Sámi ski boot

Object/Artifact

-

The Askmo Collection

Photo of the finished "Pieksu" taken by Lena Viltok.

Photo of the finished "Pieksu" taken by Lena Viltok.

Name/Title

Sámi ski boot

Entry/Object ID

SSB001

Description

Replica of the ancient Sámi ski boot originally made by Nils Nilsson Skum in 1937. Whether referred to as pieksu, pjäxa, or finnesko, the Sámi ski boot is the first boot known to be designed with skiing in mind. The upturned toe was designed for function over fashion as it locked the single strap binding in place and prevented it from riding down over the toes (Allen, 2008:279; Huntford, 2008:102). Björn Collinder explained further that “the bent tip is necessary to the northern Lapps because they use no heel straps on their skis” (1949).

Use

Used for skiing, the upturned tip is to hold the binding toe strap in place. Additionally...

Category

Mesolithic ski boots, Sámi collection
Ski boots, Askmo Ski Collection

Made/Created

Artist Information

Artist

Lena Viltok

Attribution

Museum

Date made

Sep 7, 2016

Ethnography

Cultural Region

State/Province

Swedish Lapland

Continent

Europe

* Untyped Cultural Region

Arctic North

Created By

[email protected]

Create Date

January 11, 2025

Updated By

[email protected]

Update Date

August 27, 2026