Pima - what is it, fashion trends

Today, in the fashion industry, there is a very clear tendency to imitate the well-forgotten old, modernize the classics and stylize under the national theme. One of the latest innovations was the revival and adaptation to the modern fashion of the traditional footwear of the northern peoples.

Folk winter shoes of the inhabitants of the Far North has several types and, accordingly, names. We will analyze the most common:

• KISSA (emphasis on the last syllable) - shoes of reindeer herders and fishermen made of venison (skins with a deer drumstick). Some sources note that these boots were used mainly in the cold spring and late fall. Such fur shoes are characteristic of the Nenets, hunts and mans.

• TORBASA (torbase) is a predominantly Yakut type of shoe sewn with fur outside. The boots are made of genuine leather and cloth with insulation - lining of wool.

• PIMA (the ending of the word is also a shock) is another, the most common and popular variety of winter shoes for northerners. Until now, the main territories on which both demand and supply of this type of fur footwear are booming are the Arkhangelsk region, Perm Territory and the Komi Republic.

What are these mysterious northern boots? They are made manually from the skin of a deer taken from the bottom of his legs. Pima is always sewn with fur outward so that the pile is directed downward. This feature helps protect your foot from getting wet. The height of the bootleg of such boots today starts from 40 centimeters and reaches 70-75 cm. Ingoda is the highest point of the pim may be in the inguinal region.

Nenets pima:

• wide head;
• men's shoes are decorated with ornaments;
• female pimas are not built in the same way as male ones;
• female models almost never have a sole, and if they were made, then it will be made of deer brushes. Men’s boots are always made with the sole, which is made from the skin of a deer’s forehead;
• Pima for women is transported on a separate sled.

Izhemian fur pimas:

• a narrow head tightly fitting to the foot;
• in the jewelry of men's shoes - straight and zigzag lines;
• identical cut for both male and female pim;
• the sole of the boot for representatives of both sexes is made from the skin of deer foreheads;
• both models can be transported on the same sled.

There is another definition of Pim - Siberian, but they are more likely the ancestors of traditional Russian winter shoes - felt boots. Since they are made from felted sheep wool. But, nevertheless, do not confuse Siberian pima-felt boots with Finno-Ugric fur boots.

The main difference between pim and felt boots is that boots made of kamus retain almost the original appearance of the source material and actively “use” its best qualities. In the process of felting, the fleece is slightly altered. Pima is also much lighter than felt boots.

Very often, Nenets boots are confused with high boots, another well-known northern type of shoe. But they are very different from each other:

• Pima can be made only from the skin of deer legs, and high fur boots can be made from the fur of moose, roe deer, horse, and even seal.
• Pima are always made outward by fur, while high fur boots can be sewn together with a fleecy part.

The main feature of pim is that they are very warm (can withstand temperatures up to -50 degrees). Deer skin (camus) allows the legs to "breathe". In addition, it has the property of a thermos. The reindeer-skin villi look like porous tubes filled with air. Therefore, the heat generated by the feet of a person in pimes is not only preserved, but also increased.

This northern shoe is very durable, wear-resistant and therefore durable. High-quality natural pims can be worn for more than 10 seasons, if necessary, changing only the sole.

Craftswomen of the Far North very adroitly and skillfully observe folk traditions when sewing different pim patterns. Reindeer fur boots are divided into three types of models:

Men's The manufacture of these pim pays maximum attention. From 10 to 13 kamus is spent on tailoring men's boots. The method of fastening will depend on the height of the shaft. High pims are tied to the belt with special leather laces, and those lower are tied with woven woolen straps under the knee. The truly masculine ornament used to decorate pim is modest, but eloquent, in the best traditions of the northern peoples.

Women's fur boots are mainly up to the knee, therefore the number of skins for their manufacture is limited to 7-8 pieces. Female pimas are always tied only to the belt. The pattern on them is much lower than men's.

Children's pimas differ from adults only in sizes and patterns designed for children

The most common color for pim is the natural color of the deer - brown (there are shades from light to dark) or black with "gray". Today, the market offers a wide range of color palettes for such boots, but here you need to be extremely careful and attentive. Poor quality pim can lead to a reduction in the service life of shoes by almost half.

White pimas look very elegant and elegant.At the same time, they can be decorated with nothing more, but cause delight and awe. Models of this color scheme are on sale very rarely and have, accordingly, a higher price.

The traditional ornaments of this shoe are the traditional ornaments of a particular nation. At the same time, each model is characterized by its own decoration.

So, for example, female pimas are decorated with patterns with unusual names: “firebrands”, “veal horns”. Separate craft to give uniqueness to female models was considered curettage, application and coloring. From a variety of fur strips and cloth, a peculiar pattern is made on the side of the pim for beautiful ladies, who serve not only as a banal decoration, but also as a set of rules and commandments: do not kill, do not steal, do not swear and do not offend the weak.

Men's boots are made using horizontal fur inserts in front, between which fabric ribbons of blue, red and green colors blend in very harmoniously. The name of the ornaments for men sounds like “male head” and “bear ears”.

Since Pima is a national product, they are mainly engaged in sewing by craftsmen. Hand-made reindeer fur boots are very appreciated, because they are always different, despite the technique and technology of sewing them that has been verified over the years and passed from generation to generation.

There are factories, workshops and workshops for the production of pim. So, for example, the widely known, among admirers of northern paraphernalia, trade and production company "Gifts of the North" (R. Komi, Syktyvkar) produces a wide range of pim, which can be ordered without leaving home. On the official website of the company, you can easily get acquainted with information on how this can be done, and which models of shoes from kamus can be sewn.

Kamus LLC, located in the same place, offers classic pim patterns with traditional fur ornaments.

Olenevod Service Service LLC is a workshop for tailoring a wide variety of deer fur and leather products. It is located in the village of Sizyabsk, Izhemsky district of the Komi Republic. Here, no more than a dozen people are engaged in manual production of pim.

The Aikhal camouflage factory located in another cold city of Russia, Irkutsk, offers original pims with folk motifs and patterns of the Far North.

There is also a number of industries operating away from frosty conditions. All these craftsmen and masters - people from the northernmost regions of Russia - share their works with the rest of the inhabitants of our vast country with great pleasure.

The price tag for reindeer fur boots varies depending on their size, the height of the shaft, and also the jewelry. A significant contribution to pricing is made by the method of transporting PIM to the customer.

So, for example, low boots made of deer fur, ordered directly from the territories of the Far North, will cost the buyer 20-22 thousand rubles. Delivery from central Russia can reduce this figure by 3-4 thousand.

The price of female and male full-bodied pimes varies around twenty to thirty thousand per pair, also depending on the number of components and the delivery method.

In the markets you can find shoes that will cost less than 10,000 rubles, but their quality will remain in question. Indeed, natural deer skin, original Nenets jewelry and handmade are always of high price and excellent quality.

Manufacturers of high-quality natural heels give several basic criteria by which you can easily determine the "right" shoes:

• Run your hand against the coat. This trick will allow you to see how high-quality material made pima. In this case, the pile should be elastic, not wrinkled, not broken, and easily returned to its original position.
• Color. It is necessary to carefully look at the colors.Natural camus has smooth transitions of shades, there should be no “flashes” of color.
• Grip the bootleg with your hand. During the compression process, you should not hear any crunch or crackle. Otherwise, the camus was not made correctly before sewing this shoe. Pima can simply burst during socks.

• Smell. Fur boots must be free from odor. When preparing skins for pim, kamus very carefully cleaned from deer fat.
• The quality of the welt is the rims connecting the fur and the sole to each other. It is made of a piece of hard leather not more than 2.5 mm wide. The threads with which the welt is stitched should be buried in a hole, as it were. If you see threads on the sole, then you will soon have to change it.
• The sole consists of several layers of knitted wool, or of a combination of wool with rubber. The second, of course, will serve you much more than the first, but it is less frost-resistant.

Despite the fact that the reindeer fur has excellent water-, dirt- and dust-repellent properties, it must also be cleaned. The following simple rules should be followed in the care and cleaning of PIM:

• - they can be dried by filling newspapers and turning the sole upside down, away from heating appliances;
• - remove shoes only with your hands, in order to avoid erasing the fur;
• - Wear pima only in dry, frosty weather;
• - wipe them best with a soft dry cloth;
• - if the fur is wet, in no case do not comb and do not iron it, otherwise it will fall off;
• - store pimas in a canvas, suede or natural textile bag, you can also soak them with a good moth repellent, push paper inside and put cardboard to maintain shape;
• - deer boots are stored in a dark ventilated place at room temperature not more than 23 degrees and air humidity a little more than 65%.

In modern life, it is very easy to combine any type of shoe with clothes. However, if you have a question with what wears pima, here are a few images for your imagination.

For such cute fur boots, any skinny pants tucked inside the pim fit: jeans, leggings, and even leather pants.

White pims with lace accents will be a great accessory for miniskirts and even dresses.

It would seem that rough brown boots can go well only with trousers, but the woolen gray mini dress also fits very harmoniously into the modern look, and the fur coat from above will add grace to the girl.

Men's pima-boots very conveniently and harmoniously fit into the casual image of the owner.

Slim men's trousers tucked into boots with applique "deer" look very stylish, honest and practical.