There is footwear in Russia that is quite popular in the country, and it’s called felt boots. But also, they have the other name, Russian one, which most of you probably know, here they are called Valenki. And recently they’ve started gaining popularity again because of their low price, warm and usability. But even here there are few people who know how and where they are made. Today we have a bit of insight to Kalyazinsk felt boots factory for you.
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Presently, the plant doesn’t have any problems with its business and sometimes it happens that the day that lot of goods reaches a shop – it is being sold out immediately. But in spite of such high demand, it doesn’t have anything to do with prosperity of the plant and its employees.
Shabby-looking working-rooms, worn-out outfit and average wage of 5000 roubles or $170. That’s how the valenki is being made.
Felt boots are being made of several kinds of wool. After the kneading, wool is chopped and transferred to a blending tower.
Under pressure, wool is transferred from blending towers to the shop floors and packed into special wool beating machines.
Afterwards, the newborn cotton wool is being shaped into to-be valenok by hand.
To make it much harder the felt boots should be sent to a compactor.
Then the shaping process goes in.
A bit after the valenki are shrinked on a metal shoetree and stay there for 8 hours approximately.
Duty operator person.
In finishing shop they clear the nap off the felt boots.
Then they sort the boots out and pair them
If the rubber soil is needed, the valenki are being sent to a curing room.
And the last stage is a room where all the felt boots are smartened.
Industrial retail store.
And as a special treat is a sunken belltower in Kalyazino.
Photo credits – 1
FIRST
Nice boots but those workers need to wear dust masks. The air has to be loaded with the dust of those fibers. I suppose there are no health and safety standards. The working conditions look kind of primitive.
Are you kidding ?
No one cares about the workers !! In this former workers paradise it might seem strange, but it is true.
Sc<mbag chiefs are trying to squeeze as much money as they can from their fellow Russians, making them work until they drop.
Nice post as usual
Valenki is absolutely genius boots for outdoor winter!!! Very warm.
americans have something similar – even better. It’s a felt boot, but covered with rubber from both sides. These boots are called Mickey mouse boots and warmer version Bunny boots. They are standard issue boots in Antarctica.
“Sissy Boots Sissy Boots,
You wear Sissy Boots!”
They look warm, I’d like some! The job seems to be quite old, century or two? With the machines ofcourse.
Awesome! I’m overexcited! Blame Vancouver 2010!
I want some Valenki too!
I love this post! Thank you!
Blame Vancouver 2010, Finnish?
=> From Finland with love
=> eh? Blame Canada~ Blame Canada~~
cool boots but love the bell tower more
Walonki
I’m anxious about Vancouver 2010 in a few days! Olympics are always a must-see!
How much is a pair of valenki in average Moscow shop right now at the top of the fad?
They look like liners that we use for rubber/nylon winter boots in the west. If the right fashionista started wearing them, they could be the next Ugg boots.
they look like they would catch on fire very easily.
No Cracker! They will not catch fire, but will be burned just as wool does. The fibres will shrink together and smell bad. Thats all.
My aunt knew the way to make wool boots quite similar tothese, and I had both these and Russian originals when I was a little boy. My feet was never cold, even in -30 or 35 C / -25 F
They are great in what they are made for, and that’s cold weather.
Out of curiosity and since I’m interested in purchasing one of those boots online vs. Uggs, do they smell any sheepishness? What about in the long term? Do they make your feet smell for not letting air get in or they actually let them breathe well? Thank you!
those boots look lovely, is there any way i can purchase them online?
Try RusClothing.com if you’re in the United States. You can also find them on Amazon.com.
Hello, did a bing search and found this. thanks for the good info
Hi,
I enjoyed viewing your blog site and am looking forward to your future blog posts.
thanks,
Vincent James –
VJ Global
Those boots look great. Probably very warm during the winter. I also found some great boots at Russian Fur Fashion Accessories.
Thank you for such a fantastic blog. Where else could one get this kind of info written in such an incite full way? I have a presentation that I am just now working on, and I have been looking for such information.
Juicy Couture, Lyle and Scott, Ralph Lauren, Franklin and Marshall … We are also proud stockists of UGG boots and as official authorised retailer we only sell genuine MBT. We stock Argyle, Bailey, Cardy, Sheepskin, …
Out of curiosity and since I’m interested in purchasing one of those boots online vs. Uggs, do they smell any sheepishness? What about in the long term? Do they make your feet smell for not letting air get in or they actually let them breathe well? Thank you!