Finnish boots

[SCOMAN]

I wouldn't call theme Haute Couture but good looking boots;

https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/finnish-army-lapp-boots-used/53654?ref=frontpage_newstuff

 

[Dreadhead]

Fancied a pair of these for ages, here is a source I found during my search https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/220500939/arctips-traditional-lappish-boots-tanned?ref=hp_rf

 

[Martti]

Previous discussion - Töysän Kenkätehdas Finnish Boots

 

[SCOMAN]

Previous discussion - Töysän Kenkätehdas Finnish Boots

Missed that when it came out, cheers Martti. I was bought two books about the Finnish experience during WWII so I'm hoping to learn more about how you Finns operated in the conditions.

 

[Martti]

I was bought two books about the Finnish experience during WWII so I'm hoping to learn more about how you Finns operated in the conditions.

Here's some information about Finnish surplus boots that are quite close to the 1940s summer boots.

Finnish Defence Forces Leather Boots

 

[boney gumbo mcgee]

Varusteleka were selling them brand new a couple of years back, might be worth giving them a shout, they might sign post you to the maker, nice boots btw, Good luck..

 

[NoName]

Very Nice! Thanks for sharing.
And varestuleka is a very cool shop!

 

[Martti]

A recent news article in Finnish about the factory with multiple photographs of the boots and tools used to make them.

 

[Janne]

There is a factory in northern Sweden called Kero that make a range of the Same shoe and boot design.
Check out www.skramtraskskon.com for those and other shoes 'properly" made!

The tip is upturned so they fit in the special, oldfashioned ski binding that was just a loop basically.

Archeology shows these loops have been in use for Millenia, so I guess this shoe/boot design too.

 

[Martti]

There is a factory in northern Sweden called Kero that make a range of the Same shoe and boot design. Check out www.skramtraskskon.com for those and other shoes 'properly" made!

None of the shoes and boots listed on the web site are in fact Saami designs, but of Finnish origin. Even the manufacturer refers them as "Svenska näbbkängor från Tornedalen" or "Swedish näbbkängor from Torne(o) Valley". Näbbkängor literally means "beaked shoes", where kängor is a loan word from the Finnish word "kengät" (literally "shoes"). Most of the Swedish part of the valley was mostly inhabited by Finnish and Saami-speaking people until the beginning of the 20th century and many the place names still use the original Finnish form (Jukkasjärvi, Svappavaara, Lainio, Pajala).

 

[Janne]

I stand corrected!
Also the language spoken there mainly was (still is?) a dialect of Finnish.

Kero is situated in Torne dalen. Those shoes were made in the past all around in Norrland, I bought a pair made in Arvidsjaur in 1979.
Threw them away when I moved to UK 2 decades ago, which I regret.



The Swedish words translates in English to 'boot, boots' , i.e. high shafted shoes

It is very difficult sometimes to know the origin of words, specially when two different cultures had a such intimate relationship as Sweden and Finland. Finnish words were adopted by the Finns, and vice versa.

I think that Finland should join Sweden in a Swedish-Finnish Union!

alternate the seat of the parliament between Stockholm and Helsinki.

None of the shoes and boots listed on the web site are in fact Saami designs, but of Finnish origin. Even the manufacturer refers them as "Svenska näbbkängor från Tornedalen" or "Swedish näbbkängor from Torne(o) Valley". Näbbkängor literally means "beaked shoes", where kängor is a loan word from the Finnish word "kengät" (literally "shoes"). Most of the Swedish part of the valley was mostly inhabited by Finnish and Saami-speaking people until the beginning of the 20th century and many the place names still use the original Finnish form (Jukkasjärvi, Svappavaara, Lainio, Pajala).

 

[Martti]

Could it be that Finland took the Swedish word and adopted it?

Känga/kängor is one of the few Swedish words clearly loaned from Finnish because it is present in the same form in all of the Finno-Ugric languages located thousands kilometres from Sweden. Other shoe-related word loaned from Finnish is pjäxa/pjäxor from Finnish "pieksu/pieksut". Nowadays pjäxa refers to plastic ski boots, but originally it had the same meaning as the Finnish original, i.e. certain type of leather shoes (see e.g. Svenska Akademiens ordbok http://g3.spraakdata.gu.se/saob/).

 

[Janne]

Well, I remember when Ski boots were made from leather...... The pleasure of getting older, you have experienced stuff they put in Museums or Living History places!


In Northern Sweden, most of the people that are born there use a Swedish with odd mixed Finnish word in. And some Same words too.
But of course the language they are taught in schools is pure Swedish.

 

[Nice65]

Without being rude, or troll the thread, am I the only person who thinks these boots look ridiculous?

 

[Janne]

Thank you, SCOMAN.
Your thread is making me spend my hard earned money.....
I am going to buy a pair of the Beak Boots, the half high ones.

 

[Janne]

Without being rude, or troll the thread, am I the only person who thinks these boots look ridiculous?

The Pink ones with the Same flag tassels and band might be a bit over the top......

Edit: the colour of the teindeer skin can be a bit offputting to some, but a liberal application of mink fat mixed with tar will darken it a lit. Pure mink fat will take to a darker colour.

 

[Janne]

I like the Blötnäbb ( eng. Wet beak) but without the imprint on the leather.

 

[Martti]

Without being rude, or troll the thread, am I the only person who thinks these boots look ridiculous?

Function before fashion: if you owned only one pair of good leather boots back in the day, they were better be suited also to be used with skis. Docent of Zoology Johan Sahlberg with his wife at Helsinki in 1873.

Two seal hunters at Vehkalahti in 1899.

 

[NoName]

Truly stunning boots!
Beautiful pictures Martti! Good find.