Museum of Valenki store, Moscow

What to buy here: Valenki (felted boots).

No footwear will warm you so well in severe winter than the famous "valenki", specially made of felted wool to be worn in thirty and forty degrees below zero, when ordinary boots fail to protect you. The first felted boots in history are supposed to be worn by the nomads of the Great Steppe more than one thousand years ago. The peak of their popularity in Russia was the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. Moreover, valenki still make part of the winter uniform of Russian army, for this footwear helped Russian soldiers to survive the bitter frost which accompanied the famous Stalingrad battle during the World War II.

For several decades after that valenki were generally considered as old-fashioned village footwear and worn in the city only in the coldest weather. Now the situation is strikingly different: felt boots are highly in fashion and make a source of inspiration for footwear designers who provide the valenki with rubber soles to make them serve longer. Valenki are made in different colors and decorated with leather, crystals and embroidery. It is a unique gift for keen fashion-lovers you will find nowhere else. If you visit the Museum of Valenki (12, 2nd Kozhevnichesky pass), you will not only see old and modern designs, but also have a chance to participate in felting master-class and try to make felted boots yourself! This extraordinary museum works on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 11 AM to 5 PM. Don't forget to visit the museum store! Other places you can acquire valenki are Arbat and the gift stalls between Red and Theatre squares.