A moccasin is a soft leather shoe originally made and worn by many Native American peoples. Traditional moccasins wrap around the foot in one piece, with the sole and sides cut from the same piece of soft leather (often deer, elk, or buffalo hide), then stitched together at the top. They fit like a comfortable second skin, letting you feel the ground beneath your feet while still protecting them.

Different tribes developed their own distinctive styles. Some moccasins had hard soles for rocky terrain, while others stayed completely soft. Many were decorated with beautiful beadwork, quillwork, or fringe that showed the wearer's tribe and artistic traditions.

Today, the term moccasin also refers to casual slip-on shoes inspired by this original design, though modern versions are usually factory-made rather than hand-stitched.

The word also names a type of venomous water snake found in the southeastern United States, called a water moccasin or cottonmouth. This snake has nothing to do with the shoe beyond sharing the same name.