Boots are made. Wet felting of wool felt boots for beginners with a step-by-step description and photo

Today we will tell you how felt boots are made in the city of Kalyazin, Tver region. There is a great production video at the end.

Felted footwear (felt boots) have been made in the Kalyazinsky District for 200 years. After the revolution, handicraft production was replaced by industrial production - the Krasny Oktyabr factory was organized on the basis of the artel. In 2004, it merges with another, Moscow, “Bitsa” factory. This is how the production that exists at the moment appears.

1. They make felt boots from sheep wool. True, the Yaroslavl Romanov sheep is not suitable for industrial production. Therefore, white wool is brought from Mongolia, gray - from the Caucasus and Central Asia.

2. First, the wool is prepared for production. It is run through a special apparatus, oiled and folded in a large container.

4. Carding unit. Wool is manually placed at the back, combed with spiky rollers and wound in the front on special spools

7. After combing the wool, the base of the future felt boot is wound, which is lapped on these machines with steam

10. On the machines, you can also warm up food)

11. And this is a dog. In fact, one of the factory workers is resting in the background during her lunch break, but she refused to be photographed.

12. After lapping the workpiece, the head of the felt boot is formed by hand - the toe, heel and sole. Then the fluffy wool is rubbed in again with steam

13. Now the blanks need to be assembled in a batch and sent to the rolling machine. Rolling, squeezing, press - wool becomes inseparable

14. Then the shape is stretched and given the appearance of a felt boot. Only it is so far 2 times larger than the size that will turn out in the end

16. Blanks are thrown into a wooden drum filled with water, where the initial wool roll or felting takes place. That is why felt boots are called felt boots!

18. And then the workpieces are stretched again on a machine that the factory calls "crocodile". The workers were simply amazed by the synchronicity of their actions.

20. By the way! Now we have a Go Pro camera, she shot an excellent video about the production of boots for you and wants to show it at the end of the post.

21. This "baby" with its own mounts can be mounted on tripods using the Tripod adapter. And at the end we will see the whole factory process captured with a 170 degree wide-angle lens!

22. A cool video is already waiting, and our boots are going on. Now they need to be moistened, shaped and sized on special pads. And in the oven to dry

26. Finishing by tapping the last

27. Determination of the intermediate size of the boots

29. After shaping and sizing, the pads are no longer needed, they are stocked before a new batch

31. Now there is little left. Need to grind off excess wool

The production of felt boots has remained unchanged for several hundred years. The raw material is natural wool, which shrinks strongly during the manufacturing process, as a result of which the best winter shoes for a frosty and dry winter are obtained.

What are boots

Valenki are a type of winter footwear made of densely knitted natural wool. In the most severe frosts, they retain heat and save the legs from frostbite, and the whole body from hypothermia, even in the Far North. The material for the shoes is sheep wool, which is felted (rolled). Wool processing technology goes through the stage of simultaneous steaming and shrinking into a dense material from which the product is formed. The name of the shoe, so common in the past, comes from the name of the production process - felting.

Valenki are produced in many types. Classic models are made of densely knitted thick wool with a mid-cut upper. They are comfortable, lightweight, durable. They are worn during the cold season in dry weather. In the autumn or in slushy winters, rubber galoshes are put on boots. Natural wool tramples rather quickly, so the soles were often hemmed with leather. In urban conditions, felt boots were in little demand, but in the vast provinces they are still relevant.

Until recently, traditional footwear was not of interest to most of the population; felt boots were worn only for small children. Now the return of fashion to natural materials and traditional crafts has begun, which is associated with new opportunities, designer finds.

History of felt boots

There were times when felt boots were considered a symbol of prosperity and great wealth, and shoe sellers were taxed heavily. The production of felt boots was a secret for most mortals, and the fellers kept their secrets in secret, preferring to pass them on only to family members. It is assumed that the prototype of felt boots were pimas, shoes of nomads.

It is believed that felted footwear appeared at the end of the 18th century in the town of Myshkin, Yaroslavl province. The fashion for felt boots at court was introduced by Peter I, he put them on after a bath or wore them in winter. Empress Catherine the Great with the help of felt boots treated the disease of the feet, and Elizabeth, by her decree, allowed the wearing of these shoes to the ladies of the court, complete with magnificent dresses. Rapid innovations in Russia were periodic, one of them was provoked by Peter I, who was distinguished by his broad outlook and practicality; under his rule, felt boots became available to all segments of the population.

The production of felted footwear on an industrial scale began in the 19th century. Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev were fans of felt boots. During the war years, felt boots were included in the set of winter uniforms for soldiers and senior officers. Today, the mandatory equipment with traditional footwear remains relevant for the special forces of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The production of felt boots today is experiencing a renaissance, they are becoming favorite objects for the application of energy and imagination among designers, which resonates with the buyer. Felt boots, decorated with skillful embroidery, ribbons, natural fur, as in ancient times, create comfortable conditions for their owner, fulfilling their main purpose - keeping warm in cold weather.

Types of wool

For the manufacture of the best felt boots in Russia, sheep wool was most often used, but goat, dog, and rabbit wool were also used. Sheep wool was appreciated for its high wear and healing qualities. The wool was combed, compacted (felted) and obtained a durable one. Further manipulations on molding were carried out manually.

The final color of the product depended on the raw materials, whites were considered the most luxurious, the wool of Mongolian fine-wool sheep was used for their production, gray felt boots were obtained from sheep wool imported from Central Asia or the Caucasus. Sometimes shoes were made of which, in terms of quality, are not inferior to analogues, but felt boots from it are more fluffy and not so light.

Types of boots

Modern models are made of rabbit, sheep, goat wool, there are products from mohair and felt. Valenki are divided into several types, depending on the materials and models used:

Classic felt boots made of 100% wool, made by upholstery.
Shoes with soles.
Classic felt boots with welded rubber sole.
Boots with fur. Such models are made of thin felt, insulated with several layers of batting, the inner part is finished with a bike lining. The sole is rubber. This is a more modern version, which was to the taste of city dwellers, it can be worn in any weather.

Technological process

Felt boots remain one of the best options for footwear for the winter cold. Manufacturing (Russia) is based on old principles that have not changed since the 19th century. The technology looks like this schematically:

The wool obtained in rolls is torn into small fibers and dried; for this it is sent to a carding machine. The material used is not washed, which is important for compliance with the technology.
The dried raw materials are sent for processing to a wool-combing machine, where the material receives a single structure. Then the products are cut to size. At this stage, the boots are four times larger than they should be.
The cut parts are sent to the rolling machine, where they are subjected to steam treatment and mechanical shrinkage, after which they are boiled in hot water. At this stage, compaction occurs, the wool shrinks up to 80% of the original blank. Then put on the last, stretching and giving the final shape, after which it is dried.
The dried footwear is additionally hammered with birch beaters to make them more dense.
In the finishing shop, in classic models, the upper part of the boot is cut off to obtain a straight edge. But modernity has made its own adjustments, and now boots are embroidered with threads, beads, rhinestones. Frequent finishing was the use of the technique of artistic drawing with felt, the addition of natural fur and other design finds.

Equipment

Today, many have opened small companies where felt boots are made. Production (Russia) was previously divided into industrial and handicraft. Equipment for a small and a large workshop needs the same, the only difference is in scale and performance. What equipment is required for the production of felt boots?

Industrial or household carding machine.
Vibropress with steam supply.
Industrial washing machine.
Drying chamber.
if the lineup will be presented not only by the classics (semi-automatic press for vulcanization of rubber soles, etc.).
Accessories: pads, beaters, etc.

Industrial and handicraft production

The industrial production of felt boots allows the production of up to 60 pairs of shoes per day, the handicraft version - up to 2-3 pairs. Any factory for the production of felt boots produces not only shoes, but related products: blankets, pillows, slippers, rugs and much more.

Today, handicrafts are popular, including felt boots. Experienced craftsmen make them aesthetic, with a modern range of models. But no amount of hand effort can dump the wool to the desired state described in GOSTs. The factory for the production of felt boots will always provide its goods with a certificate of conformity and useful tips for caring for the purchased pair.

Felted shoe factories

In the old days, whole volosts were engaged in felting, the occupation was difficult, but it brought sufficient income to the cooperatives. Now in Russia, such shoes are manufactured industrially. Factories for the production of felt boots are located in several regions, there are about fifteen of them in total, the five leaders are as follows:

The largest player in this market is the Yaroslavl felted shoe factory, which produces up to 600 thousand pairs of shoes per year.
One of the oldest factories, the Kukmorsk felt-felt plant, does not lose its position; the annual production of felt boots here is up to 900 thousand pairs.
Elvi-Plus company, production volume - 300 thousand pairs of felt boots per year.
The Omsk Combine of Felted Shoes produces 170 thousand pairs a year.

The rest of the enterprises produce a much smaller volume of felt boots, from 45 to 150 thousand pairs per year. Russian-made felt boots made up a successful alternative to foreign shoes called ugg boots. Each customer has his own tastes, preferences and scale of values, according to which a particular product is selected. But as for felt boots, in comparison with foreign counterparts, in many respects this old 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 footwear for over 150 years. The retail chain of stores is spread throughout the country, and Muscovites can buy a pair they like without leaving the capital, at the address: Stroiteley Street, Building 6, Building 4 (Universitet metro station).

How to choose boots

A successful pair of felt boots will last more than one year and will keep the owner warm in the most severe frosts. The choice of felted wool shoes is carried out according to the following principles:

Real felt boots are 100% wool. The material must be dense and homogeneous in composition. If there are bald spots, thickenings, lumps, then the shoes will quickly tear.
Valenki are not divided into right and left, they are produced the same. The shoe gets its shape while it is being worn. When buying a pair, make sure that both boots are the same in shape, toe height, inner and outer foot lengths, and boot sizes.
Smell. The only smell that a felt boot may have is the smell of burned wool, it will quickly disappear. If there is a smell of wet wool, this means a violation of the technological process, at some stage the product was poorly washed or dried, it is impossible to get rid of it.
In a real felt boot, the sole and heel are made with a noticeable thickening, since in these places the shoe wipes faster and loses its shape. To determine - it is enough to probe.
Elasticity. Wool shoes should not be too soft (under-melted linen) or too thick. To appreciate this quality, it is enough to bend the bootleg a little; under the hands, high-quality wool will spring a little and unbend quickly.
The size. Valenki can be trampled in width, and in length they shrink, so you need to buy a pair of 1-2 sizes larger. To determine what is necessary, there is a table of correspondence between the size of the legs and boots.
The most natural are felt boots made of undyed wool, even natural dyes reduce the medicinal qualities of sheep's wool.

Felting a felt boot is not easy, but a survivalist
you definitely need to have skills on how to do this.
This process consists of many stages:
wool needs to be cleaned, combed, "broken" into fibers, rolled up, soaked in boiling water and saline solution, chipped in a triangular shape, and then knocked down on a block to the desired size, dried ..

* It is not surprising that before the mechanization of their manufacture, felt boots were expensive. In peasant families, the whole family took turns in one pair. Valenki are footwear designed primarily for dry frosty weather. If you want to wear boots in the slush, you will have to purchase galoshes in addition to them.
In different parts of Russia, felt boots had different names: felt boots, felt boots, felt boots, felt boots, rolls, scooters, boots, pimas.

Russian peasants had considerable experience in making felt boots at home, which they passed on to us.

The production of felt boots is based on the characteristics of the wool that is easy to get tangled. The ability of wool to fall off (to form felt) is enhanced if, on the one hand, it is loosened by heating it in warm water or influenced by some chemical substance (acids or alkalis), and on the other hand, the effect of mechanical force, which causes the wool fibers to intertwine, is enhanced. between themselves.

THE HOME PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING VALENOKS consists of the following operations:

To make one pair of felt boots, you need to take 2.2-2.4 kg of heterogeneous coarse wool, better than autumn shearing, and separate the flower by hand. Then, herbal and mineral supplements are removed from it, for this:

Wool is soaked in warm water (35 ... 40 °) with addition of 1% of its volume of soda ash or synthetic powder for washing woolen products. Soak wool in liquid for at least 30 minutes

The wool wrung out by hand is washed three times in a soap-soda solution with a concentration of soap 0.3 and soda 0.2% by volume of water, or 3 g of soap and 2 g of soda per 1 liter of water. The temperature of the washing solution should be 45-52 ° C. After three times washing, the wool is rinsed in clean water and dried.

Washed dry non-uniform wool is cleaned of burdock, straw and other impurities by hand.

Then the wool is combed with special combers - hand carders (see video 3)

A pattern is cut out of the resulting dense canvas, which should be 1.8-2 times larger than the finished felt boot. The knocked-down wool is placed in an even layer on top of a pattern moistened with water. Where the sole of the felt boots will be, they put more wool (see video 1)

The edges of the pattern are folded inward and exactly the other side of the workpiece is laid on top of it, wrapped in the same fabric and begins to roll on the table with effort, while spraying the workpiece with hot water.

The process of transformation of a cotton-like mass into felt under the influence of hot water and mechanical action of the hands occurs within 10 minutes

The boot obtained in this way is immersed for 4-5 hours in a weak solution of sulfuric acid (50 g per 2 l of water), in which the wool is defatted and even more "dumped".

Next, you need to do everything so that a large felt boot, consisting of a loose felt mass, is compacted ... Compaction is carried out with force by rolling a board with a ribbed surface over the boot blank

The felt boot is immersed in boiling water for 10 minutes, then laid out and crumpled with your hands. This process resembles a wash of linen and is "rolled" on a ribbed surface.
When the product has cooled down, it is placed in boiling water and the same operation is carried out again, "washing" and rolling.
This process is repeated 3-4 times within one and a half to two hours. The felt boot becomes more and more compacted, decreases in size and takes on the corresponding shape of the finished product

* The formation of felt boots is carried out after their sufficient compaction. A shoe (boot shape) is inserted into a wet felt boot, consisting of five separate parts. In this form, it is placed in an oven or oven and dried at about 70 ° C for a day. The shoe is removed, and the felt boot is cleaned with a pumice stone and burned to remove the protruding villi.
After these final operations, the boots are ready

* Felting boots can only be done by very patient and calm people, because this is a very painstaking and long-term process that requires full dedication.

YOU CAN MAKE VALENKI WITH YOUR OWN HANDS IN 2 METHODS:
- using a stencil
- using a volumetric workpiece

1. WITH THE HELP OF A CLEARANCE.
To felted felt boots using a stencil, you need to decide on a pattern, because natural wool shrinks strongly.
Thick cardboard is suitable as a suitable - it is necessary to lay out woolen layers on it, moreover, this must be done simultaneously on both stencils.

The first layer of wool is laid out randomly, and the subsequent ones should be located strictly perpendicular to the previous ones. Do not be greedy - let the wool protrude a little beyond the borders of the pattern; at the end of felting, the edges will still have to be bent down.

Wool can move and slip, so you need to carefully monitor this and spread it as tightly as possible. For ordinary felt boots, six layers of wool are usually enough, but if you want to make very warm boots, then increase the number of layers to eight or ten.

Wet felting of wool boots involves the processing of blanks with hot soapy water, until the desired thickness of the product is formed. Then the boots should be washed, cut, removed the stencil and rinsed thoroughly in the same soapy solution until the desired shrinkage. The final stage will be stuffing felt boots with paper and drying.

2. HOW TO FOLD VALENKI WITH THE HELP OF THE BLANK.

The process of felting felt boots is similar to the previous one, only rubber shoes, not a cardboard pattern, act as a form-building element. Only the boots need to be chosen at least a few sizes larger than the desired one, since the wool shrinks strongly. Rubber boots should be one-third the size of future boots.

Just like in the case of cardboard, wool layers are laid out perpendicular to each other - this is necessary for better adhesion of the villi. Particular attention should be paid to the sole, as well as the uniformity and uniformity of the layers, otherwise the thickness of the boots will not be the same in different parts and it will take a lot of time to correct the defect.

To finally fix the shape of the product, use a hot soapy solution (the hotter the better). Wrap the felt boot in a net or calico and start sprinkling it with soapy water, smoothing the surface with your hands or rolling it with a wooden massager or rolling pin.

However, do not overdo it, if you immediately start to crush too much, then holes may form in the felt boots. The whole process takes about 40 minutes - if you decide to simplify the work, then nothing good will come of it. It is necessary to thoroughly float the felt boots, otherwise the layers may move and get disheveled. When you feel that the layers are fixed and do not move at all, the felt boot is ready.
It remains only to fill it with bottles of suitable size and dry it.

***
Felted items, including boots, are found during excavations of rather ancient burial mounds. The original design was not as perfect as the one we have today: the bootleg was rolled separately and sewn to the shoe, so they did not differ in great strength. Only at the beginning of the XIII century, the artisans of the city of Myshkin, Yaroslavl province, invented a four-piece prefabricated shoe, which made it possible to roll a felt boot entirely.

* Valenki played a strategic role during the Great Patriotic War, protecting Soviet soldiers from severe frosts.
They kept the health of millions of people in the cold winter.

* Felting products are still in great demand among the population. They are especially necessary for builders, fishermen, elderly people living in rural areas and very often in cold apartments.

In industrial production, rolls are made using felting machines, in which wool or products made from it in a wet state are subject to the action of pressure at a moderate temperature (30 ... 40 °). As a result of the action of external forces, the fibers are mixed, intertwined and compacted. The villi of wool fibers contain them, preventing displacement in the finished product. The strength of the product is thus increased.

video:
1 - how to make felt boots on a stencil
2 - wet felting
3.Cheming wool for felt boots
4 + 5 - felting with a blank.

HOW TO START SUCH BUSINESS

DIY boots

Demand felt boots growing continuously. This is facilitated by the “aging of the population” - for old people, felt boots are their favorite home shoes. On the other hand, the growing middle class and leading a healthy lifestyle are moving from city apartments to cottages, where felt boots are comfortable home, yard and outdoor shoes. The demand for children's boots is also growing. The factories that remained from Soviet times mainly produce "oak" black and gray felt boots, while now the main demand is for white and colored felt boots, for felt boots with embroidery and appliqué, for beautiful multi-colored children's boots.

Valenki are old footwear, comfortable, warm and durable. Until recently, it was associated with a rustic style and did not enjoy wide popularity. But thanks to the global trend towards the use of natural materials, the study of ancient crafts, it has found a new life. The main criterion that characterizes the quality of shoes is what boots are made of, what equipment and material are used. Despite the development of modern technologies, the manufacturing process requires the application of the knowledge and methods used by the ancestors.

What are

The answer to the question of what felt boots are probably known to every person living in a harsh winter. These are shoes made of wool, without soles, designed for dry, frosty weather. Traditional felt boots are monolithic, laconic, without fasteners, zippers, abundant decor. They are spacious, comfortable, easy to take off and put on. Winter models can be insulated with felt, soft ones are used as house shoes or under rubber boots.

Valenki are ancient footwear, its prototype was short boots resembling galoshes - chuni, cats, kengi. There are a lot of versions of the origin. There are a large number of interesting facts about felt boots associated with the legends of the appearance of felt:

Felt was accidentally invented by Pope Clement I. He used fleece as linings. Under the influence of sweat and constant pressure, the wool became felted cloth.
During a long journey, the Apostle Joakov collected shreds of sheep's wool, put them in shoes so that it rubbed less on their feet. This is how the first insoles came about.
Noah's ark was lined with wool. Salt water and tamping by animals have created a kind of felted carpet.

According to archaeological research, felt boots appeared in the 4th century BC - fragments of woolen shoes were found during excavations in Altai. The craft was well developed in the Caucasus, Tibet, the Carpathians. It was used by pastoralists, nomadic tribes of the Eurasian steppes. The history of the emergence of felt boots in Russia is associated with the period of the Golden Horde, the neighborhood with the Mongol and Turkic tribes. The first mention of woolen shoes was recorded in the work "The Lay of Igor's Campaign." The products were expensive and only rich people could buy them. Often one pair was bought for a whole family, it was used in turn.

First, felt boots in Russia were cut and sewn. Whole products without seams began to be made already at the beginning of the 19th century in the Nizhny Novgorod province. The style of footwear, most similar to modern models, was invented by the masters of the city of Myshkin. When industrial production was established, felt boots became more affordable, popular and irreplaceable. They were used by workers and peasants. During World War II, footwear was worn by Soviet soldiers. White boots of snipers became famous. Gradually, the popularity of the products subsided a little - the winters became warmer, slushy, with frequent thaws.

Felt boots are known under many names - wire rods, felt boots, pimas, garlic, volushechki, antics. The name of the shoe changed depending on the region and the material of manufacture. They stand out for their many advantages:

keep warm well, are characterized by excellent air permeability;
strong, durable, comfortable;
hypoallergenic, lightweight, comfortable.

The advantage of felted footwear is its positive effect on the body - it produces a massage effect on the feet, improves blood flow, relieves rheumatism or sciatica.

The disadvantages of products include water permeability, the need for careful maintenance. However, with proper use, the shoes can last for several seasons. That is why it is so in demand and popular.

Now the history of felt boots continues to develop - new technologies have appeared, fashion trends have changed. The range of products has expanded significantly. Models with rubber or leather soles, shafts of different lengths, configurations, and various decor are added to the assortment of conventional styles.

Materials (edit)

Depending on what felt boots are made of, their cost, quality, methods of use are determined. In the old days, felt boots were made exclusively from wool, which was sheared from a live sheep. This material is called molding. In modern production, in addition to wool, additional materials are used that help improve footwear, make it versatile, meeting new requirements.

The main material for felt boots is semi-coarse sheep wool, obtained as a result of spring and autumn haircuts. Raw materials are imported to Russia from the Caucasus, Mongolia, and some Asian countries. Interesting models are created from goat, rabbit, dog hair. Exotic fluffy items are obtained from camel hair.

Sheep's wool

Rabbit

Significant changes have been made to the production of shoe bottoms. For greater comfort, durability and waterproofness, the sole is made of leather or rubber - it is glued or sewn on. Cast or grooved bottoms are often found. Winter models are additionally insulated with fur or felt cloth. To protect against moisture, the outer part of the shoe can be covered with waterproof textiles.

Valenki do not react well to moisture - they can get wet, deformed. To preserve the attractive appearance and performance of the shoe, it should be carefully processed after purchase. A special impregnation is applied to the upper - a water-repellent spray for suede and nubuck, the sole is lubricated with silicone sealant. Products can be dried only at room temperature, stored in a dark, dry place.

Rubber, grooved

Leather, cast sole

Manufacturing features

Wool is the only natural material that, thanks to its characteristic scales, is able to adhere to each other without additional funds. On the basis of this feature, the ancient craft was born - felting or rolling. Two methods of shoe production were formed - manual and industrial.

Manual felling

Little is known about the masters of pimokats who roll felt boots by hand. Their work is hard, painstaking, but the shoes, made by skillful hands, are of high quality, durable, and environmentally friendly. It costs more, but this difference is justified - it may take several days to create one pair of felt boots.

The manufacturing process consists of the following steps:

Material cleaning. Sheared wool is carefully separated from debris, sorted by color.
Making a tow. Raw materials are crushed, it becomes like fluff.
Wool is treated with boiling water, laid out in a thin layer.
A pattern is created, felting begins. During the roll process, the product decreases in size, becomes dense and rigid.
The workpiece is set on a block and lined with a wooden stick. As a result, felt boots become softer and take on the desired size.
Shoes are sent to the oven for drying.

The craftsmen do not use any chemicals in their work. The result is quality footwear in a natural white, brown or gray color. At the final stage, the products are polished with a wooden block.

Mass production

As a result of industrial development, the serial production of felt boots was established. It is based on modern technologies and requires special equipment.

Primary processing - cleaning, washing, sorting.
The raw material is sent to scutching and carding machines.
The tow is placed on the press plates, where the pieces of felted web are formed.
A blank is made, which is sent for stretching.
The product goes through the rolling stage - it is placed in drums with hot water. Some manufacturers use sulfuric acid at this stage. Several times the boots lend themselves to stretching, so they acquire the desired size.
After the felling, the shoes are put on a metal block and treated with steam.
The finished products are dried at a temperature of 100 degrees for 6 hours.

Valenki lend themselves to various experiments - they are ground, polished, varnished with wood glue, impregnated with rubber, dissolved gasoline. This creates a water-repellent effect.

Colour

The traditional colors of felt boots are natural colors - white, gray, brown, black. In the old days, craftsmen used natural dyes to dye shoes. White felt boots were obtained as a result of using white and fresh milk. The solution was rubbed onto the surface and then dried thoroughly. A dark shade was achieved with alum, sandalwood or copper sulfate.

Modern models of felt boots correspond to fashion trends, are created in a variety of colors. Bright red, purple, yellow, green models refresh the image, give lightness, a feeling of warmth. Discreet beige, blue, burgundy products are versatile and practical. Gold and silver felt boots have become relevant.

Special dyes for wool are used to dye the felt. You can also paint or decorate felt boots at home. For this, acrylic paints for fabrics, special dyes for suede are used.

An interesting find was the dyeing of woolen products with hair dye.

Features of designer models

Russian felt boots in a modern interpretation are interesting, beautiful, unique. Large manufacturers of antique footwear in Russia are the firms "Kalyaev", "Tofa", "Kotofey", "Zebra". Their assortment is varied. Every year the following items leave the assembly line:

semi-mattresses, short, tall models;
with a tight and loose bootleg;
equipped with zippers, laces, fasteners;
styles with heels, platform and wedges;
warm, comfortable and bright felt boots for children with interesting images of fairy-tale characters or favorite animals;
practical, durable men's shoes - burki.

Among the variety of styles, designer models stand out - thanks to the author's ideas, such felt boots are unique and inimitable. Often, professionals decorate shoes by hand, use expensive materials - the work is difficult, requires patience and painstaking work. For these reasons, designer shoes are expensive and high-profile. Among domestic fashion designers, the original ideas of Vladislav Zaitsev stand out, he came up with many interesting models:

with a gradient color transition;
decorated with rhinestones, ribbons, fur, lace, beads;
embroidered with satin stitch, cross.

A very interesting idea is the creation of wedding boots. Ordinary white wool boots are decorated with smooth embroidery and lace inserts.

Valenki are practical, warm, natural footwear. In the old days, she was simply irreplaceable. Currently, thanks to the trend towards the use of natural materials, the relevance of folk motives, the popularity of felted footwear has increased. Manufacturers have adapted felt boots to modern requirements, supplemented with other materials, decorated. The result is fashionable, beautiful and high quality footwear.

"Kalyaev"

"Kotofey"

Boots from Vladislav Zaitsev

Video

Photo

It should be noted that our old felt boots are returning to fashion again. These are truly Russian footwear, perfect for winter frosts. Did you know that for felt boots it is not necessary to go to a remote village or buy for big money in a store? Felting boots at home allows you to make the process quick and interesting, in our article we will tell you how to do this.

Main job

The process of felting wool boots is not easy, long, but very interesting. So, to work you will need:

Wool;
Sample;
A film with pimples, this is usually used for packaging fragile materials, you can buy it at a hardware store;
Net;
Hot water;
Liquid soap (soap solution can be used);
Towel;
In our master class, we also used a bath mat.

First you need to take measurements and, taking into account all sizes, make a pattern, the size needs to be increased by about forty percent, because the wool will shrink during felting. To build a drawing, you can use the template below.

We tear off the wool in small pieces and put it on the template, the wool should "look" in one direction, with the next layer the wool "looks" in the opposite direction. We continue to lay out in this way about three to four layers.

After completing work with the first side, you need to cover the product with a net, pour the whole thing with hot soapy water, iron it and increase the pressing force.

Now the product needs to be turned over, wrap all the protruding pieces of wool and do all the same steps as with the first side.

Cover with a net again, pour with soapy water.

Turn the product over again and bend the protruding pieces.

At this stage of work, our boots should look like in the photo below:

Now the mesh needs to be changed to a pimpled film, thanks to its design, this film evenly distributes the pressure, thereby accelerating the felting process. Now you need to press very hard, the movements should be confident.

You can even use auxiliary items:

Now we remove the pimpled film and check how well our felt boots fall off.

If the hairs come off easily, then you need to work harder, the product should not be very damp and in no case cold, if necessary, you can add a soapy solution based on hot water.

If the product begins to decrease in size, the workpiece needs to be cut: we get two parts.

We continue to knock, roll, roll, it is very important to put more effort into working with cuts and nose.

Our felt boots are ready, you can fill them with bags, newspapers or just paper when drying, this is necessary so that the boots take the correct and beautiful shape.

By this principle, you can make wonderful souvenir felt boots and use them to decorate the interior for the New Year's holiday or as a Christmas tree decoration.

Of course, felt boots, which are in fashion today, are somewhat different from those worn in the old days by our great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers. You yourself could see painted or embroidered felt boots in the store, you can also decorate your product by making embroidery on it, painted with special paints, here you can give freedom to your imagination.

As mentioned above, you can decorate felt boots in different ways, and we will tell you the most popular of them.

Lace

It seems that this is an unusual option for decorating felt boots, but the product decorated with this material looks very feminine, gentle and unusual, in such shoes you will be like a real Snow Maiden. The image can be complemented with beads. Before you sew lace to a felt boot, you should iron it thoroughly with an iron.

Fur

Fur trim not only gives your shoes a finished and beautiful look, but also serves as additional insulation. It should be noted that both artificial and natural fur can be used.

Application

The applique can be made from absolutely any fabric (felt, wool, leather, etc.), you can choose any image you like, you can print a template from a computer and transfer it to the product using a disappearing marker (which is sold in any craft store ). The applique can be sewn on or glued on.

Painting

Everything is simple here. Take special waterproof paints, draw a contour and paint. Even if you don't know how to draw, you can handle this task. Just find the stencil you want and trace around it.