Saturday, March 24, 2012

Schier Shoes

 My boy put me on these shoes - and the story is actually pretty fascinating. The shoes are made "in the coastal town of Swakopmund, Namibia, at the Herbert Schier workshop. There, a small group of eight Damara gentlemen assemble every shoe by hand, turning out just 20 pairs an afternoon. Herbert Schier vellies are made of vegetable-dyed Kudu leather. The Namibian government mandates the culling of these large native antelope to control their population. Kudu skin yields amazingly durable leather and suede that ages exceptionally well. Because these hides are taken from wild animals they often show scars or other "imperfections" that domesticated hides do not." Pretty dope right? Check out their website, and if interested - purchase here!

Check after the jump for some history on the particular style of shoe pictured above.
Velskoen, pronounced "fell-skoon" and known colloquially as "vellies," are the ancestor of the modern-day desert boot. Vellies were first made in the 1600s, inspired by the footwear of the Khosian tribe and crafted using raw materials. Later, our vellies were adapted by travelers from the UK and packaged and renamed to be what we now know as desert boots. These days in South Africa and Namibia, hard-working vellies are worn by all types, from laborers to bush rangers to university students and musicians. Via Schier Shoes