 | | valenki are an old idea. they have stood the test of time, history, and politics -- an achievement that allows us
to wear them today. with the fall of the iron curtain and globalization
rearing its often ugly head, we can embrace the old and foreign in its
innovated form. the valenki promote warmth and comfort, while resisting
the slippery consistency of both ice and fashion, all along making the
insipid cold of winter feel deceptively far away.
valenki are over 300 years old. traditionally they are handmade by
Russian peasants; historically they were worn by everybody, from
infantry soldiers to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. part of the soldier's
uniform, valenki -- some say -- are responsible for Hitler's defeat in
Russia during World War II because they warmed the soldiers' feet during
the brutal cold of Russian winter. |
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