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What are Vellies ?

Veldskoene ("FELT-skoona") or colloquially Vellies ("FELL-ees"), are  walking shoes made from tanned soft rawhide uppers attached to a  strong non woven insole and TPR sole without tacks or nails.

The name comes from the South African (Afrikaans) word "vel" ( English "skin"), assimilated with "veld" (English "field"), and "skoene" (English "shoes").

They were first made in the 17th century by the first Dutch settlers in South Africa. Their design is believed to be based on the traditional Khoisan footwear observed by these settlers. The footwear was later embedded into the Afrikaaner psyche when velskoene were used as the footwear of the Great Trek.

Lightweight and extremely tough, vellies became part of South African society, worn by all classes and professions, often without socks, but favoured by students, farmers and safari guides.

They are sometimes considered light boots, and can essentially be considered a subset of chukka boots or desert boots although the traditional vellies tend to have a lower topline.