ALDO CALDER - Men Dress Fashion Shoes

You got class! So does this smooth leather loafer with square toe, square heel and hidden twin gores.

Well we all know about this Ugg Boots fashion craze that's hit the world don't we? Those ugly fluffy looking boots that originate from Australia. But how is the humble Ugg Boot made?

The number one essential factor needed for manufacturing a genuine Australian Ugg Boot is the material (the sheepskin hide). You may be aware that their are plenty of different ugg boots styles popping up on the internet these days. If you do a few basic searches on the net you will find yourself a cheap pair of non-authentic uggs somewhere, but let me tell you 99% of ugg boots sold on the internet are made in china. China made Australian ugg boots? Hmm how doess that work? Anyway these China boots are maufactured using inferior sheepskin internal material and probably suede external material which doesn't allow the boot to breath and leaves you with a smelly boot you wont want to put back on after 4-5 wears.

These china made copies just dont stand up to the Genuine Australian Made Boot. So one things for sure if your interested in buying a pair of sheepskin ugg boots on the internet or anywhere for that matters, dont try to save a dollor or two when purchasing your boots?

If you want a boot that's warm in winter cool in summer then you must insist on a boot manufactured with Genuine Australian
double faced Sheepskin preferbly Australian Merino Sheepskin.

One of the questions often asked about ugg boots is:

Do you have to really kill the poor sheep just to make a pair of sheepskin boots?

The answer is YES. The sheep has to be slaughted to obtain their hide and fleece. But i must say that the sheep is not slaughted purley for the fleece. The primary purpose for the sheep is its meat for table eating. This is a huge industry in its own. The hides are used as a secondary means of revenue from the slaughter.

Now once the sheepskin hides are taken from the sheep then the process of preparing the hide for manufacturers and ensuring the hides are up to export standard begins.

Woolskins are usually preserved with salt prior to being processed by tanneries. At the tannery the skins are processed in large vessels called paddles which vary in capacity from 3000 to 15000 litres. In contrast to hide processing, in woolskin processing mechanical action is kept to a minimum in order to minimise felting of the wool. Rotating blades on the paddles move the skins slowly and gently, and processing is performed at much higher float ratios (typically 20-35 litres of water per skin) than are used in hide processing.

Typically it takes about 10 working days for the skins to be tanned and finished ready to be cut into panels for ugg boots.

Step 1. Tanning/ Processing

Soaking (16 hours) - The skins are rinsed in cold water to remove excess salt and dirt from the wool and pelt. Rehydration
(soaking) of the pelt takes place in a fresh cold water float overnight.

Fleshing - The skins are fleshed using a fleshing machine which removes excess fat and muscle tissue from the back of the skins. This allows for more rapid and complete penetration of chemicals in the later stages of processing, particularly
during pickling and tanning.

Scouring (30-45 minutes) - Surfactants are used at 38oC to remove dirt and grease (lanolin) from the wool.

Pickling (16 hours) - Prior to tanning, the skins are pickled in a solution containing acid and salt. The salt is added to
prevent swelling of the skins by the acid. The internal pH of the skins is lowered to approximately 2.8-3.0, thereby
preparing the skins for penetration by the tanning agent.

Tanning (16 hours) - Tanning is generally achieved by using chromium salts which form cross-links with the collagen,
stabilising the skin structure and preventing putrefaction. The tanning step is conducted at about 25oC and pH 2.5-3.0 to
allow for penetration of the chrome. Once penetrated, the chrome is fixed to the collagen by raising the pH to about 3.6
using sodium bicarbonate, and heating to about 35-40oC. This step raises the shrinkage temperature of the skin from about
60oC to around 100oC.

Wool Dyeing / Fatliquoring (3-4 hours) - After tanning, the wool may be dyed a variety of colours. Wool dyeing is performed
at about pH 4.5-6 and at 60-65oC, "Pelt reserve agents" being added to prevent the wool dye staining the pelt. After the dye
is exhausted, the pH is lowered to about 4.0 to fix the dyes to the wool, and fatliquor is added to the bath. Fatliquors are
emulsified oils which are used in leather manufacture to lubricate the collagen fibres, allowing them to move freely when the skin is dried, thereby imparting softness to the skin.

Drying (4-24 hours) - Once tanned and wool dyed, the skins are then dried in heated forced-air dryers by "toggling" the skins
to a frame. Drying is conducted at temperatures of 50-80oC.

Drycleaning (4-24 hours) - The dried skins are "drycleaned" in either white spirit (a high-boiling petroleum fraction) or
perchloroethylene. The drycleaning removes the natural fat and grease present within the skins.

Pelt Dyeing / Syntanning - Once the pelt grease is removed, the skins are returned to the paddle for pelt dyeing. This step
is performed at low temperature (less than 30oC) in order to minimise staining of the wool by the pelt dye. After pelt
dyeing, the skins are "syntanned" using synthetic tanning agents in order to give the pelts added fullness and firmness. The skins are then redried.

Step 2. Finishing

Once all the tanning and processing steps have been completed, the skins are ready for final finishing prior to being used in
ugg boot manufacture.

Staking - After "conditioning" the skins to approximately 20% moisture content, the skins are staked in a staking machine.
This softens and stretches the skin pelt, and puts a "nap" on the pelt surface.

Combing / Ironing / Clipping - The wool is combed in a combing machine to remove tangles and any burrs or grass seeds present
in the wool. An iron (a hot, 150oC revolving cylinder) straightens the wool, removing the natural wool crimp.Finally, a cylinder clipping machine is used to clip the wool pile to the desired length, usually about 12-15 mm.

Step 3. Manufacturing

Panels are cut from the skins using a "clicking press". Once cut, the panels are sewn together using industrial sewing machines, then the sole is glued to the boot. Once this is done, the boots are ready for sale!

To view a complete range of these ugg boots completed please visit www.australianaura.com or www.30-below.com for premium Australian made sheepskin UGG boot

Hopefully this article has helped you understand a little on the process of sheepskin hide preperation and ugg boot manfacture. Please feel free to browse our range at:

30Below Australia Authentic Ugg Boot manuacturers

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ALDO KODA - Men Casual Classics Shoes

Create a cool everyday look with this ergonomic loafer featuring studded rubber sole and detailed stitching.

Do you love authentic classic Australian boots? Many many people do, and in fact they have become one of the hottest-selling fashion items in the world - not just in Australia or the U.S.

However, high fashion usually comes with a rather large price tag - at least for many people's budgets. This is not the case with the EMU Bronte boot - it has a comparably low price to other Australian brands of classic boots and are becoming more and more popular as well as quite fashionable to wear.

Is there a sacrifice of quality that comes with a lower price? Absolutely not. According to product reviews given by consumers, the EMU Bronte Boot is not only great looking, but is possibly the most comfortable boot ever made. The raves from the buyers in the reviews really prove the point - they are from women who wear them as well as parents who buy them for their kids. Some consumers reported that they purchased EMU Bronte Boots for the lower price, but loved them just as much (or more) than other brands of boots.

Suede uppers with a merino wool lining are the "secret" to their comfort. They also have a special sole ("eva") that is quite strong and flexible for comfort and lasting wear.

The EMU Bronte boot is available in three styles: Classic hi, lo and mini and depending on the look you want you can very likely find a pair that you love.

And so will your wallet!

Copyright Tonya Brisnehan

About the Author:

Tonya Brisnehan reviews products professionally and is an online writer.

Note: Retail price for the EMU Bronte boot is around $60 - $90 depending on the style and whether they are for women or kids.

Want to find out where to buy them for even less?

>>Visit the EMU Bronte Boot page.

Interested in finding a great pair of EMU Bronte Boots for kids?

>>Visit the Kids EMU Bronte page.

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ALDO EMERIQUE - Men Corporate Dress Shoes

Time to look your best! Slip into these sophisticated loafers with leather upper and rubber sole and be ready for any business or evening occasion. Featuring square toe, twin gore inserts and heeled silhouette.

The 90s was a great decade for fashion. No longer were the big names of fashion concerned with the amount of dress and under-dressing. In a minimalistic twist which emphasized the grace and freedom of the human form, the 90s featured a great fear of overdressing. Ostentatious displays of class were replaced with the beauty of stark simplicity. And apart from a product's style, the way it was portrayed by the media became an equally important factor in a product's success.

Fashion took a turn for the revolutionary and out of the ordinary at the end of the 20th century. No more were the blond bombshells and femme fatales of past decades ruling the runway and the billboards. In their stead, themes of poverty, sexual violence, disability, death and body modification came into being through the form of the romantically poor waif, with a face devoid of make-up and stark backgrounds. Retailers of ready-to-wear clothing like The Gap, Banana Republic and Eddie Bauer came into prominence with clothes that women found to be comfortable and ultimately wearable.

It was also in the 90s that Gucci (which had existed since the 20s) found international success by winning the Brand of the Year award, becoming the largest selling Italian brand of all. And like Gucci, Prada also came into prominence with a truly luxurious style that benefited young ladies whose fashion sense was more relaxed and subtle. And like Gucci, its specialty was high quality bags and shoes. In the United States, the fashion industry was lorded over by Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein and Michael Kors. They used a combination of minimalism with hints of veiled sensuality to market their products to thousands of buyers.

Other icons of the era include Vivienne Westwood with her blast to the past fashion sense, Gianni Versace with his colorful and sexy patterns, and Dolce and Gabbana which embodied the feminine psyche of the era in terms of fashion. The 90s was a truly rebellious and colorful era. If you're interested in these tidbits of information, you were probably born for a fashion design degree.

Learn more about the fashion design degree as well as other degrees by clicking on: http://www.pathtodegrees.com/Fashion+Design+Degree.705.htm

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