James Metcalfe
Did you know that the first desert boot design was taken from South Africa’s iconic shoe, called the Veldskoen. Veldskoen were first made in the 17th century. The name Veldskoen (pronounced FELL-skoons) comes from Afrikaans meaning field shoe and is based on the traditional Khoisan (indigenous peoples of Southern Africa) footwear observed by the first Dutch settlers in South Africa.
Easy to make, lightweight and extremely tough wearing the Veldskoen could withstand the harsh conditions of the great migration north. Since those days the Veldskoen (or much easier to say – vellie) has become a huge part of South African and Namibian society, worn by all classes and professions.
Contributor: Angela from veldskoenshoes.com
