Currently, boots known as Chukka are widely recognized by their particular shape and height to the ankle. We find that characteristic silhouette of a boot also under names such as: Desert Boots, Veldskoen, Vellies and some other nomenclature that may make us doubt about the footwear we are going to acquire. But, are different names for the same style of boot? Is there any kind of difference between them? Let’s delve into some history and try to clarify these terms.

To start, the Veldkoen boot (from Afrikaans Vel “skin”, later assimilated as Veld “field” and skoene “shoe”), also colloquially known as Vellie, was created by Dutch immigrants in the Cape Colony in the 17th century, in what is today the southwest of South Africa. It is said that, for the creation of this footwear, the colonists were inspired by a type of footwear they had already seen, as it was worn by Khoisan tribes in the area. It was a simple and easy-to-manufacture boot with elements from the area, in addition to being comfortable and durable enough to withstand the hard farm and sheepherding work.

This boot was widely used by Boers (farmers) and Trekboers, semi-nomadic shepherds who ventured beyond the boundaries of the Cape Colony into unexplored territory. These shepherds gradually settled further beyond the borders, which allowed them to live a freer life, away from the laws imposed from the metropolis. With the arrival of the British between 1795 and 1803 in the Cape Colony, the Boer population of Dutch origin began to feel uncomfortable with the new government. Due to various disagreements and disputes over land, a large number of Boers known as Voortrekkers (pioneers) decided to emigrate to new territories in southern Africa, known as the Great Trek (Groettrek). It is said that the footwear they used during the journey was the Vellie (Veldskoen). Since then, the Vellie boot has continued to be the traditional work boot in South Africa.

On the other hand, in Europe, we find a type of boot called Chukka. It is speculated that the origin of this boot is in the boots used to play polo, as at that time the game of polo was divided into eight times and each one of them was called “Chukker”. Following this thread, it is also said that the origin is in India, where British soldiers would have been inspired by Jodhpur boots to design boots to play polo. The word Chukka derives from “Chukkar”, a Hindi term meaning circle or turn.

Later, during the North Africa campaign in World War II, the British army begins to replace its typical military boots with others called Desert Boots. It is known that these Desert Boots were commissioned by South African army officers, similar to the aforementioned Vellies, from the shoe makers in the Khan elKhalili bazaar in Cairo. These boots reached British officials and later became popular among the troops. Their simplicity, lightness and comfort made them the most desired model. They were easily repairable and obtainable in the area. This detail did not go unnoticed by Nathan Clark, of the Clarks shoe company, who, in addition to fighting the enemy, his family had told him to be attentive to possible shoe models and designs that could be interesting for his family’s company. Upon his return to the UK, Nathan presented this model to his family and began its production. The success of his new Desert Boots mainly came to the US and Australia and later also to his own country.

Currently, the line that divides the Chukka, Desert Boots and Veldskoen – Vellie models is quite blurry. As a general rule, the term Chukka has been established as a term that groups this type of low boot with such a recognizable silhouette, with Desert Boots, Vellies and others being submodels within the Chukka spectrum. However, South Africans claim that the Vellies were actually the original model, dating back to the 17th century, and that the rest are subtypes of this model. In any case, slight differences can be established between the types of Chukka, although they are not always respected by brands and manufacturers:

• Chukka Boot: the most generic term that encompasses the largest number of characteristics. As basic characteristics we can establish that the number of eyelets should be 2 or 3 pairs and a height to the ankle. The Chukka term accepts all types of constructions, with the most traditional being the Stitchdown and Goodyear Welt. As for the type of leather, its range is also greater, being the most typical suede or reversed leather, although smooth leathers are also accepted. In terms of soles, practically all are also accepted, from leather to rubber, through the typical crepe.
• Desert Boot: if we want to be faithful to the origin of the model designed by Clarks, we should limit ourselves to two pairs of eyelets, with three also being accepted. As for leathers, tradition indicates that it should be a suede or rough out leather, and for the soles the most accurate would be the use of crepe. The construction would be a simple stitchdown and the last should not be too high at the toe, to maintain the characteristic low and wide profile of this model.
• Veldskoen – Vellies: although they have a long tradition, this boot is still currently a type of footwear that is used for work on farms and outdoor in southern Africa, so its design and features continue to evolve to adapt to the current type of work and use, which results in a wide variety of styles. As a general rule, wider and more comfortable lasts are used and a resistant leather to withstand the demands of outdoor work. The type of construction and materials for the soles also varies depending on the intended use of the boot, choosing the most suitable combination for each case. A simple construction usually consists of a simple stitchdown and for soles, all types from rubber to polyurethane and crepe soles, the latter being more used for urban use due to the lower resistance of crepe.

For the design and construction of the Afrikaans Boot™, we have inspired ourselves mainly on the functionality and outdoor use of the Vellies boots. In its adaptation to Europe, we have changed the crepe sole for a vibram montagna sole, which provides much better grip, durability and performance in the natural environment. In terms of construction, we have opted for the use of thicker full grain leathers with a Goodyear Welt construction instead of the simpler stitchdown. In this case, we have included a variant of the Goodyear known as “storm welt” to get an extra protection and resistance against the external elements