Creating the perfect fit is a family business for VELDSKOEN and EIGHT FEET.

From school shoes for underprivileged kids with FORD, to shoes that save Rhinos with SORAI, VELDSKOEN is famous for innovative and unusual brand collaborations.The shoe company’s latest joint venture is with coffee and wine brand EIGHT FEET, and it takes the form of an all purpose leather vellie like nothing South Africa has seen before. 

 

The EIGHT FEET VELDSKOEN combines elements of ruggedness and durability, with luxurious style, and extreme comfort. The end product is a gorgeous leather lined chukka boot that changes from chocolate brown to a deep, rich, olive green as it softens with age. 

Pairing shoe makers with coffee and wine producers may look like an unusual combination, but the EIGHT FEET VELDSKOEN is already yielding delicious results. Outdoor Warehouse, and VELDSKOEN USA placed their first orders, even before the shoe’s official launch which took place at Kloovenburg Wine and Olive Estate, over the weekend. 

So, what makes a winning combination when it comes to companies collaborating? 

The short answer is, different strengths, but the same set of values. EIGHT FEET and VELDSKOEN are both family businesses. 

VELDSKOEN was started as a joint venture between the Dreyer, Zondagh, and Latouf Families. Kids packed shoes in boxes, spouses started up websites and ran marketing campaigns. From inception of the VELDSKOEN brand, every family member chipped in.

On the EIGHT FEET side of the partnership, things look very much the same.  The brand is owned and operated by the four Du Toit Brothers Pieter-Steph, Johan, Anton, and Daniel. Older brothers Pieter-Steph and Johan are well known for their careers as professional sportsmen, but before anyone began playing professional rugby, eight little feet were foot treading their father’s wine grapes to create the very first Kloovenburg wines. The boys spent weekends and holidays helping their mother stick labels on olive jars, and selling fruit and boerewors rolls from the roadside during Riebeek Kasteel’s annual olive festival.  

As with  Kloovenburg’s olive and wine production, the four brothers have immersed themselves in every stage of development of the EIGHT FEET VELDSKOEN, from prototype to finished product. Youngest brother Daniel, who has been his mother’s olive taster since he was a child, was also the tester of the EIGHT FEET VELDSKOEN. 

From left to right: Johan du Toit, Daniel du Toit, Anton du Toit, Pieter-Steph du Toit.

 

The Eight Feet Vellie  is a celebration of brotherhood, hard work, and above all,  family values. 

Even though we hold different interests and are each on our own life path, EIGHT FEET always brings us back to where we come from. We make our business choices according to the moral compass and knowledge we got from our parents. The brand is our bond as brothers made visible. Eight Feet. Four Brothers. One Family.  We are excited to embark on this project with VELDSKOEN to grow it to the next level. 

 

Johan du Toit

EIGHT FEET Brothers

Strong family values form the foundation of our partnership with EIGHT FEET. After our first meeting with the Du Toit family (who are best described as ‘sout van die aarde mense’ in Afrikaans), we felt aligned that we believe and care about the same things in life and in business. We are very excited to embark on a long lasting and successful partnership with the four brothers.

Driekie Zondagh

COO, VELDSKOEN