoplastic PolyUrethane) - Dense plastic squeaky soles used on most sneakers
• $6 Natural Rubber - Clean and healthy sheet of natural rubber
• $12 Solid Sole Leather - Same sole used on all high quality expensive shoes and boots in the world and on our Italian made shoes and boots

We only use 100% natural thick leather.

• Benefit 1 - A Versatile Indoor/Outdoor Sole: Vegetable tanned leather soles are used on 100% of all high end boots and shoes today.
• Benefit 2 - A Great Insulating Sole: A solid leather sole is a great insulator against the cold or heat of stone, tile, asphalt, concrete or wood floors to maintain your foot temperature.
• Benefit 3 - A Relaxing Sole: You're not playing racquetball, you're relaxing at home. So you want enough grip for safety, but not so much that you can't casually shuffle, slide and spin your feet without exerting that little extra bit of energy to constantly raise grippy soles off the ground to move.
• Benefit 4 - A Comfortable Sole: If the sole is too rigid and doesn't give when you squat down, then the upper will stretch. If it is too soft and floppy, then it won't last as long. Solid vegetable tanned leather is my favorite sole because it softens, flexes, forms to your heel and toe imprints and lasts for years.
• Problem 1 - Leaches Chemicals Into the Body: The sole of the foot is the gateway to the body and TPU (Thermoplastic PolyUrethane) and EVA foam soles (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) are lightweight and comfy, but are made of toxic hormone blocking phthalates, plasticizers, artificial dyes and colorants that can be contaminated with lead. All of these chemicals get hot and steamy on the feet and can absorb straight into the bloodstream just like essential oils do.
• Problem 2 - Weakens and Misaligns the Body: Weakens feet and ankles in two ways that put the knees, hips and back out of alignment and cause painful damage.
• Creates Arch Support that Weakens the Arch: Imagine your foot in a cast for a year. It would get weak and skinny because of not moving. That happens when foam soles eventually compress everywhere but under the arch. That creates arch support, which everybody knows is death to the body. The arch can no longer exercise by extending and contracting with each step and so gets weak.
• Redistributes the Heavy Lifting to Weak Areas: Squooshy padding almost evenly distributes the hard work of supporting and balancing the body from the strong areas of the foot, that God designed to support about 80% of the weight, to the weaker areas of the foot that weren't designed to do that hard work.

Trick #8 - Quick to Make Unhealthy Shape

The shape of the slipper is so important for your body. Our sheepskin slippers, shoes and boots are expensively formed around the natural anatomical shape of the foot so your feet move like they do when you are barefoot instead of shaping the slipper so the foot has to form to that easy to make shape. We follow Dr. Edward Lyman Munson's biomechanical principles for foot health, upon which hundreds of millions of military boots were made on. The entire barefoot and minimalist movement has been designed this way too.

• Benefit 1: A straight inner line so the big toe doesn't bend in toward the second toe. Corrects bunions
• Benefit 2: A wide toe box so the toes can spread out which corrects bunions
• Benefit 3: ABSOLUTELY no arch support so the arch can exercise and strengthen
• Benefit 4: A minimal heel for achilles tendon health
• Problem 1: Poorly shaped shoes and slippers are faster to manufacture (time is money) because the machine that forms the upper requires a symmetrical rounded toe that bends in the great toe and pinky toe out of straight alignment with the foot bones and weakens the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the arch. This is the root cause of most bunions, plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis, hamstring pulls, shin splints, knee, hip and back pain.
• Problem 2: A wider toe box is key to letting the toes spread out like they do naturally, but that makes the slipper use more raw material and that takes away more profit on one million pairs.

Trick #9 - Unbelievably Cheap Labor

• Benefit 1: Our employees. Saddleback Leather has a fully English K-12 school by our factory and we offer parenting, marriage, Bible and financial classes, along with counseling for our employees. Would we spend our own profit on our people if we loved money as much as they do?
• Benefit 2: You are proud. When you wear our slippers, they make you feel proud.

When you don't have to pay much for labor, you get more money in your pocket.

• Problem 1 - Forced Labor: Labor costs are VERY low in certain countries because they pay normal wages to some workers and the government sends slaves to the factory through their "Re-Education" program to make their prices too good to pass up for money hungry fashion brands. You laugh, but they have an estimated 9 million slaves and India has an estimated 18 million slaves. If you say you're against slavery, then start buying high quality and stop buying products made in the countries who use slaves. They may not be fully slave made, but slaves are usually somewhere in the supply chain.
• Problem 2 - They Can't Be Trusted: They love money and power more than people. That's why they'll hurt others. That's why they can't be trusted.

Trick #10 - Cheap Nylon Thread

Nylon deteriorates fairly quickly and is only half the price of Saddleback's industrial strength Polyester thread for a reason.

Why We Don't Wholesale to Stores - We Sell Direct To The Customer

We could wholesale our sheepskin slippers to stores and let the store sell them to you, but at our high cost of materials, the price would be too high. So, we would have to lower our costs, which would mean we would have to lower the quality in order to sell so many. But we would sell WAY WAY more and make a killing. But we choose to keep our quality excessively high and sell fewer. It doesn't make business sense but it makes you and me happy. And happiness is why we are in business.

• Materials = All leather, lining, sheepskin, thread, glue.
• Direct Labor = Everyone at the factory who physically touches and makes the product.
• Overhead = Indirect Labor + Monthly Expenses
• Indirect Labor = Everyone in the business who does not physically touch or make the product. Managers, engineers, designers, maintenance, cleaning etc.
• Monthly Expenses = Everything to run the business like rent, electricity, printer paper, water, insurance, maintenance etc.

General rule of thumb for pricing. Everyone doubles their cost/price (Keystone Pricing). We wholesale sheepskin slippers one pair at a time.

$79 Sheepskin Slipper in Stores - True Cost

Factory makes it for $15 and sells to the designer for $20 ($6 materials, $10 labor and overhead, $4 profit). Designer wholesales to stores for $40. Stores sell millions to consumers for $79.

$160 Sheepskin Slipper in Stores - True Cost

Factory makes it for $30 and sells it to the designer for $40 ($10 of materials, $20 labor and overhead, $10 of profit). Designer wholesales it to stores for $80 and stores sell tens of thousands to consumers for $160.

$149 Saddleback Sheepskin Slipper - True Cost

Factory makes it for $72 ($40 material, $20 labor and overhead, $12 profit) Saddleback Leather sells hundreds direct to the consumer for $149. If we wholesaled our sheepskin slippers to stores, we would sell more volume, but they would need to sell them at $380 or we would need to somehow lower the quality of materials and cost of labor.

How to Clean and Care for Sheepskin Slippers

If you don't own all natural Sheepskin Slippers, then your slippers are going to stink because bacteria is what stinks and bacteria grows on synthetics and faux vegan materials.

Rule 1, 2 and 3: NEVER MACHINE WASH OR DRY

How To Clean Sheepskin Slippers of Stink or Dirt

Always rinse your feet off before wearing your sheepskin slippers. They could stink if your feet already stink when you slip them in. If something or someone really bad happened to them, here's how to clean Sheepskin Slippers.

• Light Stink - Sprinkle baking soda inside and leave them for 24 hours. Then vacuum it out.
• Medium Stink - Sprinkle baking soda inside and leave in the freezer for 48 hours.
• High Stink - Lightly dampen the sheepskin and then lightly shampoo it. DO NOT use detergents. Stuff an absorbent towel in there and step on it for 10 seconds. Turn the towel to a dry spot and do it again. DO NOT try to dry it quickly in the sun, by the fire or with a blow dryer. Let it dry at room temperature in a place with good airflow or with a fan on it.

Soaking Wet

If you really messed up and they are completely soaked, DO NOT try to dry them quickly because they will shrink and distort. DO NOT put them in the sun or near the fire. Here are 4 things you can do:

• Let them dry at room temperature.
• Have a fan blow on them at room temperature.
• To get water out faster, put them into the freezer and brush off ice crystals over and over again when it freezes. This also works to dry wet books.
• Put hot rocks inside of them over and over again until they're dry.

How to Clean Leather Outside

Gently wipe with a damp cloth. Saddleback uses full grain leather so it pretty much laughs at water. Chamberlain's Leather Milk is a nice option for annual conditioning. Let them dry at room temperature, not in direct sunlight or near a fire.

Suede Cleaning and Maintenance

Suede sheepskin slipper uppers stain easily and are not easy to clean. Full grain leather is easy to clean, resists staining and water doesn't bother it. It should be conditioned every year or two though. Sheepskin is antibacterial and so doesn't need to be cleaned often. Spot cleaning with shampoo or letting baking soda sit on and in it for 24 hours usually does the trick. Faux sheepskin or synthetics need to be cleaned more often because bacteria grows and multiplies on it and makes them stink. You may clean the sheepskin, but it's the padding beneath it or the synthetic sheepskin on the inside that grows the bacteria.

What Is So Amazing About Sheepskin?

"Sheepskin is a natural pelt that features sueded leather on one side and soft, plush wool on the other. Lightweight and luxuriously supple, sheepskin is one of nature's greatest sources of insulation. Its soft wool fibers are naturally thermostatic, wicking away moisture for year-round comfort and breathability. Shearling is simply sheepskin with the wool shorn slightly to create a uniform look and feel."

Sheepskin is one of God's engineering marvels and that is why it is used for high end racing seat covers, medical bed covers to protect against bed sores, and great for our all year 'round slippers and moccasins.

• Its soft wool fibers are naturally thermostatic - they adjust to body temperatures and so regulate it for all year wear (not too hot or too cold).
• The wool fiber micro-structure allows airflow (not sweaty).
• It wicks away moisture from skin (not sweaty).
• It is hypoallergenic (no contact skin allergies).
• It is antibacterial (doesn't grow stinky bacteria).

Sheepskin vs Shearling

• Sheepskin is the generic term for the wooly pelt of a sheep.
• Shearling is when the wool fibers are still attached to the hide of the sheep.
• Sheepskin is when the wool fibers were shaved off and woven or glued onto a synthetic mat.