The newest brand to The Great Divide for AW18 is Viberg. We are honoured to be one of a handful of stockists of arguably the finest boot on the market. Founded in 1931 by Ed Viberg, the Canadian company is now in its 3rd generation and is still entirely family owned and operated. Today Ed's son Glen Viberg is still on the factory floor, personally working on every single pair of boots that leaves our doors. The business began with the goal of crafting the best boot possible and over the years, there is no doubt that they have maintained this uncompromising level of quality.
What makes Viberg so special is their use of traditional manufacturing methods and using only the best materials sourced from around the world: brass tacks from England, heavyweight insoles from Spain, Vibram outsoles, Swiss hobnails and the finest upper leathers from renowned tanneries in the USA and Italy, including from the likes of Horween and Shell Cordovan. There are over 200 steps that go into producing a pair of Viberg boots and all of them are performed in Viberg's facility in Canada by skilled craftspeople.
The price of Viberg is justified in its construction and the steps needed to make their boots. One of the main processes is called a Goodyear welt. Goodyear welting is a shoe making method that was invented in 1869 by Charles Goodyear Jr and the process calls for a leather strip (the “welt”) to serve as an attachment point between the shoe upper and the sole. It's one of the oldest and most traditional manufacturing methods for footwear still in use today. Due to how time consuming it is, it's an extremely expensive process is utilized only by the most respected shoemakers in the world. Viberg make their footwear with a breast-to-breast or 270 degree welt, while still nailing the heel of each boot on individually, which increases the durability and longevity of the boot.
To give you an idea on the exactly how Viberg Boots are made, we've got a video for you to watch from Monocle on the history and the story of the brand. Viberg is online now here at The Great Divide, and we hope you love it as much as we do!