Wet Felting: From the Steppes to the Balkans

Introduction

I've been wanting to talk about felt and felting for a while now. I think it's not discussed enough, yet it's fascinating.
There's something improbable about felt. No sewing, no weaving, no frame. Just wool, hot water, soap, and hands. Yet, this ancient material is one of the strongest, most insulating, and smartest that humans have ever produced. Before knitting, before fabric, there was felt.

We'll journey from the nomadic peoples of Central Asia to the workshops of a collective in Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia (who supply me with felt slippers), passing through the Mongolian steppes, the Kyrgyz mountains, and the Balkans. I've tried to be exhaustive and help you understand, first, what actually happens in the fiber, then why the manual gesture is irreplaceable, and finally, what it means to wear a slipper that requires ten hours of work from an artisan.

The Origins of Felt: An Invention Born of Necessity

Felt is probably the oldest textile humanity has ever produced. Archaeologists have unearthed fragments of felt in the Pazyryk tombs, in the Altai Mountains, Siberia, preserved in permafrost for nearly 4000 years.
These pieces already show sophisticated mastery: the felt is colored, ornamental, and structured. It is not a primitive technique, as one might tend to believe (including myself before I became interested in it). It is a highly developed technique, which took generations to refine.

But it is said that the origin of felt is probably even older. It is estimated that the first people to felt did so by accident, perhaps 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. The most famous legend tells that travelers lined their sandals with raw wool to cushion their walk. Under the combined effect of sweat, body heat, and friction against the ground, the fibers became entangled... And the first felt was born under the feet of a walker who didn't yet know what he had just created!

Nomadic Peoples, First Masters of Felt

It was in Central Asia that felting developed as a distinct technique, probably among the nomadic peoples of the steppe. The reason is simple: they lived with their sheep, they had an abundance of wool, and they needed warm, light, waterproof, and quickly made materials to cover their yurts and clothe their bodies.
Mongols used large sheets of felt to cover their yurts and insulate their floors. To make these large pieces, research suggests they harnessed horses or camels to drag rolls of wet wool across the steppe. The rough ground and movement created the necessary friction to bind the fibers. One can only be impressed by this efficiency and ingenuity, entirely adapted to a life on the move.

We often have a crude image of ancient peoples and even before, and I am no exception; however, current research, facilitated by new technologies, increasingly disproves what we once believed. Primitive man mastered certain techniques wonderfully.

In Kyrgyzstan, felt is so central to cultural identity that there is a saying: Kyrgyz are born on felt and die on felt. This is not a metaphor; it is literally the case in traditional communities, where newborns are placed on felt and the deceased are wrapped in felt.

The Global Geography of Felting: An Art Present on Every Continent

Central Asia was the living cradle of felting.
Even today, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan are the regions where the felting tradition is most vibrant. Felt is produced there in the form of carpets (shyrdaks, ala kiyiz), blankets, winter clothing, and slippers which, if they were originally intended for protection against the cold, are now exported.
Women's collectives, often from rural areas, have managed to transform this ancient knowledge into an economic activity, working with distributors in Europe and North America.

Turkey and the Kepenek

In Turkey, felting has a history linked to the whirling dervishes and the Mevlevi order, whose distinctive white robes are made of felt. But it is primarily the kepenek (the large felt shepherd's cloak) that symbolizes the Ottoman tradition of felting. These cloaks, sometimes weighing up to 8 kg, were waterproof, insulating, and almost indestructible. Some Turkish artisans still make them today.

The Balkans and Eastern Europe

In Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Albania, wool felting (known locally by names derived from the Slavic pustovanje or pust) has been part of textile culture for centuries. Here too, in the Bosnian mountains, women's cooperatives perpetuate the making of felted textiles, often with a view to social economy and the transmission of skills. Local wool from rustic breeds adapted to climatic conditions produces a felt that is both dense and supple, different from felt made from Merino wool found in Western Europe.

The Western Renaissance

In Western Europe and North America, felting has seen a spectacular resurgence since the 1980s-1990s, first as an artistic practice, then as a craft in its own right. Workshops, associations, and training courses have multiplied. Wet felting is practiced there to create clothing, bags, wool paintings (yes, even paintings!), as well as to reconnect with a slow gesture that runs counter to industrial manufacturing.

I believe that these trends will only intensify with the rise of ecological awareness that characterizes younger generations (and not only them).
Pollution, a reaction to obsolescence and the frantic consumption of disposable products are, in my opinion, the main factors for a renewal of craftsmanship. And for the interest it generates.
Not to mention the search for meaning that one wants to give to one's existence by reconnecting with traditions that are sometimes millennia old, which, in my case, motivated the creation of Ethno Slava.

What Happens in the Fiber: The Science of Wet Felting

To understand why the artisan's touch is irreplaceable, one must descend to the microscopic scale of the wool fiber.

- Wool scales:
This is the secret of felt. Each strand of wool is covered with microscopic scales, much like fish scales or roof tiles. In their normal state, these scales lie flat along the fiber. But under the combined effect of heat, moisture, and friction, they open and stand up. Once open, they hook onto the scales of neighboring fibers, creating an irreversible entanglement. Felt is not sewn, not woven, not glued: it is locked at the molecular level.
This process is irreversible. You cannot "unfelt" wool. It is this structure that gives felt its strength, density, and relative impermeability.

- Soap:
It plays a crucial role; it is not there to "clean" the wool, but to accelerate and facilitate felting. By reducing the surface tension of water, it allows moisture to penetrate deeper and faster into the fiber. It also helps the fibers to slide against each other before fixing, making the process more homogeneous. Without soap, felting would be possible but much slower and less regular.

- Lavender:
It perfumes, protects, and acts as a natural antiseptic.
In the tradition of the Zlatno Runo Sirmijuma collective (in Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia), lavender is integrated into the process. Its role is threefold: it delicately perfumes the wool, acts as a natural barrier against moths (a "historical" enemy of wool), and possesses slight antiseptic properties. It is a functional as well as sensory addition, rooted in local practices.

4. Step-by-Step Wet Felting Technique

Wet felting relies on a patient and precise gesture. Here's how it unfolds in an artisan workshop.

- Wool preparation:
Raw wool is first carded, meaning it is untangled and aligned into light, regular layers. The quality of this step determines the consistency of the final felt.

- Cross-layered superposition:
The wool layers are arranged in thin layers, each oriented perpendicularly to the previous one (important!).
In the technique practiced by Zlatno Runo Sirmijuma, eight cross-layers are used. This alternation of orientations ensures that the fibers interlace in all directions, creating a homogeneous and resistant felt in every direction.

- Wetting and soaping:
The whole is generously soaked with warm soapy water. Heat opens the scales, and soap facilitates sliding.

- Rolling and rubbing:
Then comes the handwork: rubbing, pressing, rolling, tapping. This repeated, patient, progressive (and long) movement is what structures the material. You must feel under your palms the wool densifying, stiffening, losing its filamentous appearance to become a solid and continuous surface.

- Control and finishing:
The felt is regularly checked, stretched or shrunk as needed. For slippers, a wooden form is used as a template. The eco-leather sole is then hand-sewn with waxed shoemaker's thread.

- Total duration:
Approximately 10 hours per pair. This figure speaks volumes about the distance separating an artisanal slipper from an industrial slipper.

The Benefits of Felted Wool for Feet

Wool is not an ordinary material. It possesses intrinsic properties that survive even after felting.

- Natural thermoregulation.
Felted wool keeps feet warm in winter and remains surprisingly temperate in summer. It regulates body temperature without excessively trapping heat.

- Antibacterial and antiallergenic properties.
Keratin, the protein that makes up the wool fiber, has properties naturally hostile to bacteria and fungi. Felt slippers limit odors and irritations, without any chemical treatment.

- Moisture management
Felt absorbs some moisture without appearing wet, and gradually releases it. Result: feet stay dry throughout the day.

- Sensory stimulation.
The slight texture of felted wool stimulates the sole of the foot, which promotes blood circulation. No unpleasant roughness, just a soft and invigorating presence.

Zlatno Runo Sirmijuma: When Craftsmanship Carries a Two-Thousand-Year History

In Sremska Mitrovica, Vojvodina (Serbia), a collective of women practices "pustovanje" (traditional Serbian wet felting) with an admirable commitment.

Their name, Zlatno Runo Sirmijuma, means "The Golden Fleece of Sirmia," a reference both to wool and to the historical territory they inhabit.
Their work relies on wool from western Serbia, local varieties such as Pramenka or Cigaja, rustic breeds whose fiber is perfectly suited for making slippers. Each pair is shaped using the eight cross-layer technique, rolled, pressed, hand-consolidated, then fitted with an eco-leather sole sewn with waxed thread.

Sirmium and the Solomon's Knot

What makes this collective particularly unique is the territory on which it works. Sremska Mitrovica rests on the ruins of Sirmium, one of the four capitals of the Roman Empire in the 4th century, a first-rate city, seat of emperors, crossroads of civilizations.
Archaeological excavations have unearthed remarkable floor mosaics, among which one motif appears frequently:
the Solomon's knot, an ancient symbol of union, protection, and eternity.


Dekanski, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This motif, rediscovered in the palace ruins, is now reinterpreted by the collective on some of their creations. It creates a bridge of two millennia between a slipper made today and the mosaic a Roman once contemplated underfoot.
The collective also transmits this expertise in local schools and workshops, allowing several women in the region to access creative and stable employment while preserving a living textile tradition.
(This is often the case for collectives or independent artisans with whom I have been in contact).
→ To learn all about the history and approach of the collective, read the complete bio of Zlatno Runo Sirmijuma

→ A BBC report on the mosaics of the Roman city of Sirmium: Serbia’s rich and hidden Roman history

The Ethno Slava Collection

At Ethno Slava, we have chosen to work exclusively with Zlatno Runo Sirmijuma for our collection of felt slippers and indoor shoes. Each pair is handmade, from natural wool, using the "pustovanje" technique with its eight cross-layers.
The patterns that adorn the slippers, such as the Solomon's knot or the Pirot kilim turtle, come from a deeply rooted Balkan symbolic repertoire. Others are contemporary: stylized owl or folk flowers.
An eco-leather sole sewn with waxed thread ensures grip and durability.
Slippers are available from sizes 28 to 44, for children and adults.
→ Discover the complete collection of felt slippers

Also see the felt bag charms, small dry felting pieces, sculpted with a needle, also created by Zlatno Runo Sirmijuma.
→ Discover the complete collection of felt bag charms

Frequently Asked Questions:

- What is the difference between wet felting and dry felting?:
Wet felting uses water, soap, and friction to create large pieces like slippers or bags. Dry felting (or needle felting) uses barbed needles to sculpt and assemble wool without water — it allows for precise details and raised effects, ideal for small decorative pieces.

- Are felted wool slippers suitable for daily use?
Yes. Felted wool is thermoregulating, antibacterial, and breathable. With an eco-leather sole, artisanal slippers are designed for daily (indoor only) use, all year round. In winter and summer, the foot stays at a stable and comfortable temperature.

- How to care for felt slippers?
Wash at 30°C in the machine (wool program) or by hand. To maintain their shape, put them on slightly damp and let them air dry flat.

- Why do artisanal felt products cost more than industrial felt products?:
Because a pair of artisanal wet felted slippers represents approximately 10 hours of manual labor. The material is natural, local, without chemical additives. The resulting material is more flexible, denser, and more breathable than mechanically compressed felt. It is not a manufactured product: it is a crafted object.

What is pustovanje?:
Pustovanje is the Serbian (and more broadly Balkan) term for traditional wet felting. It refers to both the technique and the cultural practice surrounding it, passed down from generation to generation, now perpetuated by collectives like Zlatno Runo Sirmijuma in Sremska Mitrovica.

- Personal note -

I have been wearing a pair of slippers for months and can't part with them!
These are the slippers depicting a turtle, one of the stylized symbols from the Kilims of the city of Pirot in Eastern Serbia.