Moleskin, originally referring to the short, silky fur of a mole, is heavy cotton fabric, woven and then sheared to create a short, soft pile on one side. The word is also used for clothing made from this fabric, as well as adhesive pads stuck to the skin to prevent blisters.
Clothing made from moleskin is noted for its softness and durability. Some variants of the cloth are so densely woven as to be windproof. The majority of manufacturers of this cloth are British mills.
The fabric, in a grayish olive-drab color, was used for West German Army (Bundeswehr) uniforms from the 1960s until the early 1990s, when it was replaced by a polyester-cotton blend twill printed with a camouflage pattern called Flecktarn. German moleskin was not sheared and thus had a flat, smooth outer side, differing from British moleskin. It was nonetheless a tough, densely woven material strongly resistant against wind and abrasion. Its chief weakness was its weight and lack of water resistance.
Moleskin can be coated with an adhesive backing and used to prevent or treat friction injuries of the feet. In the case of a blister, the moleskin is cut with a hole in the center so the fabric does not adhere to the blister directly. The thickness of the surrounding moleskin protects the blister from further friction.
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