- Messages
- 19,001
- Location
- Central California
I've got some photos somewhere of me wearing a pair of vintage leather gaiters, lovely things. I've also got some of the WW2 style US paratrooper ones (repop this time) - nice, practical.... though in all honesty they lack the glamour of the leather.
Looking at it again, it's possible the pair on the right are like that, though I'm certain I can see the bottom of the gaiter on Hugh whatsit's boots, and the guy on the left. Of course, there were boots like these too, andc the overall look is pretty much the same. The brown ones you post above are extremely similar to US Cavalry M1940 boots, the last mounted cavalry boots issued by the US military. Very similar to civilian riding boots that were available in the same period. Interestingly, during WW1, US cavalry were issues with shorter boots and the M1911 leather gaiters (replaced in 1917 with leather-lined canvas gaiters). The M1940 boots, and civilian equivalents, very much have the look of a pair of shorter, lace-up boots with leather gaiters worn over the top: I have long suspected that the design idea was simply to combine the two. (In between gaiters and the M1940, the US Cavalry had the M1931, which was simply a knee-high boot that laced from the arch of the foot to the top, like a longer jump boot. I'm guessing the idea with the M1940 was to make it much quicker and easier to get on and off!). I love both of these looks - and the style of the black boot you posted as well. They make me think less of horseriding, more adventuring in jungles (like in King Kong - in the Peter Jackson Version, Jack Black wears boots very much like M1931s), and especially the early days of motorcycling, between the wars, before the engineer boot evolves into the American motorcycle boot of choice, and the Uk went for the slimmer, zip-up Lewis-style, which was less something 'new' in that sense, more an evolution of the riding boot as the 'horse' went from organic to mechanical.... Black boots like the one in the picture are, of course, still worn by some motorcycle police.
First, I bow to your much superior knowledge on the subject.
I know that in California the CHP officers who patrol on motorcycles (motor officers) wear the high boots (motor boots) with their breaches bloused. The motor officers are quite proud of their look and their black boots are usually well-shined.
If there is a purpose for the high boots I'm fine with it. For a fashion statement or casual look: not so much.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk