Grey leopard Veldskoen

Veldskoene ("FELT-skoona") or colloquially vellies ("FELL-ys"), are Southern African walking shoes made from vegetable-tanned leather or soft rawhide uppers attached to a leather footbed and rubber sole without tacks or nails.

The name comes from Afrikaans vel ("skin"), later assimilated with veld ("field"), and skoene ("shoes"). They were first made in the 17th century by the first Dutch settlers in South Africa. Their design is believed to be based on the traditional Khoisan footwear observed by these settlers. The footwear was later embedded into the Afrikaaner psyche when velskoene were used as the footwear of the Great Trek. 

Easy to make, lightweight and extremely tough, vellies became part of South African, Zimbabwean  and Namibian society, worn by all classes and professions, often without socks, but favoured by students, farmers and safari guides.