Objective  As an iconic traditional Mongolian footwear of the Chen Balhu Banner in Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, "Suohai Gutule" serves as a living carrier of costumes, embodying the long-term integration of northern forest hunting culture, grassland nomadic culture, and Central Plains agricultural culture. This study aims to systematically sort out the artistic characteristics of "Suohai Gutule", accurately clarify the underlying mechanism of its multi-cultural integration, address the lack of detailed research on regional ethnic costume, and further enrich and improve the systematic framework of ethnic costume research in China, thereby providing theoretical support for the inheritance and vitalization of intangible cultural heritage related to traditional costumes.

Methods  Taking fieldwork as the core method, this study conducts comprehensive research by integrating literature review and material evidence verification. The research team conducted in-depth investigations in Chen Balhu Banner, completing data collection over two survey cycles. First-hand oral historical materials and detailed interview records on craftsmanship were obtained through interviews with intangible cultural heritage inheritors of "Suohai Gutule", folk collectors, and staff from ethnic cultural heritage preservation institutions. Meanwhile, precise mapping and high-definition image collection were carried out on 23 physical samples of "Suohai Gutule" spanning different eras (from the 1950s to the present). The collected textual, visual, and physical data were systematically classified, organized, and analyzed in-depth to accurately extract the core elements of its artistic characteristics.

Results  The artistic characteristics of "Suohai Gutule" are concentrated in its core trait of taking functionality as the foundation and integrating utility with aesthetics. In terms of structural design, the traditional craftsmanship of cutting the boot sole and upper from a single piece of tanned cowhide ensures the footwear’s wear resistance and structural stability, catering to the core needs of grassland nomadic life such as walking, riding and archery. Furthermore, the boot shaft design—longer in the front and shorter in the back—achieves the dual functions of warmth retention and flexible movement. In terms of decorative craftsmanship, it adopts layered decorative techniques that combine embroidery, piping, cut-out patterns and other crafts. The patterns not only incorporate ethnic elements such as grassland animal motifs but also draw on cultural symbols like Central Plains cloud patterns, thus forming a distinctive decorative style. This design logic of structure and decoration fully demonstrates the core of its multi-cultural integration.

Conclusions  The systematic excavation and organization of the artistic characteristics of "Suohai Gutule" not only supplement a typical case with distinct regional and ethnic characteristics for ethnic costume research but also deepen the understanding of the creative wisdom of traditional costumes in the context of multi-cultural integration, clearly revealing the historical trajectory of exchange and mutual learning between nomadic and agricultural cultures. Meanwhile, the research outcomes, including physical mapping data and detailed records of craftsmanship, provide solid empirical support for enriching the diverse connotations of the Chinese cultural heritage, and offer valuable theoretical and practical references for the living inheritance and contemporary design transformation of the "Suohai Gutule" intangible cultural heritage project.