Russian winters are distinguished by their severity and waywardness. That thaw comes with slush and wet snow, then frost attacks at 25 degrees. The question of which shoes to choose for yourself or your child in this difficult time of the year, worries everyone. After all, it is very important that the baby's legs remain warm and dry in any weather.
Surprisingly, most parents still choose good old boots for their children! However, if you and I remember the simplest felt boots, not differing in the variety of colors and designs worn by our grandparents, now progress in this matter has gone far ahead. On the shelves of stores are such beautiful, cute and funny shoe masterpieces of felt that you are simply amazed!
Product History
Previously, only wealthy peasants wore boots. Such shoes were considered a symbol of family wealth. And to get felt boots as a gift was akin to unprecedented luck. They were made by hand, and therefore they were expensive. Such shoes were even inherited.
Valenoks gained wide popularity only in the 19th century, when their manufacture began to be carried out on an industrial scale. Some sources indicate that for the first time mass production of this warm shoe was launched in the Nizhny Novgorod province, however, residents of the Yaroslavl region claim that they invented felt boots.
Nowadays, the glorious city of Yegoryevsk of the Moscow Region has distinguished itself, where the popular children's boots “Kotofey” are now produced. Reviews on these products are positive. We will tell you about the brand success story.
Kotofey: how it all began
The Kotofey shoe brand has a history of more than seventy years. It belongs to Yegoryevsk Obuv OJSC.
Over the years, the company experienced both ups and downs, but its difficulties only hardened it. Now products of the Kotofey brand are in demand throughout Russia and in neighboring countries. She is considered the standard of quality.
The company took off in 1996, when it signed a contract with the Italian company IGI. JSC Egorievsk Obuv improved the previous technologies, equipping its production with the most modern equipment. And in 2001, Russia finally learned about the Kotofey trademark. This year the brand was registered and the logo was created - a cheerful running cat in a hat and boots.
Currently, the brand stably pleases its customers with collections of new models of the middle price category. Today "Kotofey" is a synonym for the ideal ratio of price and quality.
One of the main areas of the company is the production of children's shoes. Products meet the highest requirements, it is very convenient and comfortable. But mothers and fathers can also choose the perfect pair of shoes for themselves. The main pride of the company is probably Kotofey felt boots. Customer reviews will not lie: Yegoryevsk Obuv OAO was one of the first in Russia to decide to produce these shoes in a modern way. And after all, they did not fail, falling in love with hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens!
On the official website of the company you can find the product catalog and choose men's, women's and children's boots for every taste and color!
Benefits
Why are boots to this day in incredible demand? Now that the stores are ready to provide thousands of different models of winter shoes? We assume that the reasons are as follows:
- The naturalness of the material. Valenoks are nothing more than sheep or goat hair.
- Usefulness . It is believed that boots - an excellent tool for the prevention of colds.
- Frost resistance . These shoes can protect your feet even in 40-degree frost. No wonder people whose work is connected with being outdoors (for example, sellers in open markets) choose for themselves insulated felt boots “Kotofey” with fur. Reviews say that only in such products the legs do not freeze.
- Practicality . These shoes can be worn not only in frosts, but also in the thaw, putting on galoshes. And modern models do not need them at all, as they are already produced with excellent rubber soles.
There is another component in felt boots, perhaps due to which they are still remembered. This is the love and reverent attitude of people who had a hand in their manufacture. Maybe that is why they are so cozy and pleasant to wear? Maybe not only the wool, but also the warmth of the hands of the masters warm our legs?
What are boots?
OJSC “Egorievsk Obuv” currently produces the following types of these natural products:
- Ordinary and warmed felt boots "Kotofey" . Reviews of the owners of both models claim that the legs do not freeze. Heaters, rather, were introduced by designers to calm parents who are always worried about how warm and comfortable their children's legs are. In the insulated version, for added protection against frost, the shoe has an inner layer, which is made mainly of faux fur.
- Low and high boots "Kotofey." Reviews (according to the size of the shaft) are somewhat contradictory and depend on which model is considered: adult or child. Women, as a rule, choose tall models for themselves and are very satisfied. The design and decoration of such products is so diverse that you can pick them up to any outfit, whether it is rock style or everyday business. Children try to choose models of medium height, as in high boots they are not easy to move around (especially for children who only learn walking skills).
- With or without dyes. Gray, white and beige colors of boots indicate their absolute naturalness. But Kotofey provides its customers with color models. They are also natural, but the technology of their production is somewhat different. The felt of such shoes consists of two parts. The outer one is colored, but the inner one (the one that comes in contact with the foot) is not. Thus, you can not worry about the fact that the inner layer will color the clothes. The quality of such products as it was, and remains at their best, and the appearance becomes brighter and more fun! This is especially true for children and mods.
- Male and female, for boys and girls.
- Children, teenagers and adults.
- With and without trim. Minimalism or a riot of detail is only a matter of taste for everyone.
Clasp - which one to choose?
The creators and designers of felt boots “Kotofey” worked not only on the appearance of their products, but also thought out the level of comfort in both adult and children's models.
Which clasp to choose and what it happens? The main view, of course, is lightning. It can be sewn in front and side, go strictly vertically or along an oblique line.
What is noteworthy: in children's models, lightning does not open the felt boots completely, but simply makes its bootleg wider thanks to the felt tab.
Parents recommend and praise such Kotofey felt boots. Reviews (in terms of sizes and types of models) are different, but buyers unequivocally agree that children's products with such zippers are the most convenient.
No less than parents praise Velcro fasteners. They are also popular.
Firstly, putting on such boots is much faster. Secondly, you must admit that Velcro crashes much less frequently than lightning.
Sole - an important detail
Since winters in central Russia became unpredictable and sometimes too wet, boots manufacturers had to invent something new.
Now it’s rare to find such shoes without soles on sale. This is not practical, the felt tends to wear off, and it can be worn only in severe frosts, and even then in a village where roads are not sprinkled with reagents. In cities, even in severe frosts, there is dirt and slush on the sidewalks.
"Kotofey" and here took into account all the nuances. The company produces boots only with rubber soles. With it you can not be afraid to soak your feet. But Kotofey went further, foreseeing the wishes of his customers! In addition to a high and thick sole, the toe and heel of the felt products are also protected from getting wet by special moisture-resistant spraying. That's how Kotofey improved his boots!
The reviews of parents who bought such little shoes for their little "all-terrain vehicles" confirm that with such protection their children's legs remain dry in any weather. And to whom even this does not seem enough, he will easily find models with a protected lower part of the boot in the form of real galoshes.
So that the happy owners of felt boots do not slip and fall, the creators have tried here: the soles of all products - both adults and children - are distinguished by their voluminous pattern and anti-slip shape.
Boots "Kotofey": dimensional grid, reviews
So, you have decided to purchase boots of the brand in question. To do this, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the size chart of shoes, which will help not to make a mistake in choosing. If you buy boots for yourself, then there should be no problems with determining the size. You just need to carefully and carefully try on your favorite model.
But what about when a small child needs to choose shoes, and he still cannot really explain whether he is comfortable in it or not? In this case, to begin with, you should measure the length of his foot, then add 1 cm to this value, and based on the result, find out what size shoes you need.
So, the dimensional grid for shoes “Kotofey” is as follows:
The size | Corresponding insole length in cm |
17 | eleven |
18 | 11.5 |
19 | 12 |
20 | thirteen |
21 | 13.5 |
22 | 14 |
23 | fifteen |
24 | 15,5 |
25 | 16 |
26 | 17 |
27 | 17.5 |
28 | 18 |
29th | 19 |
thirty | 19.5 |
31 | 20 |
32 | 21 |
33 | 21.5 |
34 | 22 |
35 | 23 |
36 | 23.5 |
37 | 24 |
38 | 25 |
39 | 25.5 |
40 | 26 |
41 | 27 |
When choosing insoles, pay attention to their thickness. It should be at least 4-5 mm.
Prices
It was no accident that unusual products of the Kotofey trademark, valenki, gained such popularity. Reviews of them confirm the unusually high quality of these products at a reasonable price. Now Kotofey is leading in the middle price range. Children's boots can be purchased at a cost of 800 to 1900-2000 rubles. The price increases as the shoes are warmed, protected from moisture and the design used. But almost all parents who bought such felt products for their children say: the cost is justified and corresponds to the quality of the product.
The price of adult models varies from 1000–1100 to 2000 rubles.
Kotofey felt boots - customer reviews
As practice shows, it is never such that everyone is 100% satisfied with the purchase. Not an exception and "Kotofey" (felt boots). Reviews on the Internet can be found both positive and negative. But in fairness, I want to note: there are no completely negative reviews. As a rule, buyers are satisfied with the purchased shoes, and note only minor flaws, such as:
- Fast loss of presentable appearance. As a rule, this applies to boots made of light felt, because it quickly gets dirty.
- The impressive weight of the products. This is especially reflected in very young users who are just starting to walk. It is worth noting that this, rather, does not relate to shortcomings, but to the characteristics of products of the Kotofey brand.
Buyers appreciated and positively characterized the following qualities:
- Fashionable design.
- Affordable cost.
- Naturalness.
- Convenience.
- The presence of anti- slip soles.
- Quality.
- Comfort.
- Wide range of.
Modern medicine confirms the undeniable usefulness of boots for human health. Sheep wool has long been used as a remedy for colds and rheumatism, and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. And wool in its most natural manifestation is nothing but Kotofey (felt boots)! Customer reviews of products of this brand only confirm this and urge you to buy wonderful shoes for yourself and your children. Be stylish and healthy with Kotofey!