Welcome back to the Gentleman’s Gazette! In today’s video we discuss Driving Mocs.
We discuss their history, why you should wear them, do’s and don’ts, what colors you
should go for and how you should combine them with your outfits.
Driving mocs as you know them today with the little knobs at the bottom are heavily influenced
by the original moccasin shoe that actually had a plain under sole. So first let’s discuss
moccasins. So what is a moccasin? Basically it is a soft leather shoe that has no heels
and no soles where it is made out of one piece of leather that is then reinforced with a
top vamp for a separate piece. It also features a hand sewn stitching that connects the bottom
piece of leather to the vamp. As you can imagine a single piece of leather that is soft is
not very durable and for that reason mocassins also came with an additional height of bison
leather which were much more suitable for stony grounds or to protect yourselves from
cacti or prairie grass. Moccasins are the quintessential Native American shoe and they
oftentimes have all kinds of embroidery that is very specific to the tribe.
Now other people gets moccasins confused with loafers. The basic difference is that loafers
constructed differently and even though they may have that hand seam on the vamp, they
have a separate leather sole and a heel. To learn more about loafers and all the intricacies,
please check out our in depth loafer guide here.
To understand the history of driving mocs you need to understand the history of Moccasins.
The moccasin likely arrived from Asia via the Bering Sea and it became really popular
as the classic Native American shoe. The word makasin means as much as shoe and of course
just like many things it has evolved overtime so you find many different little variations
but the mocassin will always have that one piece leather construction with a hand sewn
vamp stitching. So basically we already mentioned the hard leather soled style mocassin which
is made of two or more layers of leather and it was simply a more rugged version of the
soft leather moc. As you can see the soft leather moc is just one nice piece all around
and so it’s very easy to manufacture.
Traditionally, moccasins were made from deer skin, elk skin, moose or buffalo or whatever
was native at that time. On the other hand these soft moccasins are usually made out
of either elk or deer because they are a lot softer than bison or even cowhide. Over time
a little channel was added here on top which could be tightened up with a leather lace
which kept the mocassin closer on your foot. It’s a feature you sometimes see in Driving
Mocs today as well.
As you can see here the moccasin has a closed channel versus the Tod’s which has an open
channel. Even though the moccasin was a number one shoe in the US for centuries but the time
World War II rolled around it was more of an outdated shoe that was hardly seen anymore.
Basically, it was restricted to souvenir shops and resort towns. Fortunately after World War II
in 1946 the company Minnetonka Moccasins revived the shoe and today it’s a lot more
popular especially as driving mocs or as house shoes. To learn more about the vibrant history
of moccasins in Native American culture please check out our in depth guide on our website
here.
Today, most moccasins feature a double sole which makes them softer and even more durable
just like this one, you have one on the outside and then another one on the inside.
Now that you know more about the origins of the moccasin let’s discuss the driving moc.
They are called the Driving moc because they are super comfortable to drive. They have
very soft inner sole and that’s because it’s basically a leather sole that is pebbled
with rubber knobs and it just help you to make the shoe last longer while not losing
the flexibility, softness and sensitivity that you need when you drive. They are also
very unstructured and lack a toe cap or a heel cap which again makes them extremely comfortable.
At he same time they are not great to walk around because they are all loose and and
your heel will slip up, but when you drive that doesn’t matter. Technically, it’s
not a genuine moccasin but it was invented by an Italian Diego Della Vale and he came
up with the name Tod’s. He was part of a shoe making family and he saw a version in
Portugal in quite cheap leather and he took it as inspiration to create a different version
and today Tod’s is synonymous with driving mocs. Unlike a Goodyear welted shoe or even
a Blake stitch shoe, this shoe is very simple in its construction it has these knobs at
the bottom. It has an insole and a little rubber sole in between but that’s about
it. Unfortunately, you can’t repair this shoe because once the leather has a hole it’s
hard to fix. This version here is made in Italy and retails for $495 which in my opinion
is hopelessly overpriced. You simply pay for the name and for the original idea, but looking
at the leather and construction, it’s just not worth it. Some people get driving mocs
confused with boat shoes but they are actually quite different even though they have a similar
seam on the vamp. Most boat shoes feature a solid rubber sole versus driving mocs have
pebbled knobs or other kinds of sole options. To learn more about boat shoes and the difference
to driving mocs, please check out this guide here.
Because traditional pebbled sole wear so quickly, some companies came up with larger rubber
chunks at the sole that keeps it all quite flexible yet at the same time you get more
longevity out of your shoe. Different companies came up with different sole constructions
and it goes all the way from few rubber chunks to a all rubber sole to a mostly rubber sole.
At the end of the day, I prefer this version in the middle because it is a a lot more flexible
than an all rubber sole, yet it has basically the same longevity.
In terms of leathers, I really like soft leathers so deerskin is ideal but for a more casual
character I really like the suede leathers because they just scream casual, summer and
relaxed. Sometimes you can also see driving mocs made out of cowhide. They are a lot stiffer,
they are thicker and while they are harder wearing, I find them a lot less comfortable
especially when you’re driving which defeats the point because that is the ideal purpose
of that shoe. If you want a harder leather, go with a box calf and there are lots of other attractive
styles and you can learn more about them in our shoes guide here.
If you want the ultimate soft driving moc, I recommend to just go with a double deer version
because nothing is as soft as this one at the same time walking on them will probably
destroy them within a few weeks. So only wear them inside the car. They also make a great
house slipper if your floors are not too cold, otherwise the proximity to the floor will
make you have cold feet which is quite uncomfortable.
Next up let’s discuss the do’s and don’ts of Driving mocs. Do wear them for driving
that is what they are designed for and that’s where they’re best. Don’t use them to
walk around a lot especially not if you have the pebbled version or the all leather version
because you will destroy them quickly. I you have all rubber soles for some with more chunky
ones you can also use them for resort wear or to just run quick errands but over all
you should avoid running in them or walking around a lot or going sight seeing because
they will be uncomfortable your heel won’t have support, you’ll sweat in them and that’s
just not what they’re made for. Do wear them in the spring and summer or in warmer climates
with seersucker pants or chinos. You can also wear them with shorts and polo shirts. Always
bear in mind it’s a casual shoe and therefore you should have a casual character in your
entire outfit. Do not wear driving mocs with a suit or a jacket because it simply doesn’t
work together well. This is an informal shoe and there are lots of other formal shoes or
semi formal shoes that look a lot better with jackets or suits. If you wear them with shorts
or with pants this summer, I suggest to wear them without socks and just barefoot. However
if you’re in a car and you don’t want sweaty feet maybe a pair of socks is the way
to go. Lately, I have also seen the no-show socks which makes it look like you have no
socks on which could be an option or there are even inserts that you glue inside your
shoe but I haven’t tested them yet. Stay tuned for another video.
Do not wear driving mocs in colder climates, when its rainy or wet outside because of the
leather sole it won’t take long until you have wet feet. Do combine them with bright
colors because it’s a summer shoe you can be more daring. You can add linen textures
or cottons, checks and typical summer fabrics. To learn more about typical summer outfits,
please check out this guide here.
Don’t walk too much in them because there’s no toe support, no heel support, you’ll
slip out all the time and they’ll be quite uncomfortable you may even end up with blisters.
So what colors should you go for when you opt for Driving Mocs? There’s a lot of black
out there and I think it’s fundamentally wrong because black is a formal color and
this is an informal shoe. Apart from that the most popular colors are probably
brown and tan. You can also go with mid brown and while that’s a good choice, I think
these colors work even better with traditional derby’s or monk strap shoes or even oxfords.
So I try to stick with a little more vivid colors especially in yellow, red, maybe green
or blue because it underlines that summery casual character and it just suits the shoe
much better.
If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe to our channels so videos like this come right
to your inbox. Also make sure to check out our oxford shoe guide, our boat shoes guide and
our derby shoes guide, maybe even our monk strap shoe guide.