‘Cow shoes’ used by Moonshiners to Disguise their Footprints in the Prohibition Days, 1924
During Prohibition, rum runners, moonshiners, and bootleggers tried their best to avoid getting caught by the police while making and selling their product. They did everything in their power to throw off the police off their scent, including wearing the “cow shoes” shown in the picture.
So what was the idea behind the cow shoes? They were shoes with pieces of wood fixed to the bottom of the shoes. It gave the impression of hoof prints instead of footprints. The primary belief was that if the police saw hoof prints, they wouldn’t follow. It was genius if you think about it.