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WE'RE ON A MISSION TO RE-BOOT (BAD DAD JOKE INTENDED) AUSTRALIAN BOOT-MAKING, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE, WE'RE GOING TO NEED YOUR HELP |
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It's often said it takes a village to raise a child... the same might be said for small family business.
We’re here because of all of you and we couldn’t have made it this far without your support. The exciting thing is: we’re growing. We’re trying to make a business which is a positive force in the industry (and the community more broadly). We can’t do it alone, so, we’ve brought on some experienced hands and are working on training some inexperienced ones. It’s important to us that this old craft gets a new life. But it has always been our view that the best way to preserve craft is to make it relevant, not to stick it in a museum. So we need your help to spread the word about what we’re doing. We want to grow sustainably and slowly to maintain the connection with all of you and to build something that will endure (much like our boots) and something we can all be proud of. After all, every modern-day icon started somewhere. Take an idea, approach it with some passion, add a lot of time and determination, and you just never know where we can take it.
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Over the next wee while, we will be kicking off some projects, collaborating with some iconic brands and working with the craftspeople we love and admire. We’re also looking to grow our retail partners and potentially take our show on the road a bit more. So, here’s where you guys come in. We know you all have been huge supporters of us, and for that we are incredibly grateful. Keep spreading the word, tell a friend, family, anyone who might listen really. Also, we’d love to hear from you if you know of a retailer or a brand that might suit our ethos. An event that might benefit from having a bootmaker toiling away in a corner. We want to actively build our "village" to help raise this (rather old) child.
We’re excited for the next chapters. We are, right now, literally building the future of bootmaking in Victoria. As we grow, we probably need our “village” more than ever to help us do it well and to make sure we are heading in the right direction.
What do you want to see more from us? We can see a lot of parts missing from our industry, a lot that our industry has let go to the wayside, but we certainly have blind spots, so we’d love to hear your thoughts.
With over 140 years of experience within our walls gathered from far and wide, we're proud to continue this legacy and to build something we can all be proud of. Together we have a chance to make something extraordinary.
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NEW | SOLID RIVET BELTS & OTHER HARNESS COLOURS |
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Something we identified a long time ago is we have a limited capacity in footwear. It's an incredibly laborious and specialised craft, one which takes a long time to become proficient in (let alone "master"). So we diversified, making belts and bags and leather accessories. These belts are an area we are looking to expand our offering in. In order to be able to bring up the next generation of makers in the craft, we need jobs which they can "cut their teeth" on. Also we hope to find some retail partners to stock these guys, in turn helping to spread the word about what we're building in here.
Keep an eye out for them in PPHH on Gertrude Street. And if you know of anywhere that might benefit from leather pant keeper upperers, shout out, we'd love to have a chat to them.
So, after the interest in our harness belts we released last month, we've created another range of solid rivet belts using our classic Italian belting leather. They are 3 – 3.5mm thick so will stand the test of time. These versions come in 25mm, 32mm and 38mm width with a solid brass westend buckle and fastened with solid brass rivets. These belts feature seven holes (compared to our hand-sewn belts which only have five holes).
To view the range click here.
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NEW HARNESS LEATHER COLOURS | CHESTNUT & CHOCOLATE |
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We've added two new colours to our harness belt range, chestnut and chocolate. These are the belts for someone who enjoys the heft of harness veg-tan leather and will enjoy the evolution in feel and colour over time.
To view the belts click here.
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WAXED LEATHER WEEKENDERS |
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There are a few larger items on the list of what we see as "icons" of our wee enterprise, which we think might work elsewhere. We've been busily working away in the workshop making stock of our Weekender bags to train folks in the process and to stock up, ready for Christmas (is it too early to be talking about Christmas?)
I guess the question is: What's better than the weekend?
- The Weekender (it'll last longer)
Better than the Weekender?
-The Limited Edition Waxed Weekender (because it's in stock, and its waxed).
Also, buffooning around with mates, that's always a good time too. Whether it be on the weekend or every other day in the workshop.
We're lucky to be able to have a giggle, make stuff with our hands (and our mates) and see the physical representation of our hard work, daily.
If you're planning a weekend away, we have weekenders covered, for now, there are a fair few in stock and ready for silly adventures.
Here's to the weekend (and every other day of the week for that matter).
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SOME OF OUR LATEST CREATIONS |
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Betty Balmoral Boots in Hazelnut Antik calf. To be worn by a delightful school teacher here in Ballarat.
Speaking of villages: We're super happy to report that ours is stretching out all over the world! From Ballarat to the US of A and a bunch of places in between. We thought it might be nice to reflect on some of the good'uns we've finished this past month.
There’s a real joy in knowing someone dreamed up a pair of boots, or shoes — and we were able to bring that vision to life.
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Kentucky Derby shoes imade out of Queensland hand-dyed veg-tan kangaroo leather, to be worn in the US by a dear customer for his upcoming wedding.
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FATHER'S DAY |
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For those fortunate enough to be or be raised by a good dad there is a day, shortly, that is designated as the one day to celebrate them all... we're not 100% sold on the fact that one day is enough, but hey, one is better than none.
So, if you're looking for something, or a reason, then there is a day and some things here that might tickle a fancy? Dad's are hard to buy for, generally, but they all need their pants kept up, their feet kept warm or their bald patches covered... and if that's all sorted already, then perhaps something to organise this raggedy old bunch of blokes could help?
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For those that need extra warming... Our locally made merino beanies and socks are always a winner. And speaking of iconic brands (that you may never have heard of), Humphrey Law have been making some of the best footwarmers in the southern hemisphere for a bloody long time (that's not an overstatement, it's been varified, bloody, long, time).
Customers have been putting them straight to work: early‑morning commutes, long days on the tools, cold sheds, late‑night dog walks. The feedback has been the same across the board — they’re doing the job, holding their shape, and keeping the cold at bay without fuss.
As the temperature drops, it’s been good to see these small essentials earning their keep. Reliable pieces, made in small batches, locally, heading out the door and into real winter days.
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UPDATED TURNAROUND TIMEFRAMES FOR FOOTWEAR |
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With the new staff getting trained up, we've found ourselves creeping up and finishing ahead of our made-to-order timeframes. As such, we'll have twenty spots available for completion by the end of this year. So if you've been thinking about getting that pair, now's your chance to get them sooner rather than later.
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SHOUT OUT TO OUR STOCKISTS |
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A quick shout out to our stockists around Australia who are working with us to promote our well-made durable goods.
PPHH VIC | Baxter & Black NSW | Mr Fixit Bowral NSW | Feather Drum Hat Co VIC | Pony Rider NSW | Molong Store NSW | Beautiful Things By NSW | Blackwood Boot Repairs SA | Arcade St Cobbler SA | Town & Country Cobbler Shop VIC | Cottage Industry Store VIC | The Cobblers Last VIC | Kara Rosenlund QLD
If you're interested in stocking some of our gear, please reach out via the link here.
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SHOP HOURS |
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Our regular shop hours are:
Friday and Saturday 10 - 4
WOOTTEN WORKSHOP
Shed 1, 20 Elizabeth Street
Delacombe VIC 3356 (in Ballarat)
Just put Wootten Ballarat into your Google Maps
03 9510 6503
workshop @ wootten.com.au
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