In Norway children would wear footwear according to the weather conditions, with wellington boots if it’s raining and snow boots if it’s snowing. But with the uniform policy at the girls school it’s a bit more tricky. Sometimes I’ll let them wear appropriate boots to school, then change them into their uniform shoes upon arrival before carrying the boots back home. And if the weather is not too bad I’ll let them wear the uniform shoes walking to school, with the result that the tights are wet and the shoes are quicker worn out or even damaged.
While kissing the Scandinavian Dad farewell this morning I realised he was wearing his Norwegian galoshes, his midnight blue SWIMS. The Scandinavian Dad loves his formal leather shoes and was very happy after purchasing his first SWIMS while we still lived in Norway. SWIMS and galoshes is not an everyday sight in London, so he does get a lot of smiles and jokes. But hey, who laughs last laughs the best! His shoes remain beautiful, and the Scandinavian Dad’s feet are still warm and dry when arriving at work.
If only SWIMS would start making galoshes for kids as well!
The founder of SWIMS tells his story
Growing up with four distinct seasons in Norway, I never let go of the black rubber galoshes that my late grandfather passed on to me. In 1999 they accompanied me to a milder, but still rainy Paris. Wearing Chuck Taylor’s Converse and galoshes, I got around the severe rainfall that autumn. Not surprisingly, my footwear became the subject of many jokes around the art school I attended. Later, while living in New York, I blended in with an image-conscious culture that defied slushy streets, freezing winds and pouring rain. Naturally, this resulted in a lot of discomfort and many ruined pairs of shoes.
A few more Manhattan winters went by while I searched for the right product before I finally took matters in my own hands and decided to develop SWIMS – The Modern Galosh! A stylish solution, embodying the essence of practicality: Wear your favorite shoes, slip on SWIMS when the weather is rough, slip’em off when you arrive at your destination. Enhanced comfort is assured and your shoes are guaranteed to stay shiny.
Photo: SWIMS