Let me explain what is really going on with men’s shoes this winter. Most of us own one “do everything” pair, and we ask it to survive the office, the school run, the Saturday market and the Sunday walk up a koppie. It cannot. By July the sole is smooth, the cushioning is dead, and your feet ache by mid-afternoon. The fix is not a more expensive do-everything shoe. It is two honest shoes that each do one job properly.
By the Awerbuchs team · July 2026 · Sponsored editorial
You know this man. He is up before sunrise on a frosty morning, pulling on the same tired sneakers he wore to work on Friday, to the shops on Saturday, and around the dam on Sunday. The tread is worn to nothing, so he slips on the frosty grass. The cushioning gave up months ago, so his heels complain by lunchtime.
He is not careless. He simply bought one pair and asked it to be five. Cold mornings and dry, dusty winter trails expose that mistake faster than any other season. That is me in the photo, more or less. It is probably you too.
Now picture the same week with a small change. Monday to Friday you step out in a clean, comfortable canvas shoe that looks right with chinos at the office and jeans at the coffee shop. Saturday morning you lace up a grippy trail shoe and take the dogs up the ridge without once watching your feet.
Nothing about your life changed. You just stopped asking one shoe to do two opposite jobs. Your town shoe stays presentable because it never sees gravel. Your trail shoe grips because that is all it was built to do. Both last years longer, because each works half as hard.
Why the do-everything shoe always loses:
Here is the part nobody tells you in the shop. A good everyday shoe and a good outdoor shoe are engineered in opposite directions. One wants to be light, breathable and clean-looking. The other wants aggressive tread, reinforced toes and shock absorption. Any shoe that promises both is compromising on both.
The cost of ignoring that is not just comfort. It is slipping on a loose path, aching heels after a full day on your feet, and buying yet another pair every winter. Smart shoppers stopped playing that game.
The obvious objection is money. Two specialist shoes from the big international brands will set you back R3,000 or more, and that ends the conversation for most of us.
Which is why it caught my attention when a friend in Bloemfontein mentioned that a well-known South African outdoor brand, the one with the bull logo, quietly makes exactly this pair: a canvas shoe for town and a trail shoe for everything else, both under R1,000 each. Ordered online on a Sunday, on his doorstep midweek. I looked them up that evening.
Wildebees is the South African outdoor brand behind the bull. Two of its men’s shoes, stocked at Awerbuchs, cover the whole week between them: the Pumula for town days and the Terrain Rider for everything off the pavement.
Different jobs, same DNA. This is what the brand builds into the pair.
Wildebees is a homegrown outdoor brand built around the idea that everyone has a unique nature. These are shoes designed for how South Africans actually live, week in and week out.
The Pumula carries a soft cushioned insole that fights foot fatigue on long days. The Terrain Rider steps it up with an EVA midsole that absorbs shock on rock and gravel.
A non-slip rubber outsole keeps the Pumula sure-footed on tiles and pavement. The Terrain Rider’s aggressive multi-surface tread bites into trails, loose stone and uneven ground.
Durable canvas on the Pumula and high-performance mesh with synthetic overlays on the Terrain Rider keep feet cool through a full day, with reinforced toe and heel protection where the trail shoe needs it.
Both shoes come in under R1,000 each. The complete two-shoe rotation costs R1,719.98, less than many single pairs from the big international names.
Both use a classic adjustable lace-up design, so the fit is secure whether you are on your feet at work all day or picking your way down a rocky path.
Match the shoe to the day. Most men end up wanting both, but start where your week needs it most.
“Best service ever. I ordered shoes online Monday from Bloemfontein. We are situated in Pretoria. Tuesday 11.25 we received a message from our Postnet that the parcel is ready for collection… They send me another pair of shoes size 8 with no cost… There product is of high quality.”
“Ordered a pair of boots that are out of stock at every store in Joburg, received them the next day. Your pricing is excellent, and your service is even better. Thank you soo much!”
“An amazing business with the best quality in all shoes, clothes from everyday clothes to work and school clothes. Friendly people who will always help with a smile.”
Order online and Awerbuchs ships to your door anywhere in South Africa. In or near Bloemfontein? Pop into the store to fit both in person or collect your order.
Or complete the rotation: both pairs together come to R1,719.98, real prices, no gimmicks.
Both shoes use UK sizing. The Pumula runs from UK 6 to 13 and the Terrain Rider from UK 6 to 12. If you are between sizes, most customers go up half a size for the Terrain Rider to leave room for a thicker sock on cold mornings. If the fit is not right when your order arrives, Awerbuchs arranges size exchanges quickly, usually via Postnet.
Yes. Awerbuchs is based in Bloemfontein but ships nationwide. Order online and your shoes are sent by courier or Postnet to wherever you are in South Africa. Customers in Pretoria and Johannesburg regularly report delivery within a day or two of dispatch.
If you are in or near Bloemfontein, absolutely. Visit the Awerbuchs store to fit both shoes in person, or place your order online and select collection. The team will help you compare sizes on the spot.
For the canvas Pumula, brush off dry dirt and spot-clean with a damp cloth and mild soap, then let it air dry away from direct heat. For the mesh Terrain Rider, knock off dried mud, rinse with clean water when needed and air dry. Avoid machine washing and tumble drying for both, it shortens the life of the glue and cushioning.
Sponsored editorial featuring the Wildebees men’s shoe range, available online at awerbuchs.co.za with delivery across South Africa. Prices correct at July 2026.
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