Jalkine

Jalkine is a Finnish noun meaning footwear—the articles worn on the feet for protection, support, or fashion. The term covers a wide range of items, including shoes, boots, sandals, slippers, and specialized forms such as ski boots or safety shoes. In everyday Finnish, the more common word for such items is kengät, while jalkine is generally more formal or technical and is used in catalogs, safety regulations, or linguistic discussions. The plural form is jalkineet and the singular jalkine.

Etymology and usage: The word is derived from jalka, meaning foot, with a productive suffix that forms a general noun for an item associated with the root. Jalkine is thus a technical or formal term for footwear, distinct from casual speech where kengät is typical.

Varieties and materials: Footwear types include casual, formal, sports, and work or protective footwear. Materials span leather, textiles, rubber, and synthetics, with design choices influenced by climate, terrain, and activity. In Finland and other cold or wet regions, warmth, waterproofing, and grip are common design priorities.

Cultural and regulatory context: In professional contexts such as safety standards and occupational guidelines, jalkineet are categorized by protective features (e.g., toe protection, slip resistance) and compliance requirements. In everyday language, kengät remains the predominant term, while jalkine is encountered in more formal or technical discourse.

See also: kengät, footwear.