My beaked shoes, näbbskor

I want to show you guys my favorite buy this year, my näbbskor. 'Näbb' means beak and as you can see it refers to the toe. The toe looks like that to fit into a traditional ski-binding which wasn't much more than a strap or a piece of rope that formed a loop which you put your foot in and the beak helped it stay on your foot. Perhaps this shape was also chosen to have a shoe that was easier to make. When you think about it, they do look like a pair of moccasins.



These shoes are based on a traditional model from at least the 1600th century and it is probably older than that. Mine are a modern version of course, with a rubber sole and it is made using a sewing machine but the basic model is not very far from the ancient design. The company makes more modern models as well, most of them with the traditonal beak. Mine are from Kero which is a northern Swedish company and because of them being made by people who do not live in China, they do cost quite a bit but hopefully they will last a long time. Mine cost 1500 SEK and they cost even more in a store. I bought mine at Nolia which is a big event every other year in Umeå and every other year in Piteå where companies can sell and demostrate their products. I would love to have this slipper as well.

My shoes are designed for spring and autumn and can also be used on less cold winter days. I chose green leather because even if the natural color is more traditional I am perhaps not that traditional myself. The red ones are cute too, as are the natural brown. The material is reindeer leather and it is thin and durable and the shoes are light and soft.

 I love the fact that these shoes can be used in the forest, in town, at work, at home and at parties. Aren't they the cutest with a long dress? They are often used with northern Swedish traditional dress but I don't feel that traditional clothing is necessary, with a modern dress they are a nice detail. The Sami people as well as the Swedish population have used these shoes for hundreds of years but I think they might be an originally Sami invention. They are very comfortable and it is clear that they have stand the test of time.

 Here I am goofing around in my beaked shoes!

Here you can find old fashioned näbbskor from Piteå in Norrbotten. As you can see they have the same shape as mine but these have only a leather sole. One has to remember that asphalt was not the main material people walked on back in the days, they walked on soft forest and dirt roads mostly and snow in winter so they soles of today where not as necessary. The shoes from the picture are listed as summer shoes.