Sheepskin Boots: Morlands Glastonbury
Recently, I was lucky to acquire a unique piece of old-new stock, a pair of unworn (still in the box) 25 year-old Morlands
Morlands Glastonbury sheepskin shooting boots
of Glastonbury shoot boots lined with shearling. In a northern climate, when the winter can wreak havoc on one’s shoe wardrobe, it is essential to have a pair of boots to see you through the season in warmth and style. First, a little bit of history:
Morlands Glastonbury History
Morlands Glastonbury sheepskin lining
In 1870, twenty-three year old John Morland bought a tannery in Glastonbury, Somerset county, England. He chose this little town because he found the water to be of exceptional quality and purity, which is quite important for tanning.
In the following years, Morlands of Glastonbury became renowned for outstanding sheepskin products. In the beginning of the 20th century, Morlands manufactured coats, car mats, rugs, boots and slippers. During World War II, the production switched to jackets and boots for pilots of the Royal Air Force – both made out of sheepskin, of course.
In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary decided to bring along a number of Morlands boots on his successful Mount Everest expedition.
Until the 1960s, Morlands of Glastonbury prospered and employed hundreds of workers on its 31 acres (130000 m2) premises. However, a decline in the sheepskin industry lead to the closure of the huge tannery in 1982. Afterwards, the manufacturing was moved to a smaller building.
The Shoot Boot
In the 1980’s, although not in a decade known for high quality products, the shoot boot was created and I have to say, I am more than pleased with its workmanship and quality. The upper leather is pigment and aniline dyed calf. The boots are shearling / sheepskin lined which keeps my feet wonderfully warm. Only the heel is unlined, probably in order to achieve a better fit. Despite the fact, that the shoes are 25 years old, they looked great right out of the box. Although a little can of shoe polish and a piece of polishing cloth was provided, I simply applied Saphir Renovateur and Medaille d’or shoe polish to enhance the leather.
The rubber sole is well designed, has good traction, although while the welt seems to be sewn to the uppers, it is just glued. And since they were made in the 80’s, the glue has suffered, which sooner or later will result into the soles coming off. I had them reglued at a local cobbler and now everything is fine again. Apart from that, the overall workmanship of this boot made in England is great; so far, I cannot report anything negative about the Shoot Boot. It seems that this was the only model produced for men, while the Shoot Boot for Ladies had a much higher shaft. The retail price of 65 £ back then was certainly a good amount of money, but the boots provide good value for the investment. Although the company, Morlands of Glastonbury, is still in business today, the Shoot Boot is no longer part of their product range. Morlands has an archive, so the boot could in theory be reissued, but I am not sure this will ever happen.
Though I have yet to go hunting with my newly acquired new old stock Shoot Boot, I can say that it is a great winter shoe, especially when it is very cold and snowy outside.
Unfortunately, there are hardly any manufacturers of high quality sheepskin boots left. Ralph Lauren offers some from time to time, however they are usually so costly that a bespoke shearling boot could be considered in its place.
In case you ever find a nice pair of sheepskin boots that fit you, go ahead and buy them, but bear in mind that you will have to reglue the soles to the uppers at a local cobbler!
Morland did at one time make a greater range of sheepskin clothing. I have a double breasted sheepskin coat by Morlands that belonged to my father. It’s almost too warm to wear!
Dear cyclo2000,
They indeed had a range of leather apparel. Probably the most famous items was their, sheepskin pilot jacket.
I managed to get a pair of these boots, still in their box, on ebay. They are certainly very comfortable due to the sheepskin lining, and overall I’m pleased to have them. However, the 1980s glue had not aged well, meaning that the soles soon parted company with the uppers — in the process exposing the fact that despite appearances, the “welting” is fake, a strip of leather-like material that’s glued to the sole, with both the sole and “welting” then being glued to the upper. On my boots, all of this glue has failed.
Now, a good cobbler could probably sort this out, or there’s the DIY option of using a product like “shoe goo” and clamps/weights (which is what I’ve done, since I don’t get into town very often). But it’s certainly disappointing that appearance of traditional craftsmanship is belied by the fake welting!
Dear Huw,
Thanks for your comment. I had the same experience with my Morlands but I forgot to update the article because I was on vacation when it happened. I brought them to a local cobbler and they glued it back together. Now they really hold together. However, I agree that it is a little sad to see that so much effort went into the real stitching just to make it seem the sole was sewn to the uppers. Fortunately, the glues are so good nowadays that they will probably outlive the sole and so it will be probably easier to resole the Morlands Shoot Boot now. Do your soles hold together now? Mine are perfect!
Sven, I have found that my “do-it-yourself” repairs have worked well as long as I compress the work overnight while the glue sets fully (taking care to protect the leather from the steel clamps). Of course, this meant that it took several days to repair both boots, since I could only clamp one area at a time. Maybe a cobbler would have access to superior, industrial-strength adhesives; he’d certainly have more efficient clamps and presses. So, if I was planning to go hiking in them I would take them to a cobbler instead of attempting DIY!
I have a pair of excellent Morlands ankle boots – perfect for this icy weather – but regrettably the rubber sole bed is coming away from the leather upper. The local shoe-mender cannot repair them, please will you advise me on what sort / make of adhesive to purchase?
This sounds very strange. Every shoe repair shop should be able to glue them. You need the right tools to apply even pressure to the sole. Hence, it is very difficult to do it at home. Also, I do not know what kind of glue you have available in the UK. I’d suggest you try another shoe mender. Let us know how your Morlands end up!
Take a look at the current styles of slippers and I understand a new man’s sheepskin boot will be launched this autumn
http://www.morlandssheepskin.co.uk