More than a Chukka Shoe

Veldskoen is a legend reimagined – the sole of South Africa is in a league of its own and has transformed ‘the Chukka shoe’.

On your quest for the perfect ‘Chukka shoe’, you are more than likely going to stumble across a range of different international footwear brands. From Clarks to any myriad different makes and styles. Something you may or may not know already is that Veldskoen is where it the Chukka Shoe originally started. Veldskoen is the shoe that started the Chukka boot revolution, it’s no secret that the design for the Clarks boot was first borrowed by Nathan Clark when he was a soldier in Burma.

The year was 1941, and the soldier, well he wasn't just any infantryman, he was Nathan Clark, and he'd been sent to war with two missions. First and foremost to protect his country, and, secondly, to discover some new shoe designs for his family's company. As a member of the Eighth Army, Clark had been deployed to Burma, and it was here that he noticed that the officers in his formation were wearing these strange, sand-colored chukkas during their downtime. Clark investigated the shoes and learned that they had originally been commissioned to Cairo cobblers by South African soldiers whose old-military issue boots had failed them out on the desert terrain. They wanted something that was both lightweight and grippy which led to the creation of a boot with a suede upper on a crepe sole.

. Jake Gallagher, GQ, August 15, 2012^[

Now you know where this groundbreaking Chukka shoe style popularity comes from you should also know that Veldskoen has been around since the first European settlers in South Africa as far back as 1642. Through our discussions with the Koisan (whose ancestors migrated to Southern Africa possibly as early as 260,000 years ago) tribe elders, it is also quite possible that the settlers had borrowed the style from the tribes when they saw them wearing them in the harsh African climate. The leather helps to regulate foot temperature in the searing African heat and the durability will last a lifetime. A perfect combination for a true Chukka walking shoes

What Veldskoen means to South Africa

Veldskoen shoes often referred to as ‘vellies’, are a national heritage and proudly South African. No matter your background Vellies are to South Africa what gumboots are to England or Uggs are to Australia they have been part of the South African culture for centuries. At Veldskoen, the ‘traditional’ shoe has transformed entirely and become so much more than a ‘shoe’ – it’s become  ‘a way of life’; a part of the South African soul.

Proudly South African, Proudly handmade

Veldskoen shoes are handmade in South Africa. We are a proud and passionate people that want nothing more than to let the rest of the world know what an amazing and beautiful our country is. Our diversity is second to none with 11 national languages and many more spoken. It’s why we are often referred to as the rainbow nation. At Veldskoen we want to export that passion the sole of South Africa to countries all over the world. It is important to us that people from all over the world get a taste of what it’s like to be truly South African. Anyone can buy a pair of Chukka shoes’, but would you prefer the original the shoe that started it all.

Veldskoen reimagining an ancient shoe for a new generation.

Veldskoen is a unisex all terrain Chukka shoe reimagined for today’s modern lifestyle. From the farms and plains of Africa to New York City 5^th avenue. What truly sets Vellies apart from other ‘Chukka shoes’ is the pop of color exploding from the sole and matching laces.  The vision was to take an age-old South African classic and transform it into a shoe that is fit for anyone and for any occasion; an icon reimagined and reinvented. The incorporation of color brought the ‘legend’ back to life and really showed the world the rainbow nation. We want Vellies to be an extension of what you feel and who you are, the minute you put them on you are bold and confident and we inspire you to a “bolder outlook” with each step you take.

The rainbow Lifestyle 

Now you know more about what Veldskoen means to us as a nation. To us, Veldskoen is much more than a ‘Chukka shoe’, it’s a South African legend transformed. Now go out and live the rainbow lifestyle.