S. African. Also velschoen (pl.); veld-, velt-, veldt-schoen, veldtschoon. [a. or ad. Cape Du. veldschoen, earlier velschoen, f. Du. vel skin, FELL sb.1 + schoen SHOE sb.; the first element has been assimilated to veld VELDT.] A light shoe made of untanned hide.
α. 1822. Burchell, Trav., I. 214. The Hottentots … soon took off the hide, which they cut in small pieces, for the purpose of making velschoen (hide-shoes).
1883. Olive Schreiner, Afr. Farm, I. ii. On their feet they wore home-made ‘vel-schoen.’
β. 1834. Pringle, Afr. Sk., iv. 178. A sort of sandals … are in common use, called veld-schoenen (country shoes).
1850. R. G. Cumming, Hunter’s Life S. Afr. (1902), 139/1. Here I divested myself of my leather trousers, shooting belt, and veltschoens.
1885. Rider Haggard, K. Solomon’s Mines (1887), 201. I discarded my trousers,… retaining only my veldtschoons.
1894. Pall Mall Mag., Sept., 38. A Boer veldtschoen upon the right foot.
γ. 1863. W. C. Baldwin, Afr. Hunting, vi. 212. No heels to my veldt shoes, which were made of blesbuck skin.
