Why "German Army" loved these boots
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- Опубліковано 30 тра 2024
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Nazi Germany WW2 Boot Review - When you think of a Nazi soldier there is a good chance you are imagining them in Jack Boots. Why did the german army use this style of pull on boot instead of the lace up leather boots most other countries used during this war? How good was the quality of the Jack boots? What's inside a Jack boot and how were they built? These are the questions we are going to answer by cutting them in half.
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:33 Boot Info
1:45 Previous Military Boots
2:03 Why We Cut These Boots
3:34 What is a Jackboot?
4:14 History of the German Jackboot
6:37 Why did the German Army like them?
7:28 Hugo Boss Fun Fact
7:39 Boot Production and Inconsistencies
8:13 Leather Info
10:05 Waterproof Tests
11:00 Leather Outsole Problems
12:50 Cowboy Boots Preview
13:31 Cut in Half
15:12 Analysis
16:30 What did we buy?
#ww2 #germany #ww2history - Навчання та стиль
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Yup, a reproduction, probably Spanish.
You might not be able to find or afford a real one.
bro i've played warthunder since it started (over 9 years now) and i can tell you it's not free, it cost you your soul. doesnt stop me from playing though
*_No wonder they lost those hob nails couldn't sneak up on a blind def mouse!!!_*
*_Sucks they were fakes I've been waiting for this video for long time..._*
Hi, I really like your channel, and was shocked by that promo. War Thunder is a russian game, developing in moscow, owned by russian citizens. Even if they have like a "front" in USA, profits will still go to russia. Are you ok with promoting russian companies, so they can pay taxes to putin, who invaded Ukraine and will continue genocide of Ukrainians on that money?
They are likely mid 1950s East German officer or NCO boots. The east Germans kept a lot of the military traditions and uniforms of WW2 including jack boots. The rubber is likely recycled from old tires. West Germany didn't have a military again until the mid 1950s, then was outfitted with American uniforms in the beginning.
The Bundeswehr wasn't created until the mid 50s, but the Bundesgrenzschutz was active in the meantime and would have served as the west German military before the creation of the Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr used them into the 70s
West German police , considering the back flap ... the inner tops of NVA officer boots tend to be white leather , and unless resoled , a terrible vinyl sole that doesn't live very long ... I've had quite a few over the years , and you can always tell the ones that were issued as they had been brought to a cobbler for stacked leather soles with rubber caps
also the Eat German boots tended to have a rough grain out texture for field boots , less reflective than smooth even with a fresh polish
@@rauchgranate5648 I wore them into my 80's, in exercises as a reservist.
This is probably post war Bundeswehr boot, since german officer boots were made of high quality leather and the soles were stiched, sometimes with an iron toe plate and heel iron. German officers weren't issued boots , but bought themselves from the shoemaker, like they bought their uniforms from professional tailor.
Yeah I was thinking about seeing that sweet Heeres Waffenamt seals which one sees in all Third Reich items (although those have been forged to death now)
lol, i just added sole steel plates to a new pair of white's dressing boot for durability, since they are expensive (but worth every penny)
Ahhh Shaddup
They aren't war time because wartime jackboots didn't have that buckle on the side
No, y´all are wrong. While the post war Bundeswehr Jackboots had a buckle, the "Demokratieschnall" (buckle of democracy) on the side. They were 10cm lower, have stitched rubber outsoles, bulckier toes and steel plates under the soles, at the toes that curve up so u can see them from the front and no supported Schaft.
I´dsuspect that those are cavalry boots. Or eastern European dress/officers boots
I inherited a pair from my grandfather. He bought these post war in Greece for hunting. I believe they were continued to be manufactured after the end of WWII. Unfortunately the internal wool lining deteriorated .
You had me in the first half ngl
Translation: grandpa took the boots off the Nazi he shot
Man it sucks that this was demonitized. I hope you can successfully appeal. The words here are fundamental pieces of history that may not be the key to understanding major geopolitical driving forces but are important to contextualize the lifes and experiences of those alive at the time.
Thanks for making these.
Why wad it demonetized though?
Whitewashed history won't keep us from repeating the same mistakes in the future...
@@BodiaH Likely because of Nazi references etc.
Good, anyway. People like this don't deserve monetization.
@@chrisoconnor9521 people like this don't deserve monetization? Are you talking about this channel? if so can you please elaborate
@@wangjangler596 no.
The rubber(?) heel says "MATADOR" on it which used to be a czechoslovak tire manufacturer. Judging from the rubber midsole, nylon strip and abundance of metal I'd guess that this is probably a pair of eastern block made boots, maybe for the east german peoples army or just the regular civil market. This style of boots was neither exclusive to germany, ww2 or the military.
Alot of the stuff sold as suppodedly original german ww2 material on ebay is not genuine, but surplus material from either the east german peoples army (NVA) or west german ferderal border patrol (Bundesgrenzschutz). Both formations used more or less evolutions of ww2 uniforms all the way untill the late 1980s.
Original ww2 clothing is very rare as many german soldiers burnt their uniforms to avoid captivity. Whatever surplus material was left got either used up in the late 40s or ended in landfills by the 50s.
i second that, i am from slovakia and i saw the Matador logo on it. but the matador company existed during ww2, it use to be a slovak company and Slovakia was an independend nazi ally in ww2,so it could have been a suplier in ww2
Thanks for the informative comment.
Interesting, today Bundeswehr is still buying boots from Czech producers for some reason, but as Roman said, Matador was Slovak.
I've got a Kar98k that was made in Czechoslovakia early in the war. First thing Germany did was get those world renowned factories to work. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was a legit boot made by Czechoslovakia for Germany.
@@RADIOACTIVEBUNY You are right but judging from the rubber pieces, the nylon strap, the fake welt and the abundance of the typical steel spikes. I think this rather might me a CSSR made civilian boot from the 60s or so.
There is no way to preserve these things forever, putting them in a digital form helps keep the history alive and more interactive for a longer period of time. Keep it up!
until the next solar flare
for some reason I thought u meant to NFT it 💀💀
UMMMM YES THERE IS DAA
@@Dan-qs7ki Time to start backing up youtube on 35mm.
Why can’t soliders keep dressing like this. I despise the Nazi but damn their uniforms were awesome! The uniforms alone caused fear in people. Modern uniforms are so blah. I even liked the look of the US uniforms from Vietnam.
This boot is best known as "Knobelbecher".
They were used even to the 80th; I have a pair from my time with the Red cross.
I have walked through water and salt water with them without getting my feet wet.
As a retired high school teacher, I only wish that some of my presentations could have been as informative and educational to my students! The historical imagery and narrative in the demonstration and exploration of your expressed concepts, was as good as it gets! You deserve an A+ on this presentation and I look forward to watching more of your videos.
I never learned about ww11 or 1 in highschool, period
I've worn many designs of hobnailed boots and can verify that they indeed improve both traction and durability when you're on open ground (dirt, grass, mud etc). The only surface where you're disadvantaged would be on solid, stone-based materials, like tiles, cobblestones, marble, sandstone etc. Grip on asphalt varies depending on what size of stone filler they used on the road. Wood floors are also fine.
I have a very strong suspicion that if OP was sold the boots in the video under the understanding that they're WW2 German, OP might have been fleeced. The fact the boots are officer-style, have a weird adjustment strap on the calf area, no hobnails and a *rubber* heel is just very suspect. (Germany had abysmal rubber supplies during WW2, so anything that could be made with leather was). You should be able to see some sort of ink stamps from the factory if they are genuine. It would help if we could see a close up of that rubber heel cap.
Most originals also tend to be pretty crusty from age, or in completely unissued condition (still light brown), but generally in smaller sizes that weren't commonly used up by soldiers.
I think what's probably the case is that these are officer boots from the days of the early Bundeswehr or possibly the NVA (East Germany's army) for use in parade/ceremonial use, hence why the leather isn't as thick.
ua-cam.com/video/tRrdXX2eFGM/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/qmQZX4wmAIM/v-deo.html
Here's three examples of pretty high-end reproductions of German jackboots. The first link is probably some of the best made out there, by Jan Berger.
lederarsenal.com/en/WW2/shoes/shoesww2.php?
www.koutny-cz.cz/en/shark-nose-jackboots-marschtiefel/
www.atthefront.com/product-p/gbjbtx.htm
I’m addition to the practicality of the hob nails on the boots, it would have been very similar to Roman Legionaries which the Third Reich tried to imitate in military tradition.
I agree I don’t think their original. I thought they were fake just seeing how he was actually able to wear them and the rubber heel
@@tristondaniels599 Almost everyone was using hobnails into WW2. Only the USA had enough rubber stocks for their boots.
The Roman style hobnails used in caligae are actually more retentive in the soles than the more modern style, due to how they're attached. Don't really have an illustration unfortunately.
So have i, i wore them on the farm growing up and in the Army as a parade boot. You have to take care on hard concrete as i ended up on my arse many times, highly embarrassing when in Uniform best dress.
A couple of people in the comments have said that "MATADOR" is the name of a manufacturer in Bratislava and that they believe these to be Warsaw Pact boots
While I love the fact that you're finally taking a look at the jackboot, like some here have already pointed out that is not a WW2 German jackboot. What that is is a postwar bundeswehr jackboot. It's not at all an uncommon mistake people make as they look very similar but if you put them next to each other the differences become quite noticable. The construction is also pretty different.
Hopefully now that you know you'll be able to find a correct pair.
@Rose Anvil, if you see this I would like to help you find a correct pair of boots because I loved your GI boot video and have been hoping to see this for a while now.
I personally am friends with someone who’s a renowned cobbler and is in the process of publishing a book about jackboots. If you would like I could get you in contact with him if you’d like to speak about these boots. Otherwise, I have a lot of his resources that he’s posted over the years as well.
You're totally right, make a video about the pair you own instead please.
@@Dread_Not if I could post photos of the 2 pairs I own on here I would.
These are not Bundeswehr Jackboots. These aren't East German either. They are indeed Warsaw Pact boots. The Producer of the sole "Matador" is located in Bratislava in former Czechoslovakia, these are Czechoslovakian Army boots.
@@blitzkriegfritz2779 , interesting...
Thank you for basically ensuring we get a part two.
8:07 as a shoemaker I can assert with 99% certainty that the guy in the middle has custom made boots. Very slim profile, they sit on his feet as tight as stockings would. And the toe shape is much more elegant than mass produced military boot, which are more practical than fashionable
Looks like Willhelm Mohnke. A pretty high officer in the SS. He definately would have the status to order custom boots.
@@elrondmcbong467mohnke 🦧
@@elrondmcbong467He's not wearing an SS uniform. I don't know if it was common to switch between services, but think that it wasn't.
It's a shame UA-cam is censoring such great content.
My Greatgrandfather always called them "Knobelbecher" which is soldier slang and could be translated as "dice cup". We still used this nickname 3 generations later in the Bundeswehr.
Greetings from Germany and thanks fot the awesome Video!
Mein Vater war Fallschirmjager und ich habe ein bild von Berlin 1940 nach dem Rotterdam kampf, ehr hat knobelbecher an mit ausgang uniform und sein neues EK2.
Those boots might actually be East German, the multicolored straps look to be from around that era. Like the wartime ones, there are a lot of variations in DDR boots as well, but they all share the same general construction
Yes the Volksarmee wore jackboots right up until the fall of the wall
That would make sense considering the scuffed burlap construction and lack of stitching
I concur
After the wall came down you could buy a brand new unissued pair of east German army jack boots for dirt cheap. They're pretty much all gone now.
I'm pretty sure these are no East German boots. They didn't had such thick leather and were meticulously stamped and documented.
Commenting to keep this video going after demonitisation.
Hope to see more videos on these boots, I heard that there was alot of variation since they were contracted out to many different makers.
what word demonitized the video?
I’d like to know too
@@MikeyMorentin UTub doesn't have any list of how it makes it's decision to demonitise.
So it may not have been a word, could've been anything.
@@MikeyMorentin Given UA-cam "standards" for censorship, it might have been "German".
What lofi song is that in the beginning of the video?
A leather outsole is also easier to replace than rubber is.
I wish there was a museum of historical shoes that had a cut in half variant like you do, it would be so neat to see all the guts of a boot on display.
My godfather was responsible for quite a bit of what is now the D-day/National WWII museum here in New Orleans, and as such I know quite a few members of the museum staff particularly in the Restoration Pavilion. I showed a few of them the first WWII video and honestly they had a positive reaction. The museum has several cutaways for materiel, from small arms to vehicles... Honestly they'd probably jump at a display of the boots cut in half.
Such a great museum. I got to visit last year. Tell him thanks!
Interesting. Did they happen to have any authentic versions of this boot on display? It would be interesting to see if there are some details (such as the fake welt) that are absent.
Yeah cutaway even if made on historical manufacts are very useful, in fact they are obiquitous in museums of machines as they enables to see the inner workings to keep on the ww2 Germany theme you can see many (pretty much every museum that has one) junkers jumo 004 turbojet engines with cutaways, and they are way more valuable that any pair of boots
I’ve been there, , nice displays
Half price?
I agree with your reasoning on taking a deep dive on the history of footwear that was worn by members of the military. History is too often dismissed as just being a curiosity rather than having any practical use - yet look often it is repeated. This is a great series and I love your idea of it being part of a museum exhibit.
11:25 Adding metal studs is pretty much standard for rubber soled wading boots. They really help on wet, slippery river rock and do just fine on dry surfaces. Definitely better than plain, flat leather soles.
Commenting for the screwed up utube policy. Awesome bit of work there mate, well done!
If your boot examples were original, somewhere on the boot you would find a makers name. The Germans of that time stamped and documented everything.
Would you though a boot made for hundreds of thousands of soldiers
@@obad7633 Yes, they Germans would sometimes stamp screws, on parts issued in the millions.
@@obad7633 Yes in Germany you document everything.
@@pab26120 some wartime German rifles I've had were serialized on nearly every component larger than a screw. They were definitely meticulous about stamping lol
@@obad7633 I mean I've seen K98's where everything larger then a screw indeed had a serial number. Those were also made for millions of soldiers. Don't forget this is also the country that had trained Artisans working on their tanks. I.E meticulous crafted everything on the tank down to the spare chains hanging on the sides. Think you can find a video about that on The Tank Museum just search for Jingles in it. So yes I would fully expect them to stamp at least one makers mark in the boot.
Y'all, it's just a boot. I bet y'all drive Volkswagen and wear Hugo Boss with no worries.
and Bosche and Bayer and NASA and the Ukraine and the Bush Family and the English Royal Family. its almost like they didnt lose and just integrated into everything.
Looks like I’m not the only History nerd here :)
I live about 4 minutes from BASF here in North Carolina. You wanna talk "bad sh*t during WWII" they're real bad.
And drink Fanta
@@brandonG72 and smoke meth
I enjoyed the Vietnam jungle boot video you did. I wore mine in the Mekong Delta during the monsoon season and rarely ever saw the boots themselves as both were completely covered in mud that stuck to your soul.
Welcome home man ♥️
Is you tube out of there minds?
What could have been so bad that they had to go there!?
I can’t wait for more of your videos. Because of guys like you and the others who do what you do I have learned so much. Keep going strong✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽
I have read (but cannot attribute/reference right now) the origin of "jackboot" being the process of "jacking" the leather -- applying a waterproofing resin mixture to them with heat and burnishing. Usually rosin, linseed oil and lamp black IIRC. Mixture similar to traditional/pre-plastic patent varnishes. I'll try and find the (19th century?) article on the process.
It would be interesting to see that process
I for one love that you cut these in half. What's the point of preserving history if we don't learn from it?
The point of not learning from the past is that we would be bound to make the same mistakes over and over again :D
Not to mention that he does preserve history by doing these in-depth dives into the construction of the boots and that is probably more useful and instructive than simply having a pair of boots on display.
It’s also not like it’s particularly difficult to find museums displaying such boots, which means that he is far from cutting up the one example posterity has to look at/into.
And while the cut up boots obviously cannot be worn, they still do exist and can be displayed if necessary and are thus not exactly “destroyed” from a historical standpoint, while the “dissection” has of course also been preserved for the future, thus arguably both preserving the original artefact (albeit in an altered state) and providing easily accessible knowledge about it.
I think this view is something that most historians and historically interested people would probably appreciate. I suspect the objections stem more from people with a sort of “collector’s perspective” where “mint condition” is prized more than the actual history and context of the artefact.
Just rewatching it as a finger to the algorithm
Just came across your channel today. Watched all the WWII videos. Great stuff. I learned a lot.
Sorry to burst the bubble but:
Those are definitely not original WW2.
They are the ceremonial boot of the wachbataillon, the triservice ceremonial troop and band.
At the oldest possible, 1957.
More likely 90s though.
Source: looking at pair that I bought in Germany
Well he did mention in the video they might be a reproduction
The Germans still have ceremonial units which use that style of boot. You may have one of them from the sixties or seventies...or so on.
It's a "wachtbattion" duty boot..... usually better condition than the stock standard bundeswher boots
I was not even interested in these boots but am watching it because YT demonitized it!
Brilliant, just brilliant ! This was both fascinating and enjoyable (including the comments section). This channel is one of the most interesting and unexpectedly rewarding channels I've accidentally stumbled across. A truly worthy of support project . . . 👍Thank you !
What a great historic topic. Utterly fascinating for me. I’m glad you guys have the courage not to be afraid to post it. So many people are afraid of history and the real important thing is to learn and grow , you cannot do this if you put your head in the sand. Very well done!
Looking forward to the redo of this video. The historical boot analyses have been my favourite on the channel!
Ty for sharing and teaching history. Great job. New sub.
To add some information about issuing jackboots (which looked very similar to yours) in West German Bundeswehr: generally you did not get usually new boots, but boots that one (or many) soldiers used before. Laced boots as Ersatz for the jackboots were introduced in large numbers in mid-1970‘s. When I got my first set of uniforms in 1977, I got one pair of (used) jackboots very similar to yours, though with rubber outsoles (IIRC). Due to problems with my feet I changed this pair to one one size larger, they were brand new laced boots, as high as the jackboots, but brown. Sadly I could not keep them when I left Bundeswehr in 1979. This were the best boots I ever had in terms of comfortable walking, did much marching in them, never had any problems at all. (In the 1980‘s it was changed, you could keep your boots when leaving the Army.)
I think you are doing a great job and contribute a deeper look into history.
IMHO these are motorcyclists boots from the 50ies:
My dad had a pair of these and they had nearly the exact same features.
Keep up the good work!
Love the history information and lesson everytime!! Dissecring a pair of boots from any era just helps open the door into the past and you preserve it digitally for years!
I have Two pairs of these from my Grand Father who lost a boot in combat in WW2 he “Liberated “ a pair and continued to till the end of the war he said they were incredibly durable,warm and water resistant but some what heavy but worth the weight
Did enjoy and found it extremely informative..keep up the good work.
I have been a collector of WW1 and WW2 military items. I couldn’t destroy it but I’m loving the ability to see what’s inside! So awesome I agree with your opinion on the validation of the positive destruction!
@@WhattAreYouSaying Would they pay as much as 700,000+ people and be viewed from all perspectives in a video rather than through a glass case or much worse at your place where no one visits?
The museum display sounds really cool. Great idea to preserve the history even further.
Your honesty and straightforward ways keeps me coming back!
New to channel. My first pair of work boots where 8inch heigh mock toe; about 14 years old. I am 58 now and do tool and die work, machining grinding welding , in and out of presses to repair dies. I get a 6 months to a year out of boots. I have worn dancers, throgood and Wolverine boot. I have Feet issue and thank you for your in depth detail to boots. Yes it break my hart to see you cut boots in half but see them benefit. Thanks again.
wooden pegs are more often used in germany than you think. Maybe you should have a look at the "Haferl Schuh" to see more on that topic. And from my own expirience you can build a boot only using nails/wood pegs. I live in germany an make an apprenticeship as an orthic shoemaker.
I second that....the wooden peg attachment is what the Sweds and Finns used in their boots because the wet and damp made the pegs swell up and make a waterproof joint
@@richardcostello360 thats so cool
I would say that the boots are more important than tanks, boots were used by ALL.
My thoughts, too. Every tank deployment had infantry working with them, on top of all the infantry deployed elsewhere.
underwear even more important, since you had to change much more frequently
@@Jaburu You have a valid point. Everything in the military has an equal particular purpose. I'm glad we didn't think boots were so important that we said..." we don't need any more tanks, we need more boots, lots and lots of boots."
Thank you, I think you did well. I appreciate your straight forward, open presentation.
Not sure how this was demonitized. Great take/historical perspective on the quality of the boots. 🙏
Its because YT is full of Yazis along with majority of America Tec companies. SO they dont like it when we "attack" their past selves.
@@LightYagami-rz6su stfu they are leftwing extremists and don’t like when we bring up anything that is not 100% about bashing Germans in WW2 even if it’s talking about their boots. Calling everyone a Nazi is dumb af
@LightYagami-rz6su It's weird that most of those "Yazis" are jewish tho.
Definitley a post-war Bundeswehr boot.
WW2-era Jackboots had a flatter nose, were slightly shorter than that and didn't have the strap on the side.
I really like the idea of donating the cut-in-half boots to a museum in the end!
Also as a side note; these videos are very useful to people who create replica military uniforms for reenactments and want to be as accurate as possible!
EDIT: Just finished the video and saw that these were repos. Hahaha
You bring up a good point about the laces. I always carried an extra pair on patrol just in case.
“Jack” is a common English idiom meaning “utility” or “general purpose,” as in jackknife, jack line and jackhammer. It is even implied in “Jack of all trades.”
A little side note. Back then the Landser(so, the common front soldier) referred to these boots as "Knobelbecher", which means as much as dice cup. When you translate dice into German, you'll get the term "Würfel" (roll the dice = Würfeln). An older term for Würfeln is "Knobeln", and because the boot looks a bit like a huge dice cup, the Landser referred to it as Knobelbecher. Greetings from Germany. 🤙🏻
Btw, the "ch" in Knobelbecher is pronounced a bit like the hissing sound of a cat, not like a "k".
I found a way for native English speakers to pronounce the "ch" sound; I just tell them to say the name "Albrecht" but they're not allowed to use a "K" sound - they can't really pronounce it wrong then!
That ch-sound is (sort of) similar to the *j* in *jet* . To make it more challenging, there’s a ch-sound in German that is different like in "Buch/Bach/Nacht/…". JFTR & HTH
BTw, weren’t those boots soles nailed (and therefore created that 'specific' marching sound)?
@@agn855 yep, you're right. The soles were indeed nailed, which turned out to be a major problem in the freezing cold temperatures of the winter of 1941. Since iron is such a good conductor, it channeled the cold right into the boots. My grandpa fought in the 10.Pz.Div. (10th armored division) during the attack on Moscow. He told me that the Landsers were so desperate due to the fact that no supplies of winter clothing were being delivered (they had to fight in their summer uniforms in -40 degrees Celsius) that the soldiers left their trenches at night and looked for fallen Russian soldiers lying frozen stiff on the battlefield, to get their winter boots. He said, since the soldiers' bodies were rock solid frozen, the only way to get their boots was to chop off their legs below the knee with hatchets and to take the boots along with the feet. The boots then had to be placed next to a fire and thawed in order to be able to separate them from the feet. This is one of those little side notes of history that doesn't usually find its way into the history books, I guess.
Appreciate your reply, bud. 👍🏻
@@agn855 ...as for the German ch-sound; explaining its pronunciation is a bit like having to explain to someone what caraway tastes like. At least for me... 😉
@@agn855 what? Isn't the J in Jets more of a "dj" sound? It's not like Jets are pronounced as Yets...?
love this. more historic boot vids would be great
💯💯
Thank you for sharing this! We need to respect all aspects of our history!
love your videos Weston.
My grandfather served in world war two for the royal Canadian air force and was stationed at Yorkshire and then again in France after D-Day he would have loved your videos just because of he always said if you don't use your brain you lose your brain so he would have seen some of UA-cam as a treasure trove of knowledge thank you for putting these videos out there
Your grandfather was a smart man! 🧠
As everyone has already harped on about the fact that this isn't a WW2 boot I won't go into the details, but just thought I'd point out the irony that you have some photos of the right boots in your video at 7:58. The differences are clear just from this set of photos, these are the boots you need to test!
To be fair tho, a real set is near $1500
Just discovered your channel when I saw your video about the Japanese boot. It's just wrong that this video was demonetized. I will continue to watch and learn about the history of footwear. Cheers from Guam USA👍
Great work and research. I love your channel.
i gotta say the videos keep getting better, in the beginning of the video you said boots are not as important than the tanks and weapons but in my mind it is the most important part of military history, every army issues boots, aka the first thing a new soldier gets so in a way it is the most important "step" all puns intended on that one too
Great video. Taking apart the boot helps preserve history.
Ignore the haters.
Continue making these great videos. American or German. It’s history. Thank you for showing us a side of history many of us share an interest in. Keep up the good work.
Commenting to support the channel! Keep up the amazing content!!!
My hands down favorite surplus, and honestly budget work boot is the cold war Finnish stove pipe/jack/tall boot, likely inspired by the late 19th early 20th century German pattern; it just held up. I could wear holes in the soles and ankles, and it would feel as comfortable and solid as the day I bought it.
A point about hobnails are older than the romans, they (and heel plates) help with traction in the mud much like the studs on a cleat, but on stone marble or tile they do tend to slide like an ice skate... Still they definitely are more useful for traction especially in the field. I've gone ass over tit in fresh un-hobnailed boots, brogans, and sandals more times than I can count. Up until WWI fighting in cities was limited to sieges and all out storm assaults; the small tactical fighting we saw in WWII and onward was really in its infancy. So Traction in city scapes was really a secondary concern, if even that.
All this said, hobnails' grip in the mud and blood do work in tandem with durability; however thick leather wears far slower on dirt and gravel and even coble stone, than it does on asphalt and cement; which was, during WWII still an uncommon road surface compared to the roads and landscape of most of battle ground Europe.
It's funny you mention 'cowboy' boots, since one of the reasons I loved those old Finnish stove pipes growing up, is because they looked more like the boots actual Cowboys wore in the 1850's-1910's, than modern 'cowboy' boots do with their late 40's pointed tow and odd tombstone top side profile. Don't get me wrong modern cowboy boots are an American icon for sure, but more of a rodeo one than a Wild west one.
However you're right they don't breath at all. As much as they keep water out they keep water in.
As to the authenticity of your boot. I'm no expert but mid to late war Germany did a lot of things that didn't make complete sense in uniform, gear, and vehicle design for sake of appearances. so your weird welt may not be a hobnail in the coffin. but as I've seen others comment it's just as likely its a very immediately post war production, when Germany was even more a mess and constantly changing between multiple branches with multiple uniform influences, be it east, west or traditionally german. The power of a familiar image is powerful, that's why the post war soviets altered east German uniforms just enough to be uncanny but still reminiscent of pre war Germany, as did the western German Bundesgrenzschutz use a myriad of recycled, refurbished, and reproduced Nazi era gear such as boots and helmets. Those pegs and the age have me thinking it's more than a repro, usually if you pay for a reproduction boot of that caliber you take better care of it and it wouldn't look so battered. As time goes on and the internet lets us source more materials from farther afield reenactor and reproduction footwear quality has only improved. Especially for WWII, where most of the first generation reenactors and collectors didn't need to look for a reproduction, they could buy genuine original surplus, till really the 90's for affordable prices. If it's not genuine military It could be a post war boot made for the civilian market shortly after the war with patterns manufactures had on hand, or an oddball small batch of boots made in the post war haze of semi-standardization. I really hesitate to posit that it was a boot personally purchased of commissioned by an officer; but well into the late war Jack boots were popular with officers and with supply shortages its possible a cobbler or manufacturey, made a batch of boots with all the signature markings of station and quality, down to the sole welt cosmetically, but opted for cost cutting measures for the lower ranking company grade officers. The wood pegs as opposed to iron would support the late war manufacture of the boot but beyond all this it's a mystery.
As a history enthusiast I love that you're directing and archiving these examples while they and the knowledge of traditional boot making exist. Outstanding stuff!
Edit (to an already too lengthy comment): that type of strapping for the boot straps isn't at all too modern it was fairly common in the mid 20th century for everything from waistbands to suspender strapping. Again I'm not really an expert on this stuff but i would think glue impregnated burlap would be a later war cost cutting measure which I think points at this being a strange mid-late war frankenboot.
Hey, I love the war boots series, it's genuinely one of a kind of preserving history and I do really respect what you do, but can you do Soviet ww2 boots as well, it would be so interesting to know. thanks
Thanks. Keep up the interesting work.
I think you should do as you wish! It’s your channel and it’s what you do and it’s why we love your content
I own pair of “parade boots”(Basically a jackboot) from the Bundeswehr after the war. After wearing them quite a lot(eveything was gamling apart) I decided to refurbish them, I’m a cobbler’s apprentice. They were welted 360 degrees. That’s a boot that’s supposed to be only for parades and such. Yet they were welted. It would be insane to make lower quality boots in the early stages of a war when you’re not short on supplies.
These are post war, rubber wasn't used pre '45, also "democratic buckle" buckles are only present on postwar voots to my knowledge, I got two 50s 60s west german boots and both have a buckle
I can imagine the hob nails in conjunction with the goose-step march, made that sound that is so familiar now. So much of what the Nazis did was a power display.
The explanation about wooden pegs was really interesting. And it makes the song "Peg and Awl" more relavant!
They are so good looking its insane yet so simple and the sound they make when you walk sounds badass since its steel under the heels
There was another problem during Stalingrad battle so many german soldiers used to steal and change the boots to the dead russian soldiers because the metal pieces of their sole's boots were sort of many freeze injuries to them. Metal transmits the temperature. During the winter the frozen land transmits the temperature through the metal pieces of the sole to the feet creating frozen to the soldiers. In other hand russian soldiers used felt boots which avoid that problem. Nice video and very interesting.
Looks like postwar boots to me, not 'Nazi' at all.
Real Wehrmacht and SS boots tend to have certain characteristics that these are missing.
Wehrmacht boots have a roughout toe and totally different last.
These boots looks 'similar' to SA/SS boots with the buckle style, but without provenance or stamps and with leather that looks like that, I don't think these are representative of marching boot - just equestian boots in general.
I mean at 11:34 you literally show the bottom of a real pair of wartime German boots and you can CLEARLY see:
Different last, different outsole, and stamps that aren't present on these boots.
The pair of genuine SS boots I have seen is heavier and even boxy, they're reenforced and not just riding boots.
Ahh, finally got to the end - glad you recognized it.
Just ask reenactors what boots to get :p
Brilliant video. Always useful to look at the less recognised basic elements of military kit. Fondly recall the day i was issued boots with uniform in Irish Reserve Army at 17.... Sgt. leaned in and named local store that sold proper supporting boots.... 'will keep your arches from falling after 20 miles' 👍
Great informative video 👍
The IDF have a very unique footwear traditons, they used Corcoran- inspired boots with Ro-search soles until 2008. It would be interesting to see what they have in them
I was in the Israeli infantry (Nachal Brigade) from 1986-1988. Right about at the most miserable period of my service, winter in the Golan Heights, our battalion was chosen as guinea pigs for testing a boot with a newer sole which was lighter in weight than the older sole. The new sole VERY quickly fell apart, which shocked me because I just assumed that A) they test everything in the factory and B) that the saving of a few grams of weight is NOT going to matter to an infantryman who thinks in terms of KILOgrams of weight. Our boots were pretty much a copy of the US Army's combat boot which had the reinforced toe. They were a pain in the ass to lace up during a drill and I sure wish that speed-laces had been invented twenty years earlier.... Otherwise, with wool socks, the Israeli boots were fairly comfortable.
I think those are GDR Volkspolizei jackboots. The Wehrmacht jackboots were much better, always had a leather sole which was pegged on with wooden pegs, and you can still buy them new, made according to the old specifications.
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This brokedown light infantryman and former firefighter has three items in his EDC kit: One sharp knife, a shrill whistle & one g-ddamn bootlace. (No one ever had two laces fail at the same time!)
Ooh-Fu@kin*-RAH!
Getsomegetsomegetsome!!
DOUGout
Great video a different view of ww2 keep up the great work
Hi Rose Anvil! I have really enjoyed watching your films!
Your knowledgable observations and recommendations, your cinematic skill in portraying the subject, and even your occasional discounts are just great!
This is the first of your 'Historical' series I've seen but I'm going to look for ALL the others! This is a fascinating lens into the cultural importance, technological development, and the effects of mass production in military AND consumer product goods, and I hope you do more of these!
I can't imagine how anyone could object to the concept of learning more about history by doing investigative research of items which are hardly one-of-a-kind; it's like getting up on a soapbox with "Oh, the Humanity" if someone were to try and discover why KRations tasted so awful - especially the dried egg powder! Oh, well. It takes all kinds I guess.
Keep up the FANTASTIC work!
He's calling the entire Wehrmacht Nazis and you're okay with that?
at first i thought it was a german cavalry boot , because soldiers marching boots ( wehrmacht marschstiefel ) was shorter, (even officers boots )35 -40 cm before 1939 ,and went down to 30cm (12") after 1939.
Anyway i was in the army of the last year of Soviet Union,and spend 2 years wearing this kind of boots,the super comfortable when you got used to them and we ran 5 miles every morning wearing this things . There is a lots of memories and shit but i want to suggest to do a test for those russian boots,its easy to obtain they are cheaper,and there is only two kinds leather for officers and "kirza" some sort of a leather substitute for privates.
Excellent analysis!!!!!
If you think the trend to wear hats backward gained momentum with Ken Griffey Jr., a popular baseball player in the 1990s think again . minute 2,42 first person ever to wear a basecap reverse in style was the SS tank commanders to spot enemy aircraft better.
I'm far from being a militaria expert but even I can see that these are definitely NOT German WW2 military boots. I'm pretty sure they were produced in the German Democratic Republic in the sixties or seventies as lightweight parade boots for the guards of "Nationale Volksarmee" or the "Betriebskampfgruppen". Anyway, they are no combat boots.
This is an awesome video. Totally unexpected. I do have to agree with other comments on the origins of this example of jack boots. They don’t look like standard issue WW2 era or older construction. These look like post war West or East German boots.
Very cool boots . Love the history and shoes / boots . Definitely worth sharing your knowledge
The people I spoke to, who were actually in the thick of it between ‘38 and ‘45 referred o the boots as “Knobelbecher” which refers to a game with dice.
Always love the details in your videos. Could you perhaps try a the Adidas Forum 84s or mids and compare them to dunks or af1s leather quality and other stuff.
A little history nugget I picked up along the way:
In the poorly-timed German offensive against the Soviet Union, many German soldiers suffered frostbite in their feet because those metal hobnails and studs intended for traction in the wintery, slushy, and slippery muck of the Russian countryside actually worked as a heat sink, drawing the bitter cold right into the soles of their feet. Boots issued during the war were also constructed with metal tacks, only increasing the heatsink potential (which is one reason I believe the boot used in the video is a later make, probably early days East German/ Iron Curtain timeframe)
Often the German soldiers would strip the boots from fallen adversaries, as well as civilians, to swap out from their own. Apparently the Russians knew better than to use metal tacks in their boot soles.
When spring finally broke that harsh winter, there were stories of jackboots littering the fields, revealed from the retreating snowmelt.
* I can’t quote any sources for this, other than a hazy memory from a movie seen years ago, most likely it was “Cross Of Iron.” I have read a lot of history in my years, so it’s just something that’s been stored away upstairs, waiting for this perfect moment to regurgitate this tidbit of appropriate, yet otherwise useless, knowledge.
It is indeed a myth.
Firstly, both German AND Soviet boots had hobnails.
Secondly, I believe the myth is born from the Italian expeditionary force on the Stalingrad front. The Italian boots had an absurd amount of hobnails - around 70 (compared to the German 35-40 and Soviet 20-25). That's not counting regular nails or anything else used to fix the sole to the rest of the boot (I know Germans used wooden pegs, not sure about others). Most importantly, it's not that the metal acted as a heatsink - the holes from the nails - especially if the nails fell out or were purposely removed - would absorb moisture which would then proceed to freeze. When you have so much more nails in your boots, there's a higher chance of missing some nails, and, subsequently, you'll likely have more holes in your boots.
The Germans learnt quite a few other lessons in the Russian winter. For example to wear foot-rags like the Russians rather than socks, as these didn’t compress the foot and kept in the warmth better. Also to put newspaper in the boot, and preferably wear boots about two sizes too big to allow for more insulation/rags.
Pretty common misconception that germany attacked soviets in the winter. Barbarossa started in june and it made sense to them at the time that russia which barely could beat finland wouldn't be able to hold off the strongest military in Europe for more than a few months. Shoes they had at the start were good enough for their intended purpose. But yeah hindsight is always 20/20.
@@Jebu911 - Don’t think many people think the Germans were silly enough to invade in winter. I believe the original plan was to go in May but several delays including the invasion of Crete (which required the diversion of 500 Ju52 transports) pushed Barbarossa back a month.
The Russians also used hobnails but put them on so they didnt transmit the cold to your feet. Local cobblers would rework German boots and do this. One German soldiers father had fought in Russia in WW1 and told him to get boots one size larger and wear two pairs of socks. He never had frostbite.
I have a pair of East German jackboots. Made of thick blackened pebble grain leather, and rubber soles.
They have the forward facing side buckles at the top. The welt is stitched. The soles have a vibram-like pattern. They were glued on. The soles came off one of the boots when I wore them to the city dump and got into some deep gumbo mud. A shoemaker glued the sole back on, but warned against wearing them for real work. Also the top of the vamp -- usually has a keystone-looking flap that is stitched over the upper stovepipe. On these boots the keystone is under a V in the pipe.. FDs or new style, IDK?
From the bottom of the heel to the top of the stovepipe is 33 cm. A maker's name.>
is molded into the sole under the instep. I find wearing East German ''fusslappen'' -- 2'x2' brown fluffy cotton squares -- inside the boots is more comfortable than socks.
Bummer UA-cam demonitizes the best channels out there for bs guidelines and rules. Not even a shadow of what it used to be before the algorithms and what not. You’re vids are a breath of fresh air -w-
Would love to see your channel get their paws on a pair of Truman Boots, since they have had an interesting few years the few years they have been around. Namely the change of welting method and QC concerns.
Took the chance and ordered a pair since I love their leather choices and overall aesthetics, but of course not in a position to cut that thing in half for that price. Especially considering its being delivered to Denmark.
Their rambler leathers are wild!
Actually ordered their noble ink and martini ramblers. Excited to see them in person next month... Maybe
@@FreddyJRO i am seriously considering getting a pair in coach rambler. The texture is incredible!
@@jmarth523 Apparently not getting notifications for this chat.
You're not gonna hear me argue against it. The other boot I'm highly considering is their Cognac Shrunken Bison. That thing looks unreal.
@@FreddyJRO those shrunken bison look great!
If I remember correctly, bootmakers and cobblers would use old tires to make rubber soles for boots back then. So the patterned rubber you found in the midsole might have been salvaged from something else.
This isn't proof that it's a reproduction or not, I don't know enough about WWII boots to make any judgement on that. Are you thinking of trying to find another pair to cut apart, to try to cut apart some definitely authentic ones?
*_Yes but that didn't match any tire pattern of that era and they still do in third world countries just youtube it.._*
excellent video ! greetings from Mallorca, Spain
When I broke the strings on my Vietnam jungle boots I patched them by running wire through the holes and twisted them. I had it happen a few times as I was in a combat construction unit and I was a welder.
You should keep in mind that for a long period the Country supplied and maintained the individual Soldier's uniforms so it was assumed that the appearance of the service men were a reflection of the Country. High boots were popular so that the lower portions of the trouser legs were protected so no uniform damage would be commonly be seen, and supply didn't need to trade trousers so often.
Love the cold weather boots. I had a pair for deployments to the Antarctic & South Pole.
Just found you today…started with jungle, and just kept rolling. Had to dig for the German lol. All my favorite info content creators get screwed by U tube. Love your content