“I grew up wearing Vellies every day, so it is truly an honor to bring a part of my culture and heritage to the United States,” Watts said. “The history behind Veldskoen is unparalleled to any shoe in the world. Veldskoen has been worn by those looking to move their bodies, their ideas, and their hearts. We have a brand philosophy centered on style, optimism, and migration. We only use locally sourced materials and make the shoes in South African certified fair labor and safety factories, so the resulting product -- Veldskoen -- is incredibly comfortable in every sense of the word. Veldskoen shoes are as perfectly suited for the office as they are for the pub or traveling around the world with flair.”
Today, Veldskoen (pronounced "FELL- skoons") announced its public launch in the U.S. backed by investor Mark Cuban and his partners Angela and Steve Watts. The Watts' partnered initially with Mark Cuban after appearing on Shark Tank with their company, Slyde Handboards. After that success, the Watts' wanted to expand with other authentic and moving products. Originally from South Africa, Steve Watts only had to look down to his shoes for inspiration and sought out Veldskoen (or much easier to say - "Vellie") to bring authentic South African culture and style to the U.S.
Veldskoen's origins go back as early as the 17th century. The name comes from Afrikaans, meaning "field shoe," and is based on the traditional Khoisan footwear first worn by indigenous people across southern Africa. Lightweight and extremely tough, wearing the Veldskoen could withstand the harsh conditions of South Africa's great migration north. Since those days, the Veldskoen has become a massive part of South African and Namibian culture and styles and is now worn by everyone from artists to professors across Africa.
Every pair of Veldskoen represents more than just a pair of shoes to us. They represent everything remarkable about our beautiful land and the people of South Africa. Simply put, they are more than just a shoe; they are part of our heritage.
We use a reversible full-grain leather, lightly buffed on the inside that melts to your feet for supreme all-day comfort. It’s our secret sauce.
Our mission is clear. To continually work toward a more sustainable future by using innovative and out the box thinking to reduce our impact.
Each shoe is handcrafted in South Africa the traditional way. hand-cut, sewn, and finished using a buttery soft full-grain leather.
We use high-performance technical leather that repels water and are super easy to clean. These will be Your new all-day-everyday shoe.
Each one of our shoes tells a story. It's up to you to finish it