Tengri is a London-based design house which emphasises craftsmanship and sustainability while supporting groups like the Mongolian herders whose Khangai Mountain yaks supply the hair used in the manufacture of these shoes made in collaboration with Cheaney Shoes of Northamptonshire.
I met Tengri's founder, Nancy Johnston, to see the collection, which will be limited to 150 pairs. The shoes are undyed leather which can be stained if required. I rather liked the cream undyed finish and would probably retain that to wear them (perhaps with a linen suit or blazer) over the summer and then have them custom stained by their in-house patina artist (which can be done at extra cost) for winter use.
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| Nancy Johnston of Tengri shows me the Cheaney x Tengri Apex Brogues |
The yak hair replaces the cork in the midsole of these brogues and is also used to cushion the insoles. I tried the insoles in an ordinary pair of brogues and noticed the comfort that the springy yak hair brings to the design. Khangai Yak hair has extraordinary qualities of insulation and odour resistance as it has to keep the animals comfortable in temperatures plunging between -40 and +40 Celsius. Each animal is combed to produce only some 100g of hair seasonally. See the video below for more information.
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| Tengri x Cheaney Apex Derby Brogue, Pinnacle Chelsea Boot and Apex Derby Brogue Boot |
The Vibram Gumlite soles add additional comfort and grip. Nancy was inspired by fell running shoes and certainly what she's achieved here are some stylish and practical brogues that could be used (as indeed were the original brogues) for walking across rough mountains and moorland. If they're right for that, they certainly work on our rock-hard city pavements. The soles not only make the shoes lighter than a traditionally made pair of brogues, but also add a contemporary touch to a heritage design.
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| The Apex Brogues by Cheaney x Tengri |
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| Vibram Gumlite sole on the Cheaney x Tengrin Apex Brogues |
The three shoe (brogue, brogue boot and Chelsea boots) collection is made in Britain and starts at £800 and £50 from each sale goes to Mongolian conservation. Some may baulk at this price, but given the rarity of the materials, the exclusivity of the collection (only 150 made) and the quality of the manufacture, it stands up well to many designer-name shoes made to far lesser standards. This is a genuine luxury British-made item.
Contact Cheaney/Tengri or, alternatively, go to Tengri to find out more or to pre-order.
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