Minnetonka Moccasin History

Minnetonka Moccasins made their first pair of moccasins in 1946 and changed the history of this unique form of footwear.  Sure, the Native Americans made moccasins long before this with their brain tanned leathers stitched together with sinew and were truly America's first footwear.  The various American Indian tribes used beautiful beadwork and quills from porcupines to decorate their moccasins.  Different tribes could sometimes be recognized by the decoration and style of their moccasins.  Rawhide would sometimes be hand sewn to the bottoms of moccasins to make them more durable but more often moccasins were soft sole for their comfort, ability to feel the ground below them and to walk quietly.  

 But Minnetonka Moccasins brought this form of footwear to the masses.  After World War ll, Americans hit the roads in huge numbers for vacations and getaways.  It was at about this time my parents and grandparents started the Wigwam, a souvenir store in tiny Atlanta Nebraska.  It was the early 1950's and Americans were traveling to see exotic places like Yellowstone National Park and the mountains of Colorado and the Wigwam, along Highway 6 was a great layover for an hour or two.  One of the first souvenirs the Wigwam stocked was Minnetonka Moccasins. 

Years later, when the Stagecoach started in 1973 in Kearney Nebraska along I-80, Minnetonka Moccasins were on the shelves when the doors opened.  We started with the always popular fringe moccasins, so popular in that era, and the Thunderbird Moccasins.  Today, we have added most of the Minnetonka Moccasin line including Moosehide Moccasins, Deerskin Moccasins, Sheepskin Moccasins, Pile Lined Moccasins for Men and Women plus Children Moccasins and Infant Moccasins for the little ones.  The Stagecoach specializes in Nebraska souvenirs and have sold thousands of Minnetonka Moccasins over the years.  The Stagecoach is an authorized dealer of Minnetonka Moccasins.Minnetonka Moccasins had a great idea, give the customer a classic design that never grows old, make them casual and comfortable and you've got an American classic.