Nancy Johnston, Founder and Creative Director, House of Tengri, and Jonathan Church, fifth generation shoemaker. © Tengri

British fair-trade luxury brand Tengri launches a new interpretation of the classic brogue in an exclusive collaboration with heritage shoemaker Joseph Cheaney & Sons. 150 limited-edition pairs in three signature styles will be made to order for both men and women, introducing the first brogue shoe incorporating performance and material innovation with natural and sustainable noble fibres.

“The partnership between Cheaney and Tengri is an exciting adventure for us. We are producing beautifully crafted shoes introducing new and exciting sustainable materials through our partnership with Tengri, which is so important in today’s consumer world,” said William Church, Joint MD, Joseph Cheaney & Sons.

Luxury fibres

Taking the wearer from boardroom to mountain and pushing the boundaries and performance of the classic brogue, the collaboration results in a custom collection of luxury footwear created for optimum comfort and mobility. The brogues will benefit from the unique natural properties of Tengri Noble Fibres and feature the world’s first yak hair insole created with Tengri’s signature Khangai yak fibres, combed from the underbelly of the rare breed of yak just once a year. With only 100 grams of fibre available from each Khangai yak per year, the limited-edition Joseph Cheaney collection defines luxury.

Tengri x Cheaney Apex brogues. © Tengri

Khangai yak grow hair with unique textures and colourings, found only in animals native to the remote Khangai region of Mongolia, where mineral-rich grasslands are grazed. The fibre, which is as soft as cashmere, has exclusive natural properties: it is warmer than merino wool and naturally resistant to odours and water. Naturally thermo-regulating, the fibres withstand temperatures from -40 to +40 degrees in the wild; they also regulate moisture, aiding optimum wearability.

Collection

A collection comprising three styles, including the Apex brogue shoe, the Vertex brogue boot and Pinnacle Chelsea boot, will be crafted in ethically and responsibly sourced, single origin, undyed leather.  A layer of Mongolian sheep wool replaces the traditional rigid cork resin in the soles and a lightweight Vibram Gumlite sole enhances the shoes’ grip, cushioning and durability. Two hundred hand crafted operations will construct one single shoe with Goodyear welting ensuring a shoe that can easily and efficiently withstand repairs and resoling.

For a unique style accent, Tengri will work with a patina artist to custom stain, by request, using the ancient process of patina with natural pigments. Ensuring a wholly sustainable product, each pair is presented in a limited-edition dust bag made from Tengri’s exclusive Khangai Noble Fabrics, and boxed in FSC certified, fully recyclable packaging.

Tengri x Cheaney Vertex boots. © Tengri

The collection will be available at Joseph Cheaney, in London, from 11 April. £50 from every purchase will be donated to the Wildlife Conservation Society where funds will help to monitor and develop educational materials, training and outreach, to support nomadic herder families with the conservation of land and animals in the Khangai Mountains.

Classic shoe

“Brogues were a classic workman’s shoe, worn by British farmers to tend the fields, with the process of broguing used to help water ventilation of the foot.  Ironically, the style became an iconic symbol of status. To create a custom brogue was a seamless fit and in line with our new Autumn/Winter collection, titled and inspired by Sky, to work with the prestige shoe makers who also created the British paramilitary boot was a natural collaboration,” commented Nancy Johnston, Founder and Creative Director, House of Tengri.

“At Tengri we look to challenge the classic and embrace innovation whilst learning from nature. We are committed to natural reinvention to create a sustainable future and working to commercialise heritage and traditional techniques as part of a sustainable production cycle in luxury fashion.  From the steppes of Mongolia to our heritage mills in the UK and back to our London design studio, the Tengri lifestyle now takes you from bed to boardroom to mountain.”

www.tengri.co.uk