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WWII Boots - Service, Jump, etc.

J.B.Saxon

Familiar Face
Messages
66
Location
Germany, Duesseldorf area
I recently bought a pair of ankle service boots, like Scotrace showed them. I like to wear them with my WW2 outfit, but also on my motorbike. Going to town, just for some shopping, is also a good time to wear them on my jeans and sometimes A 2. Got a good cork insert and can walk for miles ;)
 

DiabolicalAngel

One of the Regulars
Messages
114
Location
Central London
Boondockers !! I tried to keep mine clean for the best part of about 2 years, sadly that lapsed and they got a bit tatty and my girlfriend gave them to a charity collection one day...................:cry:

I have a new pair now but they just aren't the same as a good old worn in pair, breaking in slowly :)
 

PADDY

I'll Lock Up
Bartender
Messages
7,425
Location
METROPOLIS OF EUROPA
1936 Gardening Boots!! (well that's what I use them for)

Out of the Hurricane and into the Garden!! Damn nice and toastie too on a frosty winter's morn! Tally-ho Red Leadaaa!
 

Caledonia

Practically Family
Messages
954
Location
Scotland
Wow, Paddy, those are fantastic! I've got female officer dress boots, and female dress shoes. Note to self: the female part was a bit redundant really :eusa_doh: The dress shoes are white suede so that they could be dyed to fit whatever service you were in. Cool! The boots are new old stock and stiff as a post, so I'm wearing them in at about 20mins a day till they soften up so I can walk, at all, even a 100m would be good... Will take photos and post.
 

fortworthgal

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,646
Location
Panther City
My husband wears his service shoes and roughouts regularly to the office! He also has the double buckles and paratrooper jump boots, but those are mostly reserved for reenacting events.

I have a pair of women's service shoes (the ankle boots) that were never issued. I love them, but they are SO uncomfortable. Stiff as boards! I guess that is what happens when a shoe sits in storage for 60 years. I tried wearing and breaking them in, and cracked a sole, so now I have to get them resoled. I do have a pair of the women's oxford style shoes, and those have been worn to the office a couple of times with slacks.
 

Mojave Jack

One Too Many
Messages
1,785
Location
Yucca Valley, California
PADDY said:
Out of the Hurricane and into the Garden!! Damn nice and toastie too on a frosty winter's morn! Tally-ho Red Leadaaa!

flyingboots002.jpg

Paddy, those boots are awesome. Some time ago there was a company called The Cockpit, and they had a pretty good repro at a pretty decent price, as I recall. I still kick myself for not picking up a pair, since now they are always just a tick over what I feel like I can spend. That and they're not all that practical here in the desert, though they do look pretty good with shorts under the right circumstances, as on these chaps.

RAFPilotsPlayingCheckerssm.jpg


scotrace said:

Scotrace, I have a pair of those service boots from WPG. They look great, are comfortable, and seem very accurate. However, I don't think I would wear them on a daily basis. The leather is a little thin, and I think they would not hold up for daily or rough wear. That's my perception, and I'm a bit hesitant to test that theory, for fear I'm right. I've not actually seen the WWII Impressions version. Anybody put theirs to the test?
 

PADDY

I'll Lock Up
Bartender
Messages
7,425
Location
METROPOLIS OF EUROPA
Mojave..what boots are you wearing in your Avatar?

I love those boots of yours. Are they Field Boots or Riding Boots? and where did you get them. BTW..what colour are they? (hard to tell in black and white!!). But I love the jodphurs and boots look, very British Colonial/Empire Days look!! (I can just hear the Out of Africa or A Passage to India music in the background!!).
 

Caledonia

Practically Family
Messages
954
Location
Scotland
Stamped 1944 on the inside.

>> Missing Photo Links <<

Sold as military dress shoes. The robust construction and general appearance suggests so, but I'm open to suggestions.
 

DiabolicalAngel

One of the Regulars
Messages
114
Location
Central London
Nice boots Caledonia ! I have the gentlemans version and mine are called the 'Gentlemans's Field Boot', not strictly WWII but a mighty fine boot which gets regular use for riding and when I go on my safaris. I haven't seen these availible anywhere else since purchasing them about six years ago.

I last used them for riding around the Great Pyramids in Egypt, so excuse the dust and sand still on them !


bootyboots.jpg
 

Mojave Jack

One Too Many
Messages
1,785
Location
Yucca Valley, California
PADDY said:
I love those boots of yours. Are they Field Boots or Riding Boots? and where did you get them. BTW..what colour are they? (hard to tell in black and white!!). But I love the jodphurs and boots look, very British Colonial/Empire Days look!! (I can just hear the Out of Africa or A Passage to India music in the background!!).

BT's right, of course, but thanks for the compliment, Paddy! I really wish I could pull of that level of cool!

Actually I do have a pair of brown field boots, that are just waiting for me to finish putting together an interwar years AAC uniform.

Martinism.jpg
 

PADDY

I'll Lock Up
Bartender
Messages
7,425
Location
METROPOLIS OF EUROPA
Jack, may have to delete your dodgey footwear entry...

Well, on grounds of pure, unadulterated envy!!! I've gone all green like that Incredible Hulk chap (without the biceps sadly!!). "By Zeus!!!" What an incredible photo my friend!! There must be a gramaphone playing Artie Shaw in the background, or maybe it's a Mozart evening you're having there!!
Those boots are true beauts!! (and wasn't that just pure poetry too!!).

Where on this great earth of ours did you get those cracking babies from? (I know I'm pre-empting that question from everyone else who sees them!!).
 

PADDY

I'll Lock Up
Bartender
Messages
7,425
Location
METROPOLIS OF EUROPA
Angel and Caledonia...

I'm totally in awe of the high boot footwear you have. Where did you manage to get those from?
Angel, I just love those Safari/Riding boots, what a gem find. (where did you manage to locate them, as I just never see things like that!!). A real English Patient look to them.

The sort of boots you could see the Colonel of the Regiment in India wearing, strutting in and claiming..."Well chaps, I've just shot an elephant in my damned boots!" To which the officer's in the Mess would reply: "My goodness Colonel, HOW did and ELEPHANT get into your boots?!!!"
 

PADDY

I'll Lock Up
Bartender
Messages
7,425
Location
METROPOLIS OF EUROPA
Angel and Caledonia...

I'm totally in awe of the high boot footwear you have. Where did you manage to get those from?
Angel, I just love those Safari/Riding boots, what a gem find. (where did you manage to locate them, as I just never see things like that!!). A real English Patient look to them.

The sort of boots you could see the Colonel of the Regiment in India wearing, strutting in and claiming..."Well chaps, I've just shot an elephant in my damned boots!" To which the officer's in the Mess would reply: "My goodness Colonel, HOW did and ELEPHANT get into your boots?!!!"
 

Caledonia

Practically Family
Messages
954
Location
Scotland
Ebay for both of them, from the States, before I quit ebaying. I haven't found anything else on the female military side since through regular online dealers. Pity, but I keep looking.

Nice photo Mojave Jack! :fedora:
 

DiabolicalAngel

One of the Regulars
Messages
114
Location
Central London
Hi Paddy and Caledonia. Thanks for the compliments ! Funnily enough I stumbled across them by chance. I was in for a new pair of riding gloves at Swaine , Adney and Brigg in St James, London and those boots were hiding in a corner and I thought it was part of their Polo display. They were new, my size and after a quick haggle I walked out with them. I had the biggest grin on my face with visions of Out of Africa, the old Colonial days and those Merchant Ivory films etc........

Just before I had the leather soles covered with a thin layer of rubber, ( not recommended for riding) the bottom had embossed on them 'Gentleman's Field Boot'. They were the only pair they had and they said that they had been knocking around for a good number of years. I have tried to research into who made them but to no avail! I might pass them on to a theatrical foot wear maker and see what he can duplicate and at what costs as I get asked many times where did you get those boots from and I would like to retail them from my shop.:)
 

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