The Haferlschuh () is the traditional

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

n shoe. It was designed originally as a work shoe for alpine terrain, but it can now be worn in a more general setting. In Bavaria it may also be called a ''Bundschuh''. In Austria, it is known as a ''Schützenschuh.'' According to legend, in 1803 Franz Schratt, an alpine shoemaker from

Oberstdorf Oberstdorf ( Low Alemannic: ''Oberschdorf'') is a municipality and skiing and hiking town in Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bavarian Alps. It is the southernmost settlement in Germany and one of its highest towns. At the&nb ...

(located in the

Allgäu The Allgäu (Standard German: , also Allgovia) is a region in Swabia in southern Germany. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia, southeastern Baden-Württemberg, and parts of Austria. The region stretches from the pre-alpine lands up to the A ...

region of the

Bavarian Alps The Bavarian Alps (german: Bayerische Alpen) is a collective name for several mountain ranges of the Northern Limestone Alps within the German state of Bavaria. Geography The term in its wider sense refers to that part of the Eastern Alps that ...

), developed the Haferlschuh inspired by the goat hoof. However, Sternke asserts that the Haferlschuh is much older. With a boatlike front and hobnailed sole, the shoes gave the wearer stability. Since 1900, the Haferlschuh has become a part of many alpine

Tracht ''Tracht'' () refers to traditional garments in German-speaking countries and regions. Although the word is most often associated with Bavarian, Austrian, South Tyrolian and Trentino garments, including lederhosen and dirndls, many other German-s ...

en. Nonetheless, the Haferlschuh is still worn as an everyday shoe, and not just for special occasions like

Oktoberfest The Oktoberfest (; bar, Wiesn, Oktobafest) is the world's largest Volksfest, featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival. It is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is a 16- to 18-day folk festival running from mid- or ...

References

* Helge Sternke: ''Alles über Herrenschuhe''. Nicolai Verlag, Berlin, 2006, 560 S., 450 Abb., . (With a detailed information about the Haferlschuh). * Schuh Bertl / Helge Sternke: ''Der Haferlschuh: Tradition, Handwerk, Mode''. Heel, Königswinter 2015, . Folk footwear Culture of Altbayern {{Germany-stub