Sheepskin boots
Encyclopedia
Sheepskin boots are boots made from sheepskin
. The wool
on sheepskin has good insulating properties and so such boots are commonly worn when it is cold.
Sheepskin boots have been worn and used in colder climates since at least 500 B.C. as a Mummy
in Subashi
, China has been uncovered wearing a pair. In ancient Greece
, Plato
wrote that most people would wrap their feet in warm felt and sheepskin during the hard winters in Potidaea
. In the 19th century, traveller William Knight observed sheepskin boots being worn by the people of Tibet
. Women dancers wore boots of variegated colours while male horsemen wore large boots along with heavy sheepskin trousers and coats. The Eskimo
and Inuit
of the polar regions use sheepskin to make warm boots which have names such as kamipak or marnguaq. These are oiled to make them waterproof. In the Russian winter, the peasant
s often wore high boots lined with sheepskin to stay warm.
Sheepskin boots were made in Glastonbury
by the Quaker firm of Morlands
. These were popular and successful in the early days of motoring, as open-topped vehicles were cold and windy. Morland boots were used by the expedition of Sir Edmund Hilary which was the first to climb Mount Everest
in 1953. The boots were not used for climbing but for warmth when the climbers were resting.
Aviator
s need warm clothing if their aircraft are unpressurised and the heating is inadequate. Sheepskin jackets, helmets and boots were commonly used for this purpose in the 20th century. During World War I
, Major Lanoe Hawker
designed thigh-length sheepskin flying boots which were made for him by Harrods
. These became popular in the Royal Flying Corps
where they were known as fug boots. These were superseded by the introduction of the Sidcot suit and more ordinary knee-length fleece-lined boots were then used. Arctic pilots needed especially warm wear and continued to use heavy suspender boots
of sheepskin in place of trousers. Both clothing and boots were electrically heated as the technology for this became available.
In Australia, a soft, slip-on sheepskin boot was developed which were known as ugg boots
(There are a number or derivations given for this name, including a cartoon character, shorthand for "ugly", and the "fug" boots worn in World War I). This became popular with surfers for warming their feet after surfing in the cold winter sea. The UGG Australia
brand was imported to the USA where they were sold in speciality retailers such as surf shops. They then became popular with actors, actresses and influential celebrities such as Paris Hilton
, Leonardo DiCaprio
and Oprah Winfrey
so sales boomed. There is fierce competition for this market with rival brands such as EMU Australia
.
Sheepskin boots are used in nursing
for bedridden patients to prevent bedsores, especially at the heel
.
Sheepskin
Sheepskin is the hide of a sheep, sometimes also called lambskin or lambswool.Sheepskin may also refer to:* Parchment, a thin material made from calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin** Diploma, originally made of sheepskin...
. The wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
on sheepskin has good insulating properties and so such boots are commonly worn when it is cold.
Sheepskin boots have been worn and used in colder climates since at least 500 B.C. as a Mummy
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
in Subashi
Subashi
Subashi is a lost city located in the Taklamakan Desert, on the ancient Silk Road, near Kucha, in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of China...
, China has been uncovered wearing a pair. In ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
, Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
wrote that most people would wrap their feet in warm felt and sheepskin during the hard winters in Potidaea
Potidaea
Potidaea was a colony founded by the Corinthians around 600 BC in the narrowest point of the peninsula of Pallene, the westernmost of three peninsulas at the southern end of Chalcidice in northern Greece....
. In the 19th century, traveller William Knight observed sheepskin boots being worn by the people of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. Women dancers wore boots of variegated colours while male horsemen wore large boots along with heavy sheepskin trousers and coats. The Eskimo
Eskimo
Eskimos or Inuit–Yupik peoples are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska , Canada, and Greenland....
and Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
of the polar regions use sheepskin to make warm boots which have names such as kamipak or marnguaq. These are oiled to make them waterproof. In the Russian winter, the peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
s often wore high boots lined with sheepskin to stay warm.
Sheepskin boots were made in Glastonbury
Glastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
by the Quaker firm of Morlands
Morlands
Morlands is a manufacturer of sheepskin jackets, boots and other footwear, based in Glastonbury in Somerset, England.-History:In 1870, John Morland bought a tannery in Glastonbury, particularly attracted by the water , which he described as being "of unusual purity".John Morland was Chairman from...
. These were popular and successful in the early days of motoring, as open-topped vehicles were cold and windy. Morland boots were used by the expedition of Sir Edmund Hilary which was the first to climb Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
in 1953. The boots were not used for climbing but for warmth when the climbers were resting.
Aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
s need warm clothing if their aircraft are unpressurised and the heating is inadequate. Sheepskin jackets, helmets and boots were commonly used for this purpose in the 20th century. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Major Lanoe Hawker
Lanoe Hawker
Lanoe George Hawker VC, DSO was a British flying ace, with seven credited victories, during the First World War. He was the first British flying ace, and the third pilot to receive the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded...
designed thigh-length sheepskin flying boots which were made for him by Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
. These became popular in the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
where they were known as fug boots. These were superseded by the introduction of the Sidcot suit and more ordinary knee-length fleece-lined boots were then used. Arctic pilots needed especially warm wear and continued to use heavy suspender boots
Suspenders
Suspenders or braces are fabric or leather straps worn over the shoulders to hold up trousers. Straps may be elasticated, either entirely or only at attachment ends and most straps are of woven cloth forming an X or Y shape at the back. Braces are typically attached to trousers with buttons...
of sheepskin in place of trousers. Both clothing and boots were electrically heated as the technology for this became available.
In Australia, a soft, slip-on sheepskin boot was developed which were known as ugg boots
Ugg boots
Ugg boots are a unisex style of sheepskin boots, made of twin-faced sheepskin with fleece on the inside and with a tanned outer surface, often with a synthetic sole....
(There are a number or derivations given for this name, including a cartoon character, shorthand for "ugly", and the "fug" boots worn in World War I). This became popular with surfers for warming their feet after surfing in the cold winter sea. The UGG Australia
Ugg Australia
UGG Australia is an American footwear company and is a division of the Deckers Outdoor Corporation, Goleta, California.UGG Australia footwear is manufactured in China....
brand was imported to the USA where they were sold in speciality retailers such as surf shops. They then became popular with actors, actresses and influential celebrities such as Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
, Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
and Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
so sales boomed. There is fierce competition for this market with rival brands such as EMU Australia
EMU Australia
EMU Australia is an Australian brand of footwear. The brand is best known for their sheepskin products. Their signature products are ugg boots, which have been a popular fashion trend for young women since the 2000s...
.
Sheepskin boots are used in nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
for bedridden patients to prevent bedsores, especially at the heel
Heel
In human anatomy, the heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg.- Human anatomy :...
.
External links
- RFC fug boots at The Vintage Aviator