'Imperfect' boots have helped raise over £28,000 for the Prince's Countryside Fund following a unique initiative by bootmaker Le Chameau.
The 'Imperfects' initiative ran throughout July and was a chance for buyers to purchase imperfect versions of the boots at a discounted rate in support of the rural charity.
The boots were available at 40% less than the standard retail price, with a special giveback to the Prince’s Countryside Fund of 10% from every sale.
Le Chameau boots are handmade by ‘maître boittiers’ - or master bootmakers - in a meticulous process that takes days just to create one pair.
Boots with a slight fault, such as discolouration, scratches, blemishes, slight damage or inconsistencies, were offered to the public at heavy discounts.
Thanks to the unique initiative, over £28,000 has been raised for the Prince's Countryside Fund to help the charity continue the work it does for farmers and rural areas.
Over the past decade, the charity, founded by Prince Charles in 2010, has invested more than £10m to over 400 projects which improve service provision in rural areas.
It also issues a wide range of support to farming businesses and rural enterprises, and provides training opportunities for young people.
To date, the charity has supported nearly 1,000 farming families to take charge of their business through the Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme.
And working with the Farm Support Group Initiative, it has helped others to access local support when it is needed.
Le Chameau's marketing director, Georgina Kirby said the heritage bootmaker was 'thrilled' to have raised the amount.
"The PCF supports British farmers in a variety of ways, offering access to immediate, local and practical support and a path to a sustainable future," she said.
"We’ve seen first hand the support and resources that the charity provides to help the agricultural industry and are proud to have been able to contribute to allow them to continue."
