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Among the plethora of perks that come with being a writer at 2Oceanvibe, not counting having a front-row seat to the Seth Rotherham Circus, is the free stuff we get from our partners.

Sometimes it’s a little something with a kick to quench a Friday afternoon thirst, and other times it’s access to places I never even knew existed. But the latest freebie has left me giddy like a kid on Christmas day.

Before I say anything else, let me explain that I’m a Karoo boytjie. I grew up under an impossibly big sky and the smell of karoo bossies on my clothes. Just like everyone in that area, I understood two things: You never complain about too much rain, and you need a pair of proper veldskoene.

I’ve worn through several BKB vellies in my time, stomping dust and kicking at poffadders along the way. I was also never one to feel sorry for my shoes and my father declared once that where I step, nothing ever grows again.

All this to say that when 2Oceanvibe partnered up with Stellenbosch-based Burgundy Collective, I was asked if I would like to try a pair of their Founder Veldskoene. I would have said “Asseblief Oom” back in the day, but I’ve been a Cape Town local for too long, so I shot back a cool “Aweh”, and a few days later my veldskoene arrived.

Now as I mentioned, I’m from the Karoo and have wrestled prize-winning merino sheep onto Toyota bakkies by the herd load, so I know the difference between a proper veldskoen and those pleather vellies you buy at Access Park.

So here’s my Karoo-bred, sheep-wrangling, dirt-stomping review:

I chose the black Founders to match my metal-head heart and I wasn’t disappointed. The colouring is perfect and doesn’t have that off-black/grey tint you get with many black leather shoes. The craftsmanship is first-rate and even though I searched for a wack stitch, I found none.

You can see by the workmanship that they don’t come off a production line in China and every stitch, curve, and shoelace hole is perfect. These bad boys would also look just as good on the back of a bakkie as they would be propped up on a table while sipping cocktails at Caprice.

I loved the way they looked, but my ex was also good looking and that was a terrible fit, so I slipped my foot in. They got the sizing perfect and the shoes felt as if they had been moulded to my feet.

The heel is snug enough to not cause any irritation when I walk, and the front part of the shoe fits my foot in what can only be described as a loving embrace, like being enveloped in the wings of a leathery butterfly. It felt as if I had been rocking these vellies for years.

Someone also finally managed to make a rubbery sole that neither squeaks nor clomps when you walk. It’s a smooth ride all the way and I’m pretty sure ninjas don’t move this quietly. Whatever Burgundy Collective is doing in their factory in Stellenbosch, I wish they were around when I was a kid.

So would I buy another pair of Founder Veldskoene? I already ordered a brown pair.

Will I ever take them off? Hell no, I’m wearing these babies to bed. I bought my Missus the Shopper Handbag, so she’s cool with it.

 

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You can check out their website if you want to get your hands on a pair of your own, or any of the other bespoke leather products these magicians conjure up in their workshop.

Aweh Burgundy. Very Aweh.