Sole Survivors: We Took a Tour of BC’s Most Famous Boot Factory

Grady Mitchell June 15, 2016

The Viberg boot factory occupies a nondescript building on the edge of downtown Victoria, BC. The ceiling draped with national flags, the floors humming with machinery, it’s alive with skilled workers working in tandem to produce boots of renowned quality. Among them is the silver-haired and bulky figure of Glen Viberg, the third generation to run the company, who strides between the humming machinery and adds a finishing touch to a pair there, points something out to a young apprentice here.

Founded in 1931, Viberg have long been known as makers of indestructible footwear for working men. In recent years they’ve moved into the luxury market, developing new lines of dress boots that are as beautiful as their workbooks are tough. That’s led to high-level collaborations, international stockists, and growing demand worldwide. Not bad for a family operation from sleepy Vancouver Island.

Read on to find out exactly how a Viberg boot gets made.