Boots...thoughts and suggestions needed

[Blackgrass]

I was sort of thinking about work boots and what guys in the late 40's and 50's would have been wearing. Most of the working class guys I would guess would be buying what they could afford and a lot of this would have included WWII surplus gear. I would imagine that combat boots would have been worn fairly often to work in or in the field. My grandfather had several pairs in the porch closet he would wear out on the farm.
I had a friend that gave me a pair a few years ago and I have just now gotten them out to try and break them in. They are brand new Navy issue cap toe/steel toe boots with more of a crepe sole compared to a lug sole. He worked on a flight line so I guess these are more for work than kicking down a door while locked and loaded.
So for all you combat boot wearing guys out there....Any tricks on breaking them in? I did the whole fill 'em up with hot water and them wear them dry but they are still a little tight in a couple of areas. Anyone with suggestions?
Thanks...
ben

 

[Blackgrass]

One more thing...What is the proper way to lace a pair of military boots?

Do you start the laces under or over...meaning when you first put in the laces do you put them with the lace in the holes first or coming out of the holes first? Hopefully this makes sense.
Thanks

 

[John in Covina]

Loggers boots were also popular for a long time and engineer boots too. Out west the ranchers used some boots like you might see in the cabelas web site.

John in Covina

 

[Salv]

Redwing introduced the crepe-soled 877 style in 1952, and it's still on sale today so they'd be right if you were trying for an authentic 50's blue-collar look:
http://www.redwingshoes.com/shoe-zoom.cfm?style=877

The 875 and 1905 are similar, but not as high - 6" rather than 8"
http://www.redwingshoe.com/shoe-zoom.cfm?style=875
http://www.redwingshoe.com/shoe-zoom.cfm?style=1905

The 8804 is my favourite boot though, but that only seems to be available in Europe. Solid, plain style, nice retro look, and fantastically comfortable.
http://www.redwingshoe.com/europe/products/product-detail.cfm?style=8804

I've also got a pair of 8130's (an 875 in black)
http://www.redwingshoe.com/europe/products/product-detail.cfm?style=8130 and they are taking ages to break in properly, but they are very tough and just shrug off the sort of weather we get in England in December.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

About lacing...

I was sort of thinking about work boots and what guys in the late 40's and 50's would have been wearing. Most of the working class guys I would guess would be buying what they could afford and a lot of this would have included WWII surplus gear. I would imagine that combat boots would have been worn fairly often to work in or in the field. My grandfather had several pairs in the porch closet he would wear out on the farm.
I had a friend that gave me a pair a few years ago and I have just now gotten them out to try and break them in. They are brand new Navy issue cap toe/steel toe boots with more of a crepe sole compared to a lug sole. He worked on a flight line so I guess these are more for work than kicking down a door while locked and loaded.
So for all you combat boot wearing guys out there....Any tricks on breaking them in? I did the whole fill 'em up with hot water and them wear them dry but they are still a little tight in a couple of areas. Anyone with suggestions?
Thanks...
ben

I wiould look at some old photos to discover the method. I have a preference of starting out over the top at the first holes. But I have seen it done both ways. So I don't think either way is incorrect. As for lacing, I always lace left over right, it's an old Marine Corps tradition that I've hung onto.

Boots...I have several pair, repro army russet service shoe. Wolverine brown workboots, Justin Roper, Chippewa 11 in black engineer boots.

The Army captoes and Engineer Boots are probably the closest to being correct for the period, but the Wolverines are the most comfortable by far.

 

[Twitch]

Wellington boots are as old as the hills and have been worn by successive generations. They aren't dressy but they aren't serious lace-up heavy-duty wear. Foremen, gentleman ranchers, and a vast variety of guys with jobs that required footwear of a compromising nature saw the use of Wellingtons.