The production of boots has remained unchanged for several hundred years. The raw material is natural wool, which shrinks heavily during the manufacturing process, resulting in the best winter shoes for frosty and dry winters.
What are boots
Valenoks are a type of winter shoes made of tightly knitted natural wool. In the most severe frosts, they retain heat and save feet from frostbite, and the entire body from hypothermia, even in the Far North. The material for the shoes is sheep’s wool, which is rolled (rolled). The wool processing technology goes through the stage of simultaneous steaming and shrinkage into the dense material from which the product is molded. The name of shoes, so common in the past, comes from the name of the production process - felting.
Valenoks are made in many types. Classic models are made of tightly knitted thick wool with a shafts of medium height. They are comfortable, lightweight, durable. They are worn in the cold season in dry weather. In the autumn period or in slushy winters, rubber galoshes are put on felt boots. Natural wool is trampled down quite quickly, so the sole was often previously hemmed with leather. In urban conditions, felt boots were in little demand, but in the vastness of the province they are still relevant.
Until recently, traditional shoes were not interested in most of the population; they wore boots only on small children. Now the return of fashion to natural materials and traditional crafts has begun, which is associated with new opportunities, designer finds.
The history of boots
There were times when felt boots were considered a symbol of prosperity and wealth, and shoe sellers were taxed heavily. The production of felt boots was a mystery to most mortals, and the felting craftsmen kept their secrets secret, preferring to pass them only to family members. It is assumed that the prototype of the boots were pima, the shoes of the nomads.
It is believed that felted shoes appeared at the end of the 18th century in the town of Myshkin, Yaroslavl province. Peter I introduced fashion on felt boots at the court; he wore them after the bath or wore them in the winter. Tsarina Catherine the Great, with the help of felt boots, treated foot disease, and Elizabeth, by her decree, allowed the court ladies to wear these shoes complete with magnificent dresses. The stormy innovations in Russia were periodic, one of them was provoked by Peter I, who was distinguished by a breadth of views and practicality. Under his rule, felt boots became available to all segments of the population.
Production of felted shoes on an industrial scale began in the 19th century. Lovers of boots were Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev. In the war years, boots were included in the winter outfit for soldiers and senior officers. Today, compulsory equipment with traditional shoes has remained relevant for special units of the Ministry of Emergencies and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The production of boots today is experiencing a renaissance, they are becoming the favorite objects for the application of strength and imagination among designers, which finds a response from the buyer. Decorated with skillful embroidery, ribbons, natural fur boots, as in antiquity, create comfortable conditions for their master, fulfilling the main purpose - to keep heat in cold weather.
Types of wool
For the manufacture of the best boots in Russia, sheep wool was most often used, but goat, dog, and rabbit were also used. Sheep wool was valued for its high socks and medicinal qualities. The wool was scratched, compacted (felted) and a durable non-woven material was obtained . Further molding manipulations were carried out manually.
The final color of the product depended on the raw materials, whites were considered the most luxurious, Mongolian fine-wool sheep wool was used for their production, gray felt boots were obtained from sheep wool imported from Central Asia or the Caucasus. Sometimes the shoes were made of camel hair, which is not inferior in quality to its counterparts, but felt boots are more fluffy and not so light.
Types of boots
Modern models are made of rabbit, sheep, goat hair, there are products from mohair and felt. Felt boots are divided into several types, depending on the materials and models used:
- Classic felt boots made of 100% wool, made by upholstery.
- Shoes on the soles.
- Classic felt boots with welded rubber soles.
- Felt boots with fur. Such models are made of thin felt, insulated with several layers of batting, the inside is finished with flannel lining. The sole is rubber. This is a more modern version, which was liked by urban residents, can be worn in any weather.
Technological process
One of the best options for shoes for winter colds remain boots. Production (Russia) is based on old principles that have not changed since the 19th century. Technology schematically looks like this:
- The wool obtained in rolls is torn into small fibers and dried, for this it is sent to a combing machine. The material used is not washed, which is important for adhering to the technology.
- The dried raw materials are sent for processing to a wool machine, where the material receives a single structure. Then the products are cut in size. At this stage, the boots are four times larger than it should be.
- The cut parts are sent to a rolling machine, where they are subjected to steam treatment and mechanical shrinkage, and then boiled in hot water. At this stage, compaction occurs, the wool shrinks up to 80% of the initial workpiece. Then put on the block, stretching and giving the final shape, and then dried.
- Dried shoes are additionally beaten with birch beater to give greater density.
- In the finishing workshop in classic models, the upper part of the shaft is cut to obtain a smooth edge. But modernity has made adjustments, and now boots are embroidered with thread, beads, and rhinestones. Frequent decoration was the use of felt painting techniques, the addition of natural fur and other design finds.
Equipment
Today, many have opened small companies where boots are made. Production (Russia) was previously divided into industrial and artisanal. The equipment for the small and large workshop is the same, the difference is only in scale and productivity. What equipment is needed for the production of boots?
- Industrial or household carding machine.
- Vibrating press with steam supply.
- Industrial washing machine.
- Drying chamber.
- Additional equipment, if the lineup will be presented not only with classics (semi-automatic press for vulcanizing rubber soles, embroidery machine , etc.).
- Devices: pads, beater, etc.
Industrial and handicraft production
Industrial production of boots allows you to produce up to 60 pairs of shoes per day, artisanal version - up to 2-3 pairs. Any factory for the production of boots produces not only shoes, but related products: blankets, pillows, slippers, rugs and much more.
Handmade products, including felt boots, are popular today. For experienced masters, they turn out aesthetic, with a modern lineup. But no efforts of the hands can knock the wool to the desired state, described in GOST. The factory for the production of boots will always provide its product with a certificate of conformity and useful tips for caring for the purchased pair.
Felted shoe factories
In the old days, they felted with entire volosts, the occupation was difficult, but brought the cooperatives a sufficient income. Now in Russia such shoes are manufactured industrially. Factories for the production of boots are located in several regions, in total there are about fifteen, the five leaders are as follows:
- The largest player in this market is the Yaroslavl factory of felted shoes, producing up to 600 thousand pairs of shoes per year.
- One of the oldest plants, the Kukmorsky felting and felt mill, does not lose its position; the annual output of felt boots here is up to 900 thousand pairs.
- Elvi-Plus company, production volume - 300 thousand pairs of felt boots per year.
- Omsk felted shoe factory produces 170 thousand pairs a year.
The remaining enterprises produce a much smaller amount of boots, from 45 to 150 thousand pairs per year. Russian-made boots made a successful alternative to foreign shoes, called ugg boots. Each buyer has his own tastes, addictions and a scale of values by which a particular product is selected. But as for boots, in comparison with foreign counterparts, in many respects this ancient Russian invention demonstrates the best characteristics for our latitudes.
The production of felt boots in Moscow has been established at the Bitsevskaya Factory, which has been making shoes for more than 150 years. The retail chain of stores is spread all over the country, and Muscovites can buy the pair they like without leaving the capital, at 6, Stroiteley Street, building 4 (Universitet metro station).
How to choose boots
A successful pair of boots will last more than one year and will warm the owner in the most severe frosts. The selection of shoes made of felted wool is carried out according to the following principles:
- Real boots are 100% wool. The material should be dense and uniform in composition. If bald spots, thickenings, lumps are observed, then the shoes will tear quickly.
- Valenoks are not divided into right and left, they are produced the same. Shoes take shape while wearing. When buying a pair, make sure that both boots are the same in shape, height of the toe, inner and outer length of the foot, and the size of the shaft.
- Smell. The only smell that a felt boots can have is the smell of seared wool, it will quickly disappear. If there is a smell of wet wool, this means a violation of the process, at some stage the product is poorly washed or dried, it is impossible to get rid of it.
- In real felt boots, the sole and heel are made with a noticeable thickening, since in these places the shoes are wiped faster and lose their shape. To determine - just feel.
- Elasticity. Shoes made of wool should not be too soft (under-fabric) or too thick. To evaluate this quality, it is enough to bend the shaft slightly, under your hands high-quality wool will spring a little and quickly unbend.
- The size. Valenoks can be trampled in width, and they shrink in length, so you need to buy a pair 1-2 sizes larger. To determine the necessary there is a table of correspondence of the size of the legs and boots.
- The most natural ones are valenoks from unpainted wool, even natural dyes reduce the healing qualities of sheep’s wool.