Brother Vellies was founded by Aurora James to introduce the rest of the world to African footwear. Brother Vellies footwear includes boots, shoes and sandals for men, women and children made by hand in Kenya, South Africa and Namibia. Although James is a Toronto native currently based in Brooklyn, she amasses her fashion knowledge from her travels to Africa and time spent with artisans in Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Nigeria and Morocco. Before starting Vellies, James worked in the creative world as a model agent and curator. Now in her capacity as the company’s Creative Director, James travels the continent gathering inspiration from its diverse cultures and pouring it into her brand.
Brothers Founder Aurora James
Brother Vellies’ collection of shoes has grown in leaps and bounds. It began with the velskoen, also known as vellies, which is a modern desert boot. The shoes are created at a workshop in South Africa that was established in 1963 and welcomes all artisans regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, backgrounds and tribes.
The Original Brother Vellie is made using a technique that has been perfected over the years. The shoe is constructed with three pieces of Kudu leather, which is both durable and capable of aging well.
Another Vellies design, The Brother Tyre Sandal, is dedicated to the Maasai from whom the style is copied. The East African nomads wear sandals made from tyre rubber, which is what is used for the sole of the Brother Tyre Sandal. The brand boasts that these sandals are environment friendly because the recycle rubber that would otherwise be burned.
Brother Minis are designed for children. Part of the sales of Minis goes towards educating the children of the artisans in the industry.
The latest shoe design is The Brother School Shoe in the women’s collection.
For Vellies shoes visit Brother Vellies.
