Felting question, or better idea?

I don't know the correct words for what I am visualizing.
I have raw wool, in bad shape, that I can work with. I am trying to make a  about 1/2 inch thick VERY solid layer that won't shift or compress weirdly.
How can this be done?
I'm thinking felting, but I'm not sure how to make it as solid as I need it.

Or is there a better idea for what I'm doing?
I'm trying to make something like an insulated shoe insert, it'll be fairly non-removable, which is why it has to stay where it was put and not flatten out badly.

I need house shoes. There is neuropathy in my feet due to nerve damage from a old back injury, they sometimes hurt very badly, worst in the house, worst with shoes on. My feet get cold in the winter, and I need padding for impact pain on the cold hard floors here. I have insulated and padded the floors as much as I can, still have too many places I walk that are hard and cold, like that garage. I have very wiggly toed, active feet, that HATE being constrained, and have not found shoes I can stand, so I'm planning to make something that has a good chance of working with them.  This is about my 6th version of making house shoes, I'm mostly learning a lot of what doesn't work.

On the bottom there will be a sole layer (made out of tire inner tube rubber) and a structure layer, some kind of canvas probably. Then inside I need a heavy padding/insulation layer that stays intact for longer than things like carpet does if you line shoes with it. Like I said, I have done variants of this a bunch of times, there's a type of carpet padding that works well for about two weeks, then compresses too much under the heel to pad where I need it, and a type of short loop carpet I have used that I'm out of that also lasts about two weeks before it breaks down.

I'd like to go more natural, and more insulated, and I have low grade wool to work with. I'm up for other ideas. I don't know the fiber working words for things, telling me words to look up will help too.

Thank you!
:D

Off topic, but have you ever seen the US military old-style extreme cold weather "mukluk" boots? Oddly, the only insulation in them is two wool felt insoles about 3/8 inch thick in each boot. The boot is made from light cotton duck with a relatively light rubber sole vulcanized to it. They are tall, but you could easily modify them and they may work well for you. Last I saw, they were worth about $12-20 since there's not much interest in them.

Jordan Holland wrote:Off topic, but have you ever seen the US military old-style extreme cold weather "mukluk" boots? Oddly, the only insulation in them is two wool felt insoles about 3/8 inch thick in each boot. The boot is made from light cotton duck with a relatively light rubber sole vulcanized to it. They are tall, but you could easily modify them and they may work well for you. Last I saw, they were worth about $12-20 since there's not much interest in them.

Not off topic at all! I looked them up, and started laughing. That looks a LOT like what I'm designing!! Laced down low, high leg that's warm...
I'm going to the city in a couple of days, I'll hit the surplus store, see what I can learn.
Thank you!! :D

But yeah, the felted insole type thing is what I'm thinking too. Parallel design evolution, as I had NOT ever seen them.

I love the felt insoles. I just bought the boots because they were too cheap to pass up (it looks like they have gone up now) and don't have much use for them since they are not waterproof, so last year I took two of the felt insoles and put them in another pair of boots that were lacking. It greatly improved them in both comfort and warmth. I'd like to find a stash of just the surplus insoles. They are so much better than these foam ones today that break down with that slick layer of fabric that peels off and is so annoying. And the felt just molds itself to your foot after a while.

While you are there, you might also look for some of the original wool boot liners that were used with them. Even the modern Goretex boot liners are quite cheap in flea markets here. You might find a use for them. They make decent houseshoes themselves. They could even be worn to bed since they have no sole. Really, I would look at any milsurp cold weather gear while you are there. I find it to be one of the most phenomenal bargains for the quality.

Jordan: can you take a pic of the insoles?

Felting those slippers can be done, and I know how to do it. The questions (for me) start with your wool. You said it's not in great shape, but I'm not sure in what way. Is it full of debris? Just really dirty? Or old and brittle? Also, how much of it do you have? How high up do you want the uppers to go? Might a pair of Yuri's boots or slippers, or something like that be a way to go (whether making or buying them)?

Carla Burke wrote:Felting those slippers can be done, and I know how to do it. The questions (for me) start with your wool. You said it's not in great shape, but I'm not sure in what way. Is it full of debris? Just really dirty? Or old and brittle? Also, how much of it do you have? How high up do you want the uppers to go? Might a pair of Yuri's boots or slippers, or something like that be a way to go (whether making or buying them)?

Old and brittle, I've cleaned out the main debris. It was washed at one point before I got it, but not cleaned well.
I want just the insole felted. REALLY REALLY firm. Rest of it I'm sewing, I don't want felt slippers. And not even slippers. the things Jordan said look like what I want, and I have the rest of it. Just the wool bottom is a problem.
Not made out of the same materials, but the same basic pattern, laced at the bottom, high uppers that stay up. And definitely won't look like that. Not my style at all.

Ah, ok. So, old & brittle won't have a good chance of holding up to being walked on. What size shoes do you wear?

Carla Burke wrote:Ah, ok. So, old & brittle won't have a good chance of holding up to being walked on. What size shoes do you wear?

Hm.. maybe I'm defining it differently. It feels like wool, not like crispy critters. I wouldn't want to try to spin it, could be done, but would break too much for my crappy skill level at spinning, but I have been using it for pillows etc and it does well.
I might have some fresher wool too. I just know I have a lot of that one batch, it had hung in pillowcases in someone's temp controlled garage for a few years before I got it.
How do you tell if it's too bad to use? I hate to ask you for good wool, knowing the shoes might not work at all.  The last 6 pairs or so haven't worked for me
Shoe size is... Weird, that's part of why shoes hurt. Approx 9 women, 8 men's.

The easiest way utilizes a wide pan or shallow, wide tub of some sort, pipe as long as the pan is wide and 3 - 4" diameter, some screening, a bit of soap, some very hot water, and a couple strong rubber bands. The wool will need to be wispy, not clumpy. If your wool isn't wispy, a dog brush or two will work to get all the fibers running the same direction, and nicely wispy. Cut the screen to the same width as the length of the pipe and about 2 - 3x the size of the piece of felt you want to make you'll be doing some wrapping & folding with it, later in the process.) Lay one end of the screen into the pan, to cover the bottom, and hang the rest over the side. Now we're ready to start.

Put a thin layer of wool wisps over the screen, all running the same direction. Cover the whole bottom, but not terribly thick - you should still be able to see the pan & screen showing through. Next, put in another layer, about the same thickness, with the fibers running perpendicular to the first layer. The next layer goes on at a 45° angle to the first 2 layers, and the 4th layer goes on perpendicular to that. You'll have 4 layers, at this point. Now do another 4 layer pattern, then another, and another, and another - seems like an awful lot, but it will flatten out far more than seems likely, especially with the firmness you're looking for. When you put your hand on top and press down, that will give you an idea of how thick your final product will be, so you can gage how many more layers you want.

Once you've got all the layers you want for the right thickness, fold the screen over the top (so that the now much smaller excess hangs over the opposite side(still there will be screen on the bottom, screen on the top, and a screen 'tail', if you will, hanging over the side), and pour very hot (but not so hot you can't get your hands in it, to work), lightly soapy water over it, to cover it well. Now, Start massaging the whole thing, pressing gently, so you're not disposing the fibers - you just want them to get really friendly with each other, and develop attachments.   Expect to do this for a good 20 minutes or more. The thicker it is, and the firmer you want it, the longer it will take. After that 20 minutes, start checking it every 20 minutes or so, to see if it's starting to mesh.

Once it's starting to hold together better, you'll want to put the pipe in, at one side, and roll the screen/wool sammie around it, ensuring the screen 'tail' is rolled all the way around it. Now, secure the whole log-like structure on the ends, with the rubber bands, put the whole thing back in the pan, and roll it, like you're rolling out a pie crust. This is the part that takes the longest time and most elbow grease. I can't do it with my hands, so the pan goes on the floor in front of a chair I can comfortably sit in, while effectively using my bare feet to roll the felt/ screen/pipe log, in the pan. A kitchen or desk chair works best, for me. Get comfy, and roll, roll, roll. In about an hour, lift off the screen, to check your progress. If you see the screen is becoming part of the felt, gently peel it all apart, massage the felt without the screen for a bit, until it starts clinging to itself better, then reassemble the log, and... roll, roll, roll... If you get tired, disassemble it,  rinse the soap out, in cold water(the temp change helps, by shocking the fibers), then lay it flat, to dry. When you're ready to go at it again, do. As long as you open it up to dry each time you're ready to stop for more than a day, you can work it as long as you want, and just stop, when you get it to the thickness & density you want. You can always add more wool, at any step, if it's not thick enough. Once you're satisfied with it, just cut it to the size & shape you need with the habitat duty scissors you can lay hands on, or with an exactoknife, or other razor-sharp blade.

I hope this helps

Felt insole and modern Goretex liner.

I realize this isn't a permie suggestion - just a re-use one. I was given an old heavy scuba wetsuit. Decent quality neoprene which is way better than most of the modern versions I've since crossed paths with. I find it makes awesome, long-lasting insoles. Even if you go the wool route, you may find a layer of neoprene between the inner tube rubber and the felted wool, helps with both shock absorption and insulation.

If you're looking in Surplus stores anyway, you could also look for an old 100% wool sweater and felt it. You might have to cut out several layers after it's felted and then quilt them together, but it might work if the wool you have doesn't cooperate. I accidentally felted a sweater in my 20's and the resulting felt was useful for a bunch of tasks where warmth and fire resistance was appreciated.

Jay Angler wrote:
If you're looking in Surplus stores anyway, you could also look for an old 100% wool sweater and felt it. You might have to cut out several layers after it's felted and then quilt them together, but it might work if the wool you have doesn't cooperate. I accidentally felted a sweater in my 20's and the resulting felt was useful for a bunch of tasks where warmth and fire resistance was appreciated.

Yeah, I started this idea with some wool socks that are too shrunk to be wearable, they would take  lot of pieceing to get what I want, but that may help me adjust thickness where I need it most. Might end up there, trying to figure out what's best.

I have lots of clean softish wool that I would be happy to send to you. When we started out as retirees determined to live far from the madding crowds, I threw myself into All Things Wool. I had rescued fiber animals, learned to wash, pick, card, comb, dye, blend and knit. And then realized I really was more in love with the garden than with the fiber. It was great fun to learn all the wooly stuff, but for me digging in the garden is more fun. So I have plenty of wool to share for just the postage to get it to you.

Related Topic - have you looked into natural ways to relieve neuropathy? Here are a bunch of ideas in case it's of interest:
https://diabeticsockclub.com/blogs/news/10-natural-treatments-for-neuropathy-in-legs-and-feet

This is a great way to get it felted, but if for some reason you need it tighter than even this'll give you, you can needle felt the finished product afterwards.  I've made some wool very very solid with felting needles, but it does take a bit of time.  Starting with an already densely felted product should cut the work by 90%.

You can get needle felting 'tools' that'll hold as many felting needles as you want, to speed things up.  Just be sure that you get 'felting needles' and not just needles...otherwise you're just poking your insoles a lot.  Felting needles have a mess of little hooks on them.

Hope this helps,
Dave

Carla Burke wrote:The easiest way utilizes a wide pan or shallow, wide tub of some sort, pipe as long as the pan is wide and 3 - 4" diameter, some screening, a bit of soap, some very hot water, and a couple strong rubber bands. The wool will need to be wispy, not clumpy. If your wool isn't wispy, a dog brush or two will work to get all the fibers running the same direction, and nicely wispy. Cut the screen to the same width as the length of the pipe and about 2 - 3x the size of the piece of felt you want to make you'll be doing some wrapping & folding with it, later in the process.) Lay one end of the screen into the pan, to cover the bottom, and hang the rest over the side. Now we're ready to start.

Put a thin layer of wool wisps over the screen, all running the same direction. Cover the whole bottom, but not terribly thick - you should still be able to see the pan & screen showing through. Next, put in another layer, about the same thickness, with the fibers running perpendicular to the first layer. The next layer goes on at a 45° angle to the first 2 layers, and the 4th layer goes on perpendicular to that. You'll have 4 layers, at this point. Now do another 4 layer pattern, then another, and another, and another - seems like an awful lot, but it will flatten out far more than seems likely, especially with the firmness you're looking for. When you put your hand on top and press down, that will give you an idea of how thick your final product will be, so you can gage how many more layers you want.

Once you've got all the layers you want for the right thickness, fold the screen over the top (so that the now much smaller excess hangs over the opposite side(still there will be screen on the bottom, screen on the top, and a screen 'tail', if you will, hanging over the side), and pour very hot (but not so hot you can't get your hands in it, to work), lightly soapy water over it, to cover it well. Now, Start massaging the whole thing, pressing gently, so you're not disposing the fibers - you just want them to get really friendly with each other, and develop attachments.   Expect to do this for a good 20 minutes or more. The thicker it is, and the firmer you want it, the longer it will take. After that 20 minutes, start checking it every 20 minutes or so, to see if it's starting to mesh.

Once it's starting to hold together better, you'll want to put the pipe in, at one side, and roll the screen/wool sammie around it, ensuring the screen 'tail' is rolled all the way around it. Now, secure the whole log-like structure on the ends, with the rubber bands, put the whole thing back in the pan, and roll it, like you're rolling out a pie crust. This is the part that takes the longest time and most elbow grease. I can't do it with my hands, so the pan goes on the floor in front of a chair I can comfortably sit in, while effectively using my bare feet to roll the felt/ screen/pipe log, in the pan. A kitchen or desk chair works best, for me. Get comfy, and roll, roll, roll. In about an hour, lift off the screen, to check your progress. If you see the screen is becoming part of the felt, gently peel it all apart, massage the felt without the screen for a bit, until it starts clinging to itself better, then reassemble the log, and... roll, roll, roll... If you get tired, disassemble it,  rinse the soap out, in cold water(the temp change helps, by shocking the fibers), then lay it flat, to dry. When you're ready to go at it again, do. As long as you open it up to dry each time you're ready to stop for more than a day, you can work it as long as you want, and just stop, when you get it to the thickness & density you want. You can always add more wool, at any step, if it's not thick enough. Once you're satisfied with it, just cut it to the size & shape you need with the habitat duty scissors you can lay hands on, or with an exactoknife, or other razor-sharp blade.

I hope this helps

Two materials come to mind for a project like this.  Short hemp fiber felts down well with regular felting needle and can be made as thick as you need and to any shape.

I also have had great luck experimenting with liquid latex (Bish's Original TG-16 Tear Mender) mixed with fine granulated or even powdered cork.  Looking at some samples I made, they would be a great insulating layer but maybe too stiff for what you are looking for.

Okay one small idea if one buys those boots use a method like this to waterproof them:  https://blog.treasurie.com/how-to-waterproof-fabric/      I have used the products in the can used for camping to waterproof kids and my canvas shoes including the ones with foil decals.  

Another note  my dad told us of the mail carrier going through rural Central Texas using horse and buggy over 90 years ago  with this heating method.  Each home on his route had several bricks heating on or near the stove.  When the mail carrier was sited things shifted quickly the kids would wrap the bricks up in burlap and place in a pail and head out.  The goal was to transfer the load of bricks into the hot box with new hot bricks quickly so the mail could be delivered quickly.   i think the thermos of some sort was in action as well.

I think that heating rocks to warm ones bed might be a good idea but one wonders if one has a high tech mattress will there be fumes?  

One warning: not all wool felts good!
I know because of some felting experiments I did. I once got a free fleece. Part of it was okay to clean and spin. Most of it wasn't. I tried felting some of it, but it did not felt at all. Later someone told me: some sheep breeds, f.e. Texel sheep, have non-felting wool.

And then I wanted to make a pair of felted knitted wool slippers. The swatch I made first (needed for stitch count etc.) felted very nice (in the washing machine). So I knitted those very large slippers and put them in the washing machine. Then I found out they had not felted evenly... One slipper had parts that were less felted, and that slipper was a little larger than the other ...

With some creativity, and more work than foreseen, I managed to make my pair of slippers (somewhat different from the original design).
But anyway: now I know not all wool felts good.

I understand you want to make your own, but it might help you to check out Voyloks and Felts.  They are both made from felting wool for shoes.

They were both on kickstarter, to get themselves started.

voyloks (https://www.voylok.com/) has a lot of videos if you can find them that show the lasts that the shoemakers use, with hot water.  They are traditional Russian/Eastern European boots/shoes especially made for being waterproof and comfortable in all seasons.

Felts https://healthshoes.co.uk/)  are made with wool and either nettle fabric or rubber soles. I haven't found as many videos associated with them.

I agree with some others though -- hot wool agitation first, then follow up with needle-felting to firm up the fabric even more.

Hope these help!

or you could buy a pair here https://ecominded.net/valenki/felt-insoles

Another option might be down booties. I have a pair and they are great. They have a thin flexible base with a heavier canvas sole which is good for indoor use or going out on the porch for firewood. My father-in-law always had cold feet until he got a similar pair. You could probably add some felt padding in them since they fit fairly loosely. REI used to have some ( https://www.rei.com/product/855499/rei-co-op-down-booties-mens ) and a web search turned up a lot of options.

Two suggestions:
1. Xero Shoes - I recently got a pair of Denver Hikers. With a felt insoles you would be warm and feel like you’re barefoot, but protected
2. Get some heavy fleece material. See/quilt 3-4 layers, or more, together.

The Xero Shoes are minimalist shoes. It is like being bare foot

have you looked into needle felting? I think it might be what you are looking for; lots of information out there on the internet on how to needle felt

Irene Bensinger wrote:I have lots of clean softish wool that I would be happy to send to you. When we started out as retirees determined to live far from the madding crowds, I threw myself into All Things Wool. I had rescued fiber animals, learned to wash, pick, card, comb, dye, blend and knit. And then realized I really was more in love with the garden than with the fiber. It was great fun to learn all the wooly stuff, but for me digging in the garden is more fun. So I have plenty of wool to share for just the postage to get it to you.

I would love some if you are still willing to share.

i have played around with felting as well and found that once you have worked your fiber as was explained above that it sticks together, putting it into a washing machine felts it fast and for me, it made a very durable fabric. Just check often so you don't felt it too much. On the other hand, you want a very felted product, so that might work well for you.

A lazier method would be to just put the carded fleece into your shoes and walk around adding layers as it compacts. It might take some quilting after a while since the layers might not stick together. I have done that with one layer but haven't added yet - so just an experiment idea. I am doing it right now and will let you know how it turns out.

I found this wool felt and cork insole on amazon and thought of this thread.

https://a.co/d/3We2cYM

Nathan Stephanson wrote:I found this wool felt and cork insole on amazon and thought of this thread.

https://a.co/d/3We2cYM

They look interesting. Only problem is Amazon lol. I refuse to give them my money if it can be avoided...

Marianne West wrote:They look interesting. Only problem is Amazon lol. I refuse to give them my money if it can be avoided...

Great news! I found the manufacturer's website

https://pedagusa.com/116-keep-warm/

I use flipflops for both insoles and outsoles.  Glue 2 pairs of flipflops together and they give the best support my feet have ever felt.  They are very insulating too and last about 6 months with heavy daily wear.  I wonder if adding a rubber sole lining would increase the durability, so I am going to try it.  I think you are on the right track with woolen felted insoles, so I will try them to

Nathan Stephanson wrote:

Marianne West wrote:They look interesting. Only problem is Amazon lol. I refuse to give them my money if it can be avoided...

Great news! I found the manufacturer's website

https://pedagusa.com/116-keep-warm/

That is great news Thank you for searching for this info.

Krella Krentoshi wrote:I use flipflops for both insoles and outsoles.  

What a great idea! I want to make felted shoes and all in my family have super wide feet. The soles you can buy are too narrow and I don't know how to design my own 3 D printing project - or print it for that matter 🤪

I love the felted wool insoles from Sonoma Wool Company in California- you can call them and ask them how they do it. Or you can buy a piece of wool felt from them and cut out a bunch of insoles. Sonoma Wool Company felt insoles

Also, Glerups wool boots are a great felted idea for boots to model off of without laces. Glerups

I think I may have done something very similar to this. I was attempting to make footwear, both to be self sufficient, and because almost all shoes hurt my feet and/or don't accommodate short, stubby feet.  Black barn boots are my favorite shoe.  Flat inside.    I have pictures of my ventures somewhere on Fakebook, but it will take a lot of looking to find it. I have a farm, so ... Please don't be mad. Gotta budget my precious coffee time.

So I had a similar issue and I was trying to make my own shoes out of existing materials on hand.  I had a lot of wool laying around.  I had an old rubber yoga mat and traced around my foot for the footprint.  I cut that out.  Then after carding my wool, I wrapped it all the way around the yoga mat foot shape and used a knee nylon stocking on top of that.  I wet felted through the stocking  with soapy water, adding more and more layers of wool and working the material until it shrunk so much it started to twist the shape of the yoga mat rubber.  I took off the stocking and let it dry, then cut a slit on one side of the wool "footprint" shape to make a hole to slide my foot into.  This is how I made a basic slipper. I left the rubber in for a bit while I needle felted on some flowers and vines on the toe.  Then I shaped the hole where the foot slides in into a rounded shape.

For some kind of sole on the bottom, I have used a variety of materials (I worked in leather and cloth, too.  So I did this a lot, trying to perfect my DIY shoe).  

1.  I cut the upper part off a pair of blown out rubber barn boots (a little slick outside, but works). I glued that on and sewed it on.

2.   I did strips of hot glue - it doesn't wear well outside. Rubs off.

3.  I used a caulking gun with silicone.  This looked ridiculous, but was surprisingly sturdy.

4.  I glued on (hot glue again) hemp rope like those huaracha shoes. That was pretty sturdy in dry weather and didn't look too bad.

5.  I glued on all manner of flip flop bottoms, yoga mat...whatever was laying around.  This works well in dry weather for outside or as an indoor slipper. Or just felt on a lot more wool on the bottom of it's for indoors only. Wool is extremely insulating. Maybe a little too hot sometimes lol.

I'm in Western Washington State, so we have a lot of rain and mud. I have been looking for a long time in info on what the Natives wore here during the rainy months, which is 9 months out of the year, because none of the above options keep your feet dry.  My DIY leather moccasins were nice, but it was like wearing socks in the mud. Cooooooold! No bueno. So far I have found that they wore mukluks made from seal skin.  Since it is illegal to k I'll seals, that's not an option for me, so I'm back to square one.

I took a short hiatus on the shoe project for a few years bc we moved and expanded the size of our wannabe farm.  Now I'm back to it a little bit, but on a little different bent. Maybe it will be of use bc I have learned a few more things.

I now have 2 horses and my draft can't seem to wear metal horse shoes yet but needs shoes, so after pricing those rubber shoes at $124 a pop, I am working on a DIY option.  It may be useful I fo bc I researched the DIY "people" shoes how-to's and those made from tires as well, for this project.  Same concepts still apply, for my purposes anyways, that it has to protect from water and rocks, and be from salvaged materials if possible. I just have to make it super tough for a 2,000 lb animal with tender feet (facepalm....) .   I do have some pics of that, attached here.    Also, I've been doing a farm blog entry w pic updates on that, here:.

https://beggsnachin.webstarts.com/blog/post/horse-boots-diy

I got a free tire and cut it with an angle grinder after tracing  my draft's feet with a piece of pizza box.  In other countries I don't see the steel cable wires that we use here in the U.S. in the tire rubber.  Gosh, they make cutting those things look so easy....  It makes sparks everywhere and burned rubber smell and smoke, btw.  

I used the tops of barn boots again as a strip to go around the tire edges bc it has little steel cable wires sticking out that could hurt him. I used Shoe Goo, or E6000 glue under the strip and then little half inch (pointy wood screws?) w a little washer to hold the strip into the sides of the tire piece.  I dunno what these were called.  I dug around in hub's tools until I found a box of something.

**Definitely shoe glue E6000 is the way to go- there's no DIY or cheaper shortcuts on that one that I know of.  **

Then I used my Dremel and pre-drilled sewing holes into the top edge less than a half inch apart.  I went back and filled in any gaps between the rubber strip and tire tread with the shoe glue.  Then I sewed in strips of folded over denim from hub's work pants, lined on the inside with black fleece fabric so as not to rub my horse's legs badly.  I sewed on Velcro to fasten it with.  

Also, inside is a round layer of that same rubber boot uppers, glued down, and a squishy layer of blue yoga mat.  I believe it's memory foam.  A 2,000 lb animal will flatten that in no time, and the boot rubber is to protect against those steel cable wires again. Just in case.  Bc vet bills suck.

I used micro paracord to sew with using a leather sewing awl needle.  The micro paracord had the advantage, in addition to being very tough, added some structure to the denim to make it stand up by itself- easier to slip on the horse hoof, like the Cavallo brand horse boots that I can't afford. When I get the pattern figured out to look all nice, I'll do the ones for my mare in leather. I have cow hides from our beef everywhere, salted and waiting to be processed. Ugh...I keep making work for myself!  Not very smart, huh! Lol

Anyways, I hope that helps somebody. Over the years, I have looked at a LOT of videos and websites on DIY shoes, but few keep your feet dry. Unless you go full cobbler and make your own leather actual shoes with soles.  There's a person that used to sell moldable shoe sole material (kinda thin, but it works) called "shoeology".  I found them originally on Etsy.  It's a rubber material you put in the oven to soften it, then use foil and gloves and slap it on your foot and mold it onto your foot.  Then after it cools to that shape, you glue and/or sew it on.  

But my goal is mostly natural materials or salvaged materials for the purpose of self sufficiency.  

Because if you can do it yourself, you are not slave to jacked up prices and manufactured "shortages".  Just sayin'. Lol

Buy a thick thrift store wool sweater and wash it and dry it with the regular laundry, so it shrinks up real good. . You may want a couple or three layers of that per insole, just hand baste them together with needle and thread. That said, sheepskin shoe inserts are not very expensive on amazon