Buffalo Shoes

The bison or, more popularly, the buffalo, was the primary source of material things needed by people living on the Great Plains. Footwear was fashioned out of buffalo hide and buffalo-related motifs frequently decorated Plains Indian shoes. This pair of Southern Cheyenne shoes was made out of buffalo hide and then beaded with a design that probably refers to a buffalo pound or enclosure used to corral the animals before the kill. The long fringe at the back of the shoes is typical of southern Plains footwear.