There is footwear in Russia that is quite popular in the country, and it's called felt boots. But also, they have the other name, Russian one, which most of you probably know, here they are called Valenki.

And recently they've started gaining popularity again because of their low price, warm and usability. But even here there are few people who know how and where they are made. Today we have a bit of insight to Kalyazinsk felt boots factory for you.

Presently, the plant doesnt have any problems with its business and sometimes it happens that the day that lot of goods reaches a shop - it is being sold out immediately. But in spite of such high demand, it doesnt have anything to do with prosperity of the plant and its employees.

Shabby-looking working-rooms, worn-out outfit and average wage of 5000 rubles or $170. That's how the valenki is being made.

Felt boots are being made of several kinds of wool. After the kneading, wool is chopped and transferred to a blending tower:

Under pressure, wool is transferred from blending towers to the shop floors and packed into special wool beating machines.

Afterwards, the newborn cotton wool is being shaped into to-be valenok by hand:

To make it much harder the felt boots should be sent to a compactor:

A bit after the valenki are shrinked on a metal shoetree and stay there for 8 hours approximately.

And the last stage is a room where all the felt boots are smartened.

Photo: Alexeev Igor