Viberg x Division Road Collaborations
This week, we have a story about leather, history, and Viberg’s unique approach to footwear design. From the desert to the forest to the pavement, we're presenting two special boots that are adept at handling diverse terrains with distinctive style. From one of the first pattern developments in the form of the original Chukka to our most recent elaborations of the Hiking Hunter, the skill of Brett Viberg to honor the past while evolving footwear designs has established his brand's cult and collectable status. This style-centric approach to combining old world manufacturing techniques with refreshed designs grants new lifespans on classic pieces for the urban-to-rural lifestyles of the modern man.
Coming in both the Smooth and Roughout sides, the deftly tanned burnt Tobacco Brown Chamois leather is Horween’s superior and sophisticated solution to a workboot leather with a natural finish. This vegetable re-tanned leather is known for its intense oil content, to the degree in which you can actually smell the extracts, while allowing for a refined patina. Designed to be extremely durable while requiring minimal maintenance and having an elastic flexibility, the grain side has been subtly sanded to an attractive matte nubuck while the napped flesh side comes with a gloss effect of oil revealing through the hide. In full-grain weights that others balk to handle, Viberg has crafted this leather into boots made for the outdoors with impressive style.
Tobacco Chamois Roughout Chukka Boot
Re-designed from the original British Military issue used in the Desert Campaigns during WWII, the Chukka is a simple and elegant style that provides a wearable boot for warmer months. True to the original form with graceful adaptations of the pattern such as a stitched-in counter, leather pull loop, and use of the high traction sand colored Vibram 2060 walking sole with stitchdown construction all relate to the heritage enthusiast looking for improvements. Formed on the military Munson based 2040 Last that yields a snug heel and waist to hold the foot in place while having a comfortable and generous forefoot, this perfected fit has an unstructured toe that provides a classic aesthetic for a boot made for trekking the desert to the downtown with casual refinement.
Tobacco Chamois Hiking Hunter
Developed in conjunction with Division Road, Viberg's new Hunter was inspired by Northwest-made hiking boots from the 1960's that became signature patterns through the following decades. With a single continuous vamp, 360 degree natural storm welt, Goodyear commando sole and a dual padded roll collar the new Hiking Hunter hallmarks the originals with massive improvements. By tweaking the pattern's height, quarter angle, and adding a split eyestay, Viberg has created the most functional and comfortable re-buildable hiking boots we've seen and verified through demanding tests of our wilderness. Utilizing Horween's grain side Chamois leather, the Munson based 2040 Last, and traditional Goodyear welting results in a flexible and functional lifetime hiker that will carry you from the mountain to the metro with ease and edge.