Discover the newest addition to our curated Viberg selection: the Viberg Navvy Shoe in Horween’s Latigo Wax Flesh. Custom-built to our specifications, this shoe combines elegance and durability in equal measure. The Navvy silhouette pairs effortlessly with workwear, as well as with more refined business outfits.

We chose Waxed Flesh roughout leather to emphasize the origins of the Navvy Shoe and to create a companion for all seasons. In its Bracken colorway, the leather will carry the marks of your life and age beautifully over time.

The Dainite sole adds a classic British touch while keeping your feet comfortable throughout the day and into the night.

Why is it called the Navvy

The term "navvy" originates from the early 19th century, derived from navigator — the name given to the labourers who built Britain’s canal network at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. These workers were known for their toughness, endurance, and ability to handle grueling physical conditions while shaping the infrastructure that powered modern industry.

Over time, "navvy" became synonymous with hands-on craftsmanship and unyielding resilience.

That same spirit carries through in the Viberg Navvy shoe — straightforward, hard-wearing, and built with intent. It’s not about ornament; it’s about function, durability, and quiet confidence.

The Leather: Horween Latigo Wax Flesh

Latigo Waxed Flesh is a cowhide leather that is combination tanned — first chrome tanned, then vegetable tanned. It is heavily infused with oils and waxes through various techniques. This process makes the leather perfectly adapted for heavy duty shoes: less rigid than fully vegetable tanned, but more rigid than fully chrome tanned.

Latigo Waxed Flesh is a waxed roughout leather with a dense, durable surface. It gradually wears to reveal a softer texture beneath. The Bracken colour develops beautiful variation as the surface wears and the underlying texture emerges.

In Western saddlery, the straps securing the cinches to the saddle rigging are called latigos, named for the leather used to create them. Traditionally burgundy in color.

About Horween Leather Company

Founded in 1905, Horween Leather Company has been family-owned for more than 120 years and five generations. Their goal has always been to make the world’s best leather.

Making the best means doing lots of little things right. It means never mistaking fastest or cheapest with the best. It means always using formulas that do not cut corners, and choosing components strictly for their quality.

Horween offers an unparalleled blend of quality, consistency, responsiveness, and innovation. Their products include traditional, old-world tannages and techniques, carefully updated with modern applications. Today, their leathers are still made by hand — the same way as generations ago.