Minnetonka - Our History

At Minnetonka we take our history seriously. We’ve been keeping feet warm and well dressed for over 60 years, inspired by a history that harks back centuries.

Long before Columbus even thought of setting sail for the New World Native American Indians were padding about in their comfortable moccasins. In fact, it was only after the Second World War that many Americans began to explore their own extraordinary country and the cultures that had lived there for centuries. That’s when many of them discovered Minnetonka moccasins.

Our name derives from a little place in Hennepin County, Minnesota that, as well as having a beautiful lake, is in the Ojibway and Chippewa people’s territory, whose uncompromising craftsmanship first inspired our own take on the humble moccasin.

A people of fine leather, canoes and expertly made moccasins; we instill their expertise and spirit in every pair of shoes we produce. We still make our version of the traditional hand-stitched Moose hide and Deerskin soft-soled moccasins, as well as many designed to cope with the concrete and pavement of the modern world.

And speaking of modern worlds, Minnetonka seems to have taken over the fashion world too: from the hipsters of Brooklyn’s Bedford Avenue to the trendy circles of London’s Primrose Hill, every in-crowd and en-vogue clique has been teaming their skinny jeans and maxi-dresses with the hottest slip-on or boot.

Not to mention our celebrity following. We weren’t surprised to see Kate Moss frolicking around a Glastonbury field in our Tramper boots or Rachel Bilson picking up a coffee and shaking her fringing with every step. After all, once you’ve experienced the comfort of a Minnetonka moccasin, nothing else quite stands up.