Meet the Manitobah Mukluks
Manitobah Mukluks are known for making aboriginal mukluks and moccasins. Their footwear and accessories truly stand out with handcrafted designs made by indigenous hands. They are proudly Canadian and indigenous-owned.
The authenticity of Manitobah Mukluks lies in their ancestry. In fact, every product they have comes with a certificate of authenticity. It details the contribution of indigenous-owned businesses in Canada and guarantees that the brand supports them.
Manitobah Mukluks is built for aboriginal communities specifically the Métis, to celebrate their history, values, and tradition. This brand goes beyond selling. They exist to preserve a group of dedicated aborigines who make a living out of their high quality, handcrafted footwear.
How Manitobah Mukluks Started
It all started in 1630 when the Métis started supplying products in the North American fur trade. In 1870, the Métis began providing handmade artisan goods to the recently named Canadian province, Manitoba.
Fast forward to 1990, Manitobah Mukluks Founder and CEO Sean McCormick put up a trading post in Manitobah and began trading indigenous mukluks and moccasins for tanned leather. The popularity of mukluks peaked when Hollywood celebrities were photographed wearing them in 2006. Celebrities like Jennifer Love Hewitt and Kate Moss have been spotted wearing the famous mukluks! Fashion bloggers are raving about them, too.
Today, Manitobah Mukluks continues to be the fastest-growing footwear brand in Canada. It has grown to become a global brand known for its work and support to Indigenous artisans and communities.
The Heart of Manitobah Mukluks: Meet the Métis
The Métis is one of the three Aboriginal groups in Canada that are officially recognized by the government. They are known as “the flower beadwork people.” This intricate and long-standing beading tradition is passed on from one generation to another.
They are the ones working hard to make sure that the high quality of every mukluk is maintained. It all starts with hunting then working on the leather before crafting the sole and adding the beading. The entire process takes approximately 100 hours! That takes a lot of dedication and expertise to finish. The warmest and most beautiful beaded mukluks you’re wearing are from the hands of Métis artisans!
Manitobah Mukluks takes pride in being Indigenious-Canadian, which is why they still produce 20% of their footwear in an aborigine-owned facility in Winnipeg. Their success allows them to help more indigenous people and share their rich culture to the world.
The Manitobah Mukluks Commitment
The Manitobah Mukluks has partnered with the Centre for indigenous Human Resource Development to provide education to indigenous students so they can enroll in a college or university. The company’s goal is to improve their quality of life by training them and opening new career paths for them, particularly working in Manitobah.
They also initiated the Storyboot Project which aims to revive traditional arts by collaborating with the indigenous elderly and artisans. All the proceeds from every Storyboot sold goes to the artist who made it! This encourages them to continue handcrafting mukluks and moccasins the traditional way.
Continuing the Legacy
Manitobah Mukluks aims to continue walking forward, bringing with them the traditions that got them to where they are now. McCormick said that they will continue making Manitobah Mukluks more accessible to people. They will maintain the high quality of their footwear while incorporating the thousand-year-old designs that define the Indigenous communities.
To know more about Manitobah Mukluks visit their website or call 1-855-MUKLUKS (1-855-685-5857) or email custservice@manitobah.ca.
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