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Vasily Fedosenko / Reuters
A worker processes wool used to make traditional footwear at a factory in Smilovichi, Belarus, Dec. 5.
Vasily Fedosenko / Reuters
A worker processes semi-finished valenki, in Smilovichi, Belarus.
Vasily Fedosenko / Reuters
A worker moves a cart of semi-finished valenki at a factory in Smilovichi, Belarus, Dec. 5.
Vasily Fedosenko / Reuters
Workers sort semi-finished valenki at a factory in the village of Smilovichi, Dec. 5.
Vasily Fedosenko / Reuters
A worker processes semi-finished valenki, Dec. 5.
Valenki, a traditional Russian felt boot specifically designed for extreme frost typical of severe winter, remain popular in rural areas. Established in 1928, a factory in village of Smilovichi, 22 miles east of Minsk, still produces 17,000 pairs of boots a month, according to its director. If you love these boots, there is a valenki museum in Vyshny Volochok, Russia.