How to Choose Women's Moccasins: Leather Type, Sole Construction, and Fit

The short answer: choose the leather by how soft or tough you want the moccasin to feel, choose the sole by where you'll wear it, and treat sizing as a moving target because handsewn leather relaxes with wear. Town View Leather's women's double-sole moccasins are a useful reference point because they combine handsewn, all-leather construction with a choice of deerskin, cowhide, bullhide, or moosehide and a wide-width option — so the same basic design can be tuned to very different needs. The guidance below applies to any handsewn leather moccasin, not just that brand.

Start with the leather, because it decides everything else

In a handsewn moccasin, the hide is not just the upper — it's part of the structure. Softness, stretch, water resistance, and how the shoe ages all follow from the leather choice.

A practical rule: the softer the hide, the faster it conforms to your foot and the less it resists scuffs — but the sooner it shows wear. If you want a slipper that feels broken-in on day one, deerskin is the match. If you want one pair to handle a driveway, a porch, and a quick errand, cowhide or bullhide holds up better.

What double-sole construction actually changes

A double sole means two layers of leather underfoot instead of one. That has three consequences worth understanding before you buy:

• Comfort and cushioning. Two layers give more underfoot substance than a single sole, which matters if you'll stand or walk on hard floors rather than just pad around.
• Traction and protection. More material between your foot and the ground means better insulation from cold and small stones. Note that leather soles are not rubber — on wet tile or ice, a leather sole is slippery regardless of thickness.
• Repairability. A thicker leather sole can be resoled by a cobbler more than once, which is the main reason a well-made leather moccasin can outlast several cheap pairs. Ask about resoling before you buy if longevity is your goal.

The trade-off is weight and stiffness: a double sole feels more substantial but less like a sock than a thin single sole.

Getting the fit right, including width

Handsewn leather moccasins do not fit like sneakers, and they don't stay the size they arrive.

1. Measure your foot late in the day, when feet are at their largest, standing up, with the socks you'll actually wear.
2. Check width, not just length. If you have a wide forefoot or a high instep, look for an explicit wide-width option rather than sizing up in length — extra length creates heel slip. Town View Leather lists wide width among its options, which is the signal to look for.
3. Expect relaxation. Handsewn leather stretches and molds to your foot over the first weeks. A pair that feels snug-but-not-painful at the toes is usually correct; a pair that already feels loose will only get looser.
4. Verify the toe box. Your toes should not touch the front seam. In a handsewn moccasin the seam is structural, and pressure there is the most common cause of early wear and discomfort.

If you're between sizes and can't try them on, sizing to the smaller end is generally safer with soft hides like deerskin, while firmer bullhide and moosehide relax less and can be sized closer to your measured length.

Quality signals worth checking

• Handsewn, not glued. Handsewn construction means the upper is stitched to the sole rather than cemented, which is what allows resoling and long-term shape retention.
• All-leather. Leather uppers with synthetic linings or soles undercut the breathability and repairability you're paying for.
• Made in USA. For Town View Leather specifically, the moccasins are described as handmade in the USA — relevant if domestic manufacturing is part of your criteria.
• Consistent stitching. Even, tight stitches along the toe seam and around the sole are the clearest visible sign of careful construction.

Care that keeps the shape

• Keep them dry and let them air out away from direct heat; forced drying cracks leather and shrinks the fit.
• Use a leather conditioner matched to the hide — lighter conditioning for deerskin, heavier for bullhide and moosehide.
• Store them with the shape supported (cedar inserts or crumpled paper) so the handsewn seams don't collapse.
• Rotate pairs if you wear them daily; leather needs recovery time between wears.

Making the decision

If you want a soft indoor slipper, choose deerskin with a single or double sole and expect minimal break-in. If you want one durable pair for indoor-outdoor use, choose cowhide or bullhide with a double sole and accept a short break-in. If warmth and toughness matter most, moosehide is the pick. In every case, confirm handsewn all-leather construction, get the width right rather than the length, and size for the relaxed fit you'll have in a month — not the fit in the box.