A long weekend here in SA and woke up to this awesome review🙌🏻 I’m currently wearing a pair of our vellies while on safari in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi reserve, they the perfect adventure companions for those more demanding situations🙌🏻 Thanks once again for those awesome words Carl
Would Jim Green ever consider doing a boot similar to the Red Wing Blacksmith for the South African market? I haven't seen anyone make that style of boot here.
@@anthonys8947 We working on something, not easy or fast getting a new style perfected with what we have available in South Africa but we are working on something. Hopefully ready later this year.
In South Africa the chukka-style boot is super popular for workwear (especially outdoors). It's great to see the rest of the world finally getting exposed to this minimalist yet rugged style of boot.
In Zim about 20 years ago I bought some cheap Chukkas at a Bata store and they ran me literally about $5. I finally tossed them a couple years back in spite of the sole being in good shape and the stitching sound. Frankly, they got to gross and smelly and I just couldn't clean them sufficiently to keep them in the closet. LOL! Bought a similar pair in RSA about 2-3 years ago. Price? $15. LOL! Customers and manufacturers in RSA are of farm stock generally...and therefore pretty good at producing and demanding good value. No surprises. Also, the Clarke's sole is shit and wears out very very quickly. No RSA manufacturer would stay in business if they offered that crap to Limpopo province farmers!
Well I ordered a pair came in 4-5 days and let me tell you very nice boot for the price and them some. I wear 13EE got the 13 as no wides but fit well now I put them on w/ shorts and a T no socks and went to supermarket post office etc. Break in what's that! even with bear feet first time on felt like an old shoe I done many miles in and loved. Thanks Carl!
I picked up the Razorbacks on your recommendation, and I found them to be pretty much perfect right out of the box. The fellow at Jim Green was an absolute delight to communicate with.
This exact boot is my all time favorite. I work as a game reserve Manager in South Africa, the terrain I work in is rocky desert and is seriously tough on boots. I was chewing my way through footwear until I eventually got a pair of Jim Green vellies. 2 years of almost daily wear and they still look almost new. This is a seriously tough boot. Also the word Vellie is derived from the Afrikaans word Veldskoen (field shoe). The "V" is pronounced as an f so the correct pronunciation is Felli, like Peli the football player with an F
I’m always reluctant to click on your new videos because I know a purchase will soon follow. My wife says I don’t need any more boots! “But these are summer boots babe...” Great video.
That's absolute terrible advice from your wife I suggest locking her in a closet and order 2 pairs of boots Stat call the ambulance in advance you might not be able to after
I think it's hilarious looking and definitely marks the boots as foreign made. It looks like some Steamboat Willie era cartoon character and not something you'd see in America.
Whoa !!!! Just got my pair of Vellies .... Man !!!! I put a set of lacrosse 6mm felt insoles in them and they're the most instantly comfortable shoes I've ever put on my feet ..... Thanks for the heads up and great review ..... Cheers !!!! ... :D .... Oh , And I love how they look . Ha ! they even make my size 14 feet look smaller somehow .(an added bonus).
I'm a huge fan of not only the vellies, which I own two pairs of, but of Jim Green in general. As another commenter mentioned, the customer service is excellent. I recently received a pair of the steel-cap Bantams which I ordered from the African site. The quality is superb. Three eyelet with the same sole unit as the Razorbacks. The tongues are fully gusseted. I've also got a pair of the Razorbacks in tan which are stellar boots both in regard to their ruggedness and their unique styling. Comfortable too. Other than my Danner rainforests and a pair of New Balance running shoes, all I wear are my Jim Greens. I even put the frog sticker on my car. The pricing really is almost like stealing. Great footwear.
Hey Carl, great review. You should know this though: this shoe's name is pronounced FELLIE. In the South African language of Afrikaans, similar to Dutch, the letter 'V' is pronounced as an 'F'. [I am from South Africa]
Quick tip. Vellie, which is pronounced with an F, not a V, because Veldskoene (field shoes, for the bushveld) in afrikaans. So it's "Felly", for those non South Africans. Thanks for covering stuff from SA, though
Hey, got a like from the man himself, cool. Another fun fact, in Afrikaans (one of SA's 11 official languages), the letter V is pronounced like the letter F in English, like I explained in the original comment. The letter W is pronounced like V, and F just sounds like F. It's a confusing language 😂
I’m looking to get a pair of these off of your recommendation. Being in Texas I think these would be perfect for many tasks, especially day-to-day. I’m curious how they compare to the Courtenery Vellies from Zimbabwe since they’re such a similar design (no doubt shared between South Africa and Rhodesia).
I recently bought the Razorbacks. I couldn't be happier. They are tough, easy on and off and, once I installed my insoles comfy as heck. Thanks Jim Green and you too Carl.
Just compleated my first two days on the job in my new Jim Green Razorbacks. I am impressed. The roominess in the toe area is great for long days in your feet, and the sturdiness of the boot is apparent when you actually have them in your hands and on your feet. I took one off my feet and showed it to a friend at work, and he had me order a pair for him. I am allready becoming something of a Jim Green salesman. Nice boots !
Hi Carl, just watched this banger of a video. It's very amusing how you pronounce "vellies" (Translated in Afrikaans: Skins). Here in South Africa, they are a very popular outdoors and casual shoe worn my your tipical bush jockey or as we call them, "Boertjies". Basically, translated to mean a rugged farmer/bush enthusiast. Vellies are pronounced, quite differently. The V is pronounced the same as the letter f in "finger". The "e" has a more emphasized sound, like the first "e" in "everyone". The "ll"s are fine. And the "ie" is not as fancy as you are pronouncing it. It sounds more alike to the english "ee" sound (example: Seek). And the "s" is sounded out. Pardon the long rant. Hope you see this and God Bless you in your travels.
This brand seems to have exploded in popularity online and damn, looking at what Jim Green offers it almost seems like stealing from them to buy these boots at their normal price. Well done, South Africa! I'm honestly glad international brands are getting more attention these days. More players entering the market can only mean good things for us consumers.
I'm gonna try these out. $90 ain't bad to try. I had the desert boots in the past, nice to wear, but not enough support. My shoe choice is always limited cause I wear a 3E-4E and I'm a bigger guy so I need some arch support. Over the years I've wittled down my go to makers to New Balance and Birkenstock for casual, SAS for work, and Samuel Hubbard for the fancy stuff. I have some old (good) Florsheim Imperials for when I have to wear formal, but everything else I need that volume and underfoot support.
Can you review another vellie (pronounced “felly”) brand “veldskoen” (pronounced felt-scoen). It’s also South African and has recently made inroads into the US with celebs like Ashton Kucher and The shark tank guy owning stakes in the company
These boots reminded me of what my late father used to wear back in the 80s, especially the Suede Vellie Chocolate. I am gonna buy me a pair and show them to my mom, let's see if she would remember what my dad used to wear :-).
God i want a pair of these but i just bought a pair of the Jim Green African Ranger.. Huge fan of this brand already. Gotta get em before the price goes up or the brand restructures somehow.
The Clark’s desert boot is easily the most ubiquitous of the style however, like boat shoes, they are not comfortable if the day involves a lot of walking as there is no shank. Jim Green may have just provided a solution to that problem. Side note: Aside from the Higgins Mill, imho AE boots lean more office casual rather than leisure / rugged casual.
The sole we us on this boot is a natural rubber, it is fairly firm but will last you a long time. You will have to try very hard to wear it out in a year. If you are disappointed in the wear then we will happily refund you. The boots can also be resoled due to the stitch down construction
This looks interesting and definitely peaked my interest! As a suggestion, it would be nice to include some footage of them on foot/in action for any future product reviews :)
Would love to finally get some good quality boots, have been wanting some good quality for a long time, but as a student I can't afford boots like this.
Being a fan of other South African products, I am definitely going to be picking up a pair today! Our pals down south make products that last and last through all the trouble you put them into and come out solid on the other side.
Difficult to type this but Vellie is pronounced more with the V sounding like and F? If that makes any sense? As Vellie is an Afrikaans word. Great to see some of our great South African products being loved by people abroad, great video 🔥
I have a really wide toe box and these look like they might actually feel comfortable and not crush my toes. Commenting for a chance at that free pair, fingers crossed! Also, thank you Carl for your videos.
Hello! New to the channel, but I’ve had a pair of JG Stockmans for a while... bought them on recommendation from a friend that saw your video. I needed something that I could put on quickly and get dirty in the elements, and these did not disappoint (and they clean up nicely, too). I cannot recommend this brand enough!
I just ordered a pair off of Amazon this morning. I got the polished leather version which is $10.00 more. The razorbacks may be in my future coming this Fall.
Good day Julien, Not often a Monday is as good as this one as your comment has been selected as the winner of a pair of Jim Green Boots. Please get in touch with us with your details and we will get a pair off to you - info@jimgreenfootwear.co.za
Carl... picked up a pair based on your recommendation- for all of the reasons you mentioned. Perfect summer boots and I’ve worn them with shorts and have gotten rave reviews. Not a big fan of sneakers all the time in the summer and I am way past the flip flop phase at this point in my life so the Jim Green’s are an excellent option. Unbelievable value proposition for the money. Keep doing what you are doing. Love the honest feedback and well thought out, intelligent conclusions based on you putting the time into reviewing all of the options. As per usual great review! Thanks Man! Enjoy your Sunday with the Fam.
My wife told me that boot season was over the other day. I'm happy to report that we are still married. A counseling session my be in our future though.
I got an Astorflex Greenflex when i was looking for desert boots, and they are basically a higher quality clarks DB. They were also actually available in europe which was a big plus. The only downside is a seam on the back which bothered my heel until breaking in.
Purchased these soon after this video was released (lucky I did, that colorway is sold out!) I've worn them around the office and I've done work on my car in these. Probably the best bang for the buck I've ever had in a show, though I did end up cutting those yellow tags off the upper to make them more office appropriate.
I would like to find something (anything) about the fit. Unbelievably I cannot find a shred of information on its sizing. Even the website has nothing on it. I am usually a 9.5 wide. How would I know what size to order? Please add information like this when making footwear review videos!
Well...finally hadar a chance to wear them and i have to say..thumbs up. Love e at they feel. The weight is pretty much exactly where i want it. Definitely not to heavy. One thing you mentioned which is a definite plus..insole was immediately ripped out for something with arch support. Made the boot perfect. I had a full day planned with the family. At first, i wasnt going to wear them. But, the degrees dropped a little and I said might as well. Glad I did. On my feet pretty much all day and my feet didnt start talking to me in the way of pain. Theybfit pretty much on the spot. Feels like a solid made boot and I have to admit - they look great! I enjoy wearing them.
These have been on my list for a while... I’ve been romanticizing wearing them on a quick trip to the beach or to bring the dogs to the lake after being stuck inside for a year. And now that the weather is warming up I need a boot-that’s-almost-a-shoe/I-could-wear-sneakers-but-I-love-frogs sort of situation on my feet. Just saying, Jim Green, you should pick me
I want one of those, also, how does the boot and especially the leather compare to Red Wing in terms of long term durability. A pair of Red Wings can last 10/20 or more years, are these shoes up for such a task?
The Vellie were sold out on the Jim Green site so I went with the Razorback. Can't wait to hike that sneaky little frog into the fly fish only waters of Western Maine!!
I've got two pair of the vellies, one suede and one smooth leather, and I ordered pairs for my wife and daughter. The quality of construction is amazing, but what I really like is the stability they give your foot. I've tried Clarks, but they don't feel like you can hike all day in them like the vellies do. The rubber sole on the Jim Green's vellies is firm enough that it resists compression, but for standing on all day it's soft enough to take the pressure off of your knees and hips. The midsole is stiff enough to support you on rough ground, and as light hikers or approach shoes they are excellent. I can see why they are so popular in SA. Well done Jim Green.
One of the better looking chukkas I’ve seen. I’ve had my eye on them since your first review on them. The anxiety of buying a new brand when sizing is always different is what has held me back so far 😂
No they are not "British" in any way and they were never standard issiue in North Africa in WWII. They were just bought from Arab traders by British officers. They were actually first made in Dutch colonies in Africa in XVII century. The Brits just stole the design and ascribed it to the Clarks company however this kind of desert boot was very popular even behind the iron curtain in the 1960's - 1980's. One company in Poland manufactured them in a former pre-war Bata factory, it was privatized in the 90's and they still manufacture desert boots in Poland with double stitch and PU soles. They make them in suede and full grain oiled leathers. They are kind of wider than Clarks boots though. Super high quality and they sell them for like $50. Made in Europe not in Asia too. The brand name is Otmęt. I believe they manufactured this kind of boots in Czechoslovakia, East Germany and Hungary too in state owned factories.
Waiting on my razorbacks to arrive, but maybe I should've gotten these with it warming up lol. Oh well, I needed steel toes for work & Jim Green is one of the only companies with a real work boot for a very short & wide foot (U.S. mens 6WW) Although the US site has sizing options more standard to the US, (most us men's footwear stocks range from size 7-13), the South African website has UK sizes 4-15, equivalent to ~ US 4.5-15.5
