My great nephew showed me your broadcast today very interesting . So I’d like to add my two bits in as an old man who went to Korea as a young man . I was issued a similar pair of boots ( we still wore canvas leggings in the Marine Corps.) in the early 50s so they did not have the leather over wrap which was more common with US Army issue from what I can recall ,which isn’t much at this age . I can tell you they were not comfortable at all compared to the shoes I wore as a civilian which were leather soled street shoes , especially when you had to walk countless miles with 60 to 80 lbs of gear along with a rifle or BAR . They were not cushioned, had no arch support , caused back aches , heel aches and hob only knows what else . Simply put they were made by the lowest bidder on a government contract and were mass produced with rudimentary QC and while you , today may look at them in amazement they were insufficient when it comes to comfort and wore out quickly under combat conditions, they simply just protected a mans feet from the elements and ground churned up by the happenstance of conflict and little more than that , once they were wet they stunk so high hell , eventually caked on mud and soil reduced the odor to a very earthen smell mixed with wet wool . At least thats how I recall it . I’m sure from a professional cobblers perspective you may admire them , but you wouid change your mind awful fast if you had to live in them for over a year . I went to work for Plymouth Motor Division at the old North Assembly a few years after coming home , and in those days I wore Brown shoe co. Engiineer boots which were far more comfortable and this with being on my feet alnost the entire shift and often walking home . More often than not when someone says to me and at my age I often hear it from young folks waxing nostalgic for times they don’t remember “ hey mister they don’t make em like they used to right “ I tell them yes that’s true consider yourself lucky .
Aye, sir. Thank you for your service. I fixed your grammar, syntax, and PARAGRAPHING to make your ramble more coherent and easier to read. It took me a while. But I thought it was important. Good points. They just needed to be clearer and EASIER to read. BTW, I am just a pup. Only 65 years old. 1979mackdriver wrote: My great nephew showed me your broadcast today very interesting . So I’d like to add my two bits in as an old man who went to Korea as a young man . I’m sure from a professional cobblers perspective, you may admire them , but you would change your mind awful fast if you had to live in them for over a year . I was issued a similar pair of boots ( we still wore canvas leggings in the Marine Corps.) in the early 50s so they did not have the leather over wrap which was more common with US Army issue. I can tell you they were not comfortable at all compared to the shoes I wore as a civilian which were leather soled street shoes. Especially, when you had to walk countless miles with 60 to 80 lbs of gear along with a rifle or BAR. They were not cushioned, had no arch support , caused back aches , heel aches and God only knows what else. Simply put, they were made by the lowest bidder on a government contract and were mass produced with rudimentary QC. Today, one may look at them in amazement, but they were they were terribly uncomfortable. They wore out quickly under combat conditions. They simply just protected a man's feet from the elements, the terrain, and little more than that , Once they got wet, they stunk so high hell. After a while, mud reduced the odor to a very earthen smell mixed with wet wool. I went to work for Plymouth Motor Division at the old North Assembly a few years after coming home. In those days I wore Brown Shoe Co. Engineer boots which were far more comfortable. I was on my feet almost the entire shift, and often walked home .
At my age, I often hear it from young folks waxing nostalgic for times they don’t remember: "Hey Mister, they don’t make 'em like they used to, right? " I tell them, "Yes, that’s true. Consider yourself lucky!!" -Corrected and edited by Big Dave
@@deplorabledave1048 Dave , thank you . my eyes aren’t what they used to be . At this age I’m lucky I remember where any of the punctuation goes lest I forget what I was thinking about in the first place. I was a far better math student than an English and grammar student but that’s my fault not Mrs Marzak , my high school English teacher may god rest her soul she had such patience with me .
@@1979mackdriver No worries. I do this from time to time for comments that are full of great information but need help to reach a wider audience. I cant read one gian single paragraph. It all jumbles together. So I copy and paste to the Note Pad program and go to work . It take a lot of effort sometimes, but I do it as a service, free of charge. LOL -Big Dave US Merchant Marine, Force Protection, MSC Military Sealift Command. Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. And other classified work off the coast of commie China.
Wow thank you for the historical perspective! You would think if we were sending all these guys out to fight in the name of our country, the least we could do was give them some arch support.
@@tktspeed1433 Germany also was a country in the middle of several others, with trade logistics far different than that of USA, especially in wartime. Germany ran out of resources because they lost access to all territories that produced it.
As a M1A1 tanker veteran, the flat soles creates better traction climbing on metal. The leather straps instead of laces are used for better blood circulation when bent for looong hours in tank positions. The leather straps are better than laces, that could get caught in machinery. Corcoran and Altima!!!
And smooth soles are rubbish for moving across country and rough terrain in all weathers. And laces are far more practical. Leather ankle straps are more likely to catch on vegetation or terrain. If you dont have a tank to sit in....
German Historian (and hobby leatherworker) here. I stumbled over your video and quite frankly I'm thrilled. I like your approach to the piece. When you cut the boot open, you're not destroying history, you preserve it. Yes, the boot may not be wearable anymore, but now it can give us deeper understanding about the production methods. Your content is great. Greetings from germany! :)
You should do the same with an early-war Wehrmacht boot if you can find one, it would be interesting to see the differing styles/standards of construction from country to country.
German engineering, pride in work, ethics, production under brutal pressure and blockades, caused shortages, bartering. Do short boots, even Afrika Korp, all services and types footwear. Probably expensive to get some though as seem to be collected, maybe even footwear. I don't know but I'd watch, interested just found box of old photos after fathers passed, tons in uniform. I hare to think he'd hide these purposely. History infinitely more interesting than quality of trendy silly footwear, like hippy sandals? 👍 all read.
@@redram5150 I don't think that's how it works. Nick's boots for example use some of the best leather available and still take a print given enough time. What I think you mean is sturdier and/or rigid.
To be fair, it did have a pretty sizable hole at the heel. You see it when he's cutting up that part. Heh, it's kinda like archeology, you find a thing, inspect the thing, then you pop it open to see how it's built.
If he didn't do it, but went on to say "yep, they don't make them like that any more" we would just think it's yet another nostalgia-driven statement and move on. By cutting in half he pretty much proved the cliche-sounding, yet very true statement that things were better built in the past than now (or you need to pay an arm and a leg today to have something custom or hand-built to match the quality of the past).
Thanks for a great program. Years ago when "Buckle Boots" were cheap and easy to find, I used to wear them all the time as an everyday work boot, they are a hard wearing comfortable boot. Back in the 40's and 50's they were inexpensive GI surplus and everybody wore the darn things. One note about the diamond tread rubber soles, they are EASY to scrape clean. Worst thing in the field is mud, big gobs of it caked on your boots like cement blocks. Modern boots with those big clunky lug soles collect mud like crazy and you can't scrape it off, it's a REAL pain in the a** !!! The old rubber soles on the WW2 boots work just fine.
I, for one, think you made that historic boot even more valuable by displaying it like this. This is information that completely lost until now. And maybe it will actually inspire the right person. Knowledge is more valuable than any object.
About Price: "Boots, Service, Combat, Composition Sole” (commonly called "combat boots" by WWII veterans) were listed on 1 July 1943 (stock numbers 72-B-2740-10 through 72-B-2747-62) for $7.06 a pair. They got the price down to $6.74 by 1 October 1944. According to the CPI Inflation Calculator (using May 2021 data) that's $109.23 and $102.51 respectively...Cheap by modern standards. Mass production drives down costs, and the U.S. Government bought 28,700,000 pairs from over 50 manufacturers. Over 28 MILLION pairs! In three years. These boots were issued with standard brown nylon (or cotton) shoe laces. 90,000 pairs were sent to North Africa for field testing in July 1943, and the first regular combat issue was in March 1944 in Italy (with members of the 3rd Infantry Division at Anzio). Troops that landed on D-Day used the older service shoes & leggings combination that had been stockpiled in the UK prior to the invasion. The European Theater did not begin to receive large quantities until July 1944, meaning it wasn't until late summer that combat boots began to filter down to the G.I.s at the front in France. (Supplies such as ammunition and fuel were higher priorities in Normandy; updating serviceable footwear to the latest standard took a backseat.) *Edit: Interesting video by the way. It always hurts to see WWII militaria destroyed, but I think that was worth the educational experience. (And it's not as if those were one of only a handful left in existence. If you do come into possession of an early example with a toe cap you may want to keep them away from the saw.)
thank you someone else who gets it and thanks for the info I knew we had 8 million men in the army so I just assumed we produced anywhere from 16 to 24 million pairs of boots but 28 million dosen't sound off I wish people would realize that although old these boots were not really rare thanks.
@@samellowery According to Quartermaster Corps statistics, in addition to combat boots, over 75 million (!) pairs of service shoes were procured between 1 July 1940 and 31 December 1945. 26,907,000 pairs of men's service shoes, each for around $4, were bought by the U.S. Army in 1942 alone. (These numbers don't include the millions of pairs of other combat footwear such as jungle boots, winter shoepacs, and arctic overshoes.) While 8 million was peak strength, 11 million served in the U.S. Army in total during the war. Boots were authorized two pairs per soldier, and they wore them all-day every-day in some extreme climatic (the jungle especially punished leather items) and combat conditions. They wore out and needed replacing. (G.I.s lived in the elements for such long stretches, when units were eventually pulled off the line and showered they were provided with a complete change of uniform. They dumped their used-up stuff in a pile before going in, and picked up fresh stuff on the other side.)
@@G.I.HistoryHandbook super Thanks for informations.. Hopefully, troops get Great Stuff (;esp Footwear & foods,) Anyways see my purchase of PARATROOP Boots remarks,, In 1966.. Imhad to,get for “ Color Guard” @Indianapolis 500 RACE WEEKEND( there was a big Parade On track before, PURDUE ROTCs Provided Color Guards)::: my BLACK,Paratroop (*??, special)BOOTS were comfortable , at least for marching the **INDY 500 , 2.5 mile, Track ! Always kind of wondered how Quartermaster” SPECKED “”, OUT “THE Black High Boots I got AT PX , Indianapolis..? Interestingly,many of 04~6s at PURDUE CADRE were just buying “ CORFAM BLACK SHINY DRESS SHOES” then…( I always figured they would be HOT/sweaty)….THANKS, ,, DENNIS M., East HELENA, MONTANA ( now)…
Those ww2 dollars (oz. Silver) are worth $25 paper fiat dollars of today. Makes those $7 cost $175 today. Like the dollar, our support for the troops has gone fiat too. Poor quality, poor training, poor support.
@@user-pe2yx9kt4e it was necessary. Pretty much all economic output went into the war, so after the only way to recover at a decent rate was to salvage as much as they could
If you search a bit, there are lots of antique (pre 1920's) boots to be found online, both men's and women's, for relatively low prices. They aren't museum pieces because they were already produced in big amounts back then, so no loss there. It would be interesting to see those dissected!
Sure, mass production is a pain in everyones ass. Highest quality clothing items I own are from my late grandfather. His old clothes are from 1950s, produced by the the village tailor, with 1000 inhabitants at the time. Glad I'm the same size with my grandfather. The jackets and trousers has been patched here and there, but the quality of the wool cloth and stiching is out of this world, in a world where most clothing is produced in asia by kids...
@@TheSpekkel1an example would be lead, like as in lead paint. Not metals but asbestos and Mercury, things of that nature. Look up "toxic building materials".
Yeah, they figured profits could be maximize by making shit that fell apart after a year, outsourcing the labour, and making it desirable via marketing anyway.
Please take your historical boot halves, and bring them to a museum that has a display about WWII or that era. If you collaborate with the curators, this fascinating bit of history can be preserved and shared beyond what you've presented here. Personally, I would love to have heard more background information and detail about the different design elements and history that led to that boot.
"If you collaborate with the curators, this fascinating bit of history can be preserved and shared beyond what you've presented here. " What you're suggesting isn't a bad idea, but I dispute the above claim. I'd say there's much better odds that this video reaches far more people than the number of people who will look at one of these boots in a museum.
This is not a museum quality piece, lol. This is like somebody seeing an sks and saying “this thing belongs in a museum!” Not realizing there are literally millions of them lying around and anybody can buy one for cheap XD
Chunky lugs are great when you're getting through the mud. If you're living in the mud they are a nightmare. The weight and the fatigue are a serious concern.
But there are different designs. When I served military (non-US), I used through a few pairs of different boots, and while all of them had quite aggressive lugs (even the summer-only ones) with a comparable grip some had the issue with mud being stuck and the others you could clean by simply striking the other boot with the side of your outsole. I preferred ones that dont do that tho because their lugs are more rounded and while equally good on land they are MUCH less reliable when you climb around the armor (especially when it is snowing), and I spent, dunno, 70%? 80%? of my field moving time doing exactly that. Also while in the modern army you can afford to have two pairs of boots even when not sitting in garrison (and in garrison I had six at one point, lol), if I had to choose only one and expected a lot of moving on foot in urbanized area - the ones in the video are a fantastic choice.
Being a reenactor and wearing all sorts of boots/booties/etc from the 19th century to my modern boots when I was in the Marines. I'll take the weight any day. I've slipped/slided in slightly dew wet grass with leather soled and weak rubber soled boots. Hobnails and heel plates were absolutely there for many reasons, these among them. Weight is better than taking a full gainer down a mountain or at least busting your face or just plain sliding at the wrong time.
@@goldenhide Try scaling down rope netting off a ship with big lugs. Indeed wear wear big lugs on paved roads for many miles. They are great in deserts, jungles, plains, mountains, but not on urban surfaces.
I believe showing an old , worn boot tells you more than cutting up a new one. Maybe that is a different show for you boot cutters (killers) to explore.
My dad was a WWII vet , he would always reminisce about being part of the “brown boot army”, I always thought he was talking about the color of the boot!
Well, after you eat, sleep, and travel all day in them for a tour of duty; I imagine you would have to peel them off your feet. So they were merely an extension of his foot....
@N Webb Yeah the 90's issue boots were the worst. It was like wearing boots made in the 1800's. No real insole, plasticy leather that didn't breath OR drain and finger size piece of rubber whose only reason for existence seemed to be to cut off circulation to your feet. I went to Corcorans as soon as I got to my unit. That pair lasted my whole time and I STILL can wear 'em today after 25 years. My last issue pair died about 2 decades ago...
@N Webb acetone helps with the look & polishing the black boots, but whatever that treatment was it soaked into the leather, so it was like wearing tight rain boots with wooden soles. Pretty sure the parasites might just steam to death in there. Most from my time just used the issue boots for inspection and crap work so we didn't destroy the ones we bought like Corcorans & jungle boots. And for the love of all that's holy never use acetone on Corcorans! They're made with real leather, which would just get damaged. Can't say anything about the modern boots, I left right as those started getting issued.
in his WWII memoirs (sold as novels, but extremely closed to what he experienced), Buchheim in "Die Festung" took a moment to admire the quality of the boots of dead British paratroopers and lament that they got so little use out of such good boots.
My late grandpa was a Korean War Veteran and he told me that American Combat Boots were so durable and comfortable. He kept some of them for his work boots until late 1970s. They were his favorite boots for he loved hunting and hiking. I miss him a lot😢
When my dad was about 10 years old, just after ww2, he walked almost 20 miles through the Ozark hills to a war surplus store to buy a set of these boots. His little sister went with him but was too tired to make the walk back, so my dad carried her home wearing his surplus boots.
I used my dad’s Korean War boots (a cut off version of that boot) for a couple of Summers working for a landscaping contractor when I was in high school in the mid 80s. My dad used them for lawn mowing and yard work until he couldn’t any more. They were super comfortable and tough. I did not miss the lack of traction that I can remember in any way. I have his dog tags but I should have kept the boots too. Watching this brought back some great memories. I miss my father so much.
Shoes today are crap, for the most part. As a child in the 50's and 60's. everyone got their shoes re-heeled several times, and re-soled at least once. They were better quality, and deserved that. Now, shoes are cheap crap, with horrible leather.
Late 90s I actually had a pair of shoes a sort of cross between a sneaks and a dress shoes re-souled at a shoe/leather maker/repair shop that was once around. Cost more than shoes but was completely worth it those shoes where so comfortable I could stand/walk in them all day no problem. They where also great for kicking people in the shine lol. God I miss those shoes I out grew them but since they were in great shape the replacement souls where still good, and so was the lether (I kept them dry,clean, and mink oiled) so I donated them to charity
@@theglobalistchannel1471 I haven't had much luck with their canvas boots, but I can totally vouch for the soles. Of course - palladium was a French tire manufacturer so you can't be surprised the sole is the best part.
@@jimvargaco.6344 Try the pampa series. They're very good. Also the leather ones. Yeah the soles are great, they partner up with Michelin and made a special series but they ran out.
So I was in the 82nd from 2014 to 2018 and we wore Corcoran jump boots purely as part of our dress uniforms. To my knowledge these boots have changed little since their initial production in 1941. While they're of an excellent quality and a true part of military history I could think of few hells worse than having to wear them in any kind of actual operation. I'm sure they have some benefits over modern boots but none that would make anyone consider them over their replacements. Modern boots are lighter, more flexible, and are far more resistant to the elements. Purely anecdotal so take it for what it's worth. Great video and a excellent preservation of history!
I had a modern production pair of black leather corcoran jump boots, and I loved them, I wore them every day for iver 2 years, after all that walking in them tge soles started wearing out so I took them to a cobbler for repair, to my disappointment the modern ones have a vinyl midsole that when it cracks cannot be replaced, unfortunately my midsole had cracked.
Contemporary Corcoran boots aren't that great, from what I've heard. Repro's/copies of them actually do a better job than the original company. Yet another case of cutting corners and coasting on the reputation of your company's name alone.
One of my most worn, and all time favorite shoes is a pair of US navy service shoes from 1972 that I bought for $100, the quality and comfort is a constant reminder how far we’ve strayed from quality and workmanship, in the name of cost.
THANKS, SEE ALL MY comments..from OPERA… ANYWAYS, my Service Shoes were great for two years (interestingly My HIGH PARATROOP black BOOTS , were super HIGH Quality & comfortable , also** ( comes to mind RETAIL/ people valued them at **way over $200 from a Boot maker/ Cobbler in 1966)……!!Axtually, this is oddly interesting history…, and Decent Footwear in THE ARMY IS PARAMOUNT.
@@Ibrahim-vx5kq It is not true! Your sentence is just an excuse to make and sell rubbish products. Many producers use that fake statement to justify their mediocre or bad products. If one make high quality product, one sell it for high price. There is a profit. It is up to the seller how high he price his product. Most people chose to buy cheap and bad products and producers adjust to it. As simply as that.
@@betulaobscura personally I’d rather invest my money in something well built and keep buying that product from that particular company for my children and so on. Honesty and good quality products go a long way
@@human__________ the rough out service boot, basically the same thing without the cuff. But if you want one with the cuff, French army surplus used similar boots in a black smooth leather
I really love this video. And for everyone that’s saying “these boots should be in a museum”, they have a lot of those already. The video is not just about cutting the boots in half. It can tell us something more about the time it was made in and how boots were made back in the day.
@@carsonj.sullivan5755 Point is they made millions of these. So cutting one pair in half to learn something does not mean there are not many more left for museums and collectors. Clearly nobody is saying let's destroy all historical artifacts you potato.
@Shrimp Lord in history class with a black family then discovered that that family name was linked to slave owning So history class taught me by degree that im decended from slave keepers
@@VincentGonzalezVeg I dated a girl who’s family had old money and were from the south. Our trip to a history museum was interesting (although she was very much modern so it wasn’t horrific or anything)
@Hunt or Die also I may be African decended There's stories of an ancestor who was wealthy in melanin 🟤 & I have some silly lips I've always been told that on that side of the family were Navajo, and we're Mexican, where I get this catholic last name (there's a crest) On mom's side was the slave keepers Basically everything pale in europe I'm a slight tan with pale overtones & I have a golden skin tone So I'm ethnically ambiguous to a point All this stuff is really cool BTW there was a war in California for acorn orchards, I tried some white oak acorns after soaking & it makes sense; they're sweet, oaky, savory, buttery & delicious I learn the edible plants like a guide Most 'weeds' may be aggressive vegtables Also manzanita is a fruit that tastes like fruit punch & I highly recommend
Bought a pair of these off ebay, they run about 1/2 size big. Local leather worker is currently cleaning them and he was super impressed about how well they were made. Cant wait to get them back.
When I saw a section labeled "Cutting in half" I couldn't believe it, but then when he mentioned he was, in fact, going to cut it in half, I cried a little bit inside.
Yeah like he couldn’t have looked up how they were made . In order to get the the contract for that type of boot I’m pretty sure they had to send in a schematic so they could pick the quality and see what kind of boots they were giving the soldiers . Those drawings etc have to be around somewhere . But nooo had to cut up a godddamn good pair of boots for it
@@panchopistola8298 seeing a blueprint and seeing the finished product are two very different things. He could cut up a boot from today's soldiers and I bet no one would care. But today's same boot in 50+ years would be looked at how you look at this one. I get it, it's a piece of history but now he has them to show or possibly donate to a museum.
Will you be cutting modern day military boots in half too? :) It would be interesting to see the evolutionary process. Insane how well the leather has held up over so many years in these!
Construction for new General issue boots is nothing like this now. 2-3MM rough out leather exterior. Fiberboard foot bed, toe and heel stiffener. Fiberglass shank. Canvas boot liner. Polyurethane foot bed cushion. Vibram outsole.
@@DocDigg those are great boots imho. I wore my old desert combat boots I wore in the Army doing construction work when I was younger and I would wear them out in months , even the new ones I bought from Danner, I bought the USMC hot weather rat boots when Danner had them on sale and they lasted almost two years
H.H. Brown (under their "Corcoran" brand) still makes those boots in small batches for movies and reenactment. Materials vary a bit by price, with lower cost versions using a thick leatherboard midsole and leatherboard for the counter and toe box, and pricier versions having period-correct Goodyear soles, and sometimes even WWII surplus parts. "At the Front" seems to generally sell then highest-quality, most period-correct boots, but they are all still made by H.H. Brown.
Thanks, interestingly… see all my Remarks, BLACK HIGH PARATROOP , etc, in three places..Actually, May be interesting looking in the COMBAT, SPECIAL OP BOOTS:: I imagine ..oddly,I always wondered about OLD GUARD, DRUM & FIFE,( And bunch of other units: their marchers, Boots issues??j…….
You may be interested to know, that direct "descendand" of this boot was used in Poland up untill late 90's. Its not the first example of Polish army's fascination of US Army equipment, but one of the nicest. Have look at these boots, keyword "opinacze"
Weren't they made shitty tho? Everyone, i asked about them, was telling me, how incomfortaboe they were. Also it amazed me, how this youtuber called those boots amazing, like i don't imagine wearing them over modern stuff.
@@tornad8063 They were made almost exactly the same as ones shown on this video. Technology wasnt there yet, but I wouldn't call them shitty. They can be very comfortable, but as with any other old school leather boots they are nightmare to walk for a first few weeks. After that they feel as if they were custom tailored. I still like to wear a pair of these, definitely feels more agile than modern multi-layered, shock absorbing, waterproof combat boots.
@@PolesAreEverywhere personally i did not walked in "opinacze" only in "desanty" and they were terrible. Chamging original plastic insert for somethibg else helped a lot, but still buying more moders stuff (grom protektor in my case) was like going into heaven.
@@tornad8063 "Desanty" is really a different breed, although soles are quite similiar. That crude plastic insert was meant for winter, and it is not meant to wear without thick woolen sock and its not really good anyway. I've found many people fond of these boots as well, but generally they are worse than "opinacze". Anyway, I think if you dont like the feel of "desanty" you wont like "opinacze" as well - the feeling is somewhat similiar. "Grom" is not as good representation of modern military boot. Its somewhat flimsy, and doesn't offer particularly good ankle support nor does it protect against water. "Jany" are quite an improvement from "desanty" - if you like "Grom" you should like "Jany"
@@PolesAreEverywhere i can agree on lack of ankle support in "grom" but it wasn't a big problem for me tbh. I have "plus" version so waterproofing was really nice. They never failed me even in really wet terrain. "Desanty" were failing, whenever water was higher than ankle level (tounge was sew in only partially) I would like "grom"s to be a bit more solid (they slowly start brealing at cinnections between leather and fabric, after abot 2 years of using them once a week on average) I didn't knew, that this insert was meant for winter tbh. Most of my group were putting on double socks or additional cotton just staffed under heel. Good to know, that these new MON's shoes are good, tho i need black shoes due to my paramilitary organization regulations. When i grow out "grom"s, I own rn, i will search for something solid. Depemding on my budget i will either take something from demar(patriotic points lol), haix, lowa or I'll once again go with "protektor" product. If you recommend anything, ill take that into account toi
@Duke Hugh Johnson but it's something he said in the end that made it better. He could only justify it by putting out something informative, we were able to watch the video and learn so much about the quality of craftsmanship, and see so much, that you or I would probably never be able to see, and instead of 10k or 100k people needing to cut a boot in half, one person did, and we all learn. (It was also very rough condition so would have been nice to own if you're a collector but not museum grade yet)
Lugged rubber soles were only introduced a couple of years before the outbreak of war, in Italy, and they were initially for mountaineering. It would seem weird to build a combat boot without them nowadays, but they were still very new technology when these boots were made.
I used to be horrified watching his videos but I'm desensitized now. The fact that the boot he cut in half was already busted at the area right above the heel made me not feel as bad though, though you could've gotten that fixed I would think.
@@saudakar9004 no there are only about 5-7 companies who make boots APPROVED for service men to wear. And most companies models are derivatives of one model. So it would be nice to see the inside of the most popular models
@@MrSpamdagger Sure, but most people won't be searching for those patterns, this guy made a video for the public to see and understand and I think that's great.
@Knott Bobby I have an unissued, unfired, german WWII rifle that i dont shoot. It loses 85% of its value if I do. There's good reasons not to shoot collectors arms.
My grandfather served in Korean war and he has some amazing stories about his journey and we are still blessed to have him with us today to tell us . Thank you for the great video.
I mean the shape of the boot up to the 8th hole is probably one of most beautiful shape for a boot i have ever seen. The inside and the outside has patina’d beautifully.
@@jakezanders6598 just because its not rare today doesnt mean it wont be tomorrow. History is history and abundance doesnt give people the right to destroy it.
seriously, you are my most favorite channel. the information is provide is so useful, and watching you cut these boots is SO SATISFYING, please don't stop.
Dear Allen Edmonds CEO, make these exact boots today. I bet they would sell extremely well and you’re logo and stars and stripes brand identification are perfectly aligned.
@@frankrizzo7185 The reproductions of this boot. These ones are probably some of the best ones: www.atthefront.com/WWII-Double-Buckle-Boots-made-in-USA-p/usfcsb.htm They're made in the USA too.
I actually wore a pair of those to high school for a while. My dad served in the occupation of Italy and his boots were still around. They were very cool to wear IMO in the late 70's punk era but I had to stop wearing them when my feet got bigger than his even though he was taller.. I had his battle jacket too. The only remaining artifact of his service is his stenciled duffel.
I enjoyed seeing the details in this boot. The only way to see how they were made is by prying back the curtain and seeing what materials were used and how they were applied. It would be interesting to compare this boot to a German or Japanese military boot from the same era. I would argue that there is a lot more context on this video than you would get from a static museum display. Also, if you are into WWII history you have to go to the museum in New Orleans. It is by far the best museum I have ever visited. My DD sold WWII surplus boots in the late 40’s and said that he sold them for $3 to$4 a pair!!
WW2 boots might have been "quality" from a civilian perspective, but they were awful as combat boots. Countless injuries were caused by USA WW2 boots. They leaked water like sieves. Mens' feet got wet, cold, dirty, painful, fungus, frostbite, trench foot, you name it. Those boots practically knocked the US Army out of commission at the Battle of the Bulge.
I remember watching the tv series combat one episode a replacement came having been issued new experimental boots. Several soldiers were trying to buy them and the sergeant kept upping his offer to nearly a couple months pay. Made me wonder if that didn't have some type of basis in reality as to how bad standard issue boots were in combat.
So their flaw was that they weren't water proof enough, which isn't that hard to believe looking at it. They were definitely extremely well made regardless though
When I was in the reserves back in the early 2000's we were told not to get gortex boots. Getting your feet wet is unavoidable and as a soldier it's just something you do. The problem with gortex lined boots is if water gets in it stays in until your tip it out. So either way your getting emersion foot (formerly trench foot).
I see your point, but frankly i believe you are being a little unfair to these boots. Even today, almost no boot exist that would be capable to stay dry and warm for long in continuous rain and late autumn central European climate. Think of what farmers wear in those conditions, even today anything short of full rubber boots will fail in short order, Goretex, E-vent and all. Foot problems were a common complaint in every front from every army, only proper foot care can relieve these problems, any kind of boot technology by itself isn't enough. Wet and cool conditions are probably the absolute worst for footwear, too cold to ever dry, too hot to have dry ice or snow, just awful.
Technology has come a long way. They were well constructed with quality materials of the time. There’s a lot we’ve learned about footwear in the past 50 years.
For all the sensitive commenters acting like Weston is destroying a rare artifact that Indiana Jones risked his life for, he's not. These can often be found on eBay.
They can also be made brand new. They were popular for kids in the mid 50s, and I'm sure they weren't surplus. God, I loved mine, even though they actually did suck... it was the psychological effect. But they were leaky, cold, heavy, and not well cushioned.
For anyone out there that needs to hear this: a little rubbing alcohol on a paper towel or a piece of cotton then a quick rubdown of your insole will completely clear out odor almost instantly. No more powders or sprays, lol. Great video! Beautiful boots. They don’t make them like that anymore.
The alcohol will work as far as it gets rubbed on the bacteria causing the odors etc. But it's not always foolproof. But for example, I wear a bullet proof vest for a living & I've used copious amounts of rubbing alcohol to attempt killing the odor on my vest to no avail. The vest itself can be washed & just about dipped in alcohol & the smell doesn't go away so sometimes it's not so easy to accomplish but it's a definite to try.
I remember having a pair of this style combat boots as a kid. This was right after Korea . Another item that was in style for kids back then was fatigue pants in O.D. I remember thinking that the side pockets were pretty cool, just like the real soldiers wore.
Updating one of these boots with a modern sole would be an interesting project. Kind of along the lines of what he did for the Doc Martens a year or so ago.
@Oliver Pong Maybe but I've got McHales and florsheim from the 60's and 70's that have been recrafted several times that still look fantastic. Good leather footwear, with minimal care (trees and occasional conditioning) will last a lifetime.
When I was 16 years old I drove to work with my motorcycle in the winter. Of cause my Chinese made motorcycle boots fell apart after a couple of weeks. I was broke - so my dad told me to look in the old stuff of my grandpa, he saw some heavy leather boots in there. Long story short - Without knowing I wore Wehrmacht Boots for the next 2 winters until I was allowed to drive with the car.
It's sad to see all the comments about how "destroyed" people are over you cutting these boots in half. I get it - a piece of history (in a lot of your minds) has been destroyed. What else would you do with these? Wear them? Put them in a museum (which has undoubtedly been done) ? Keep them in your closet and stare at them on occasion? In my mind, the information your audience has gained is more valuable than one 80-year old pair of boots. I'd even argue that having one cut open boot displayed next to a fully intact one is far more interesting than a complete pair. Just my 2 cents on the matter. Anyway, thanks for the video. - One person who learned something
‘Disrespectful’ - ‘destroying its essence’….? Being a person that has worn issued Army boots I find these comments odd as well…. If you understood how many boots are issued, and worn out, and replaced (thrown out). No Soldier keeps all their old boots from my experience, but all like a GP boot that does its job and is hopefully fitted and comfortable. Totally respect the intrinsic knowledge that comes from parting it, and comparing to modern materials and techniques. Plenty of boots in foot lockers / basements, and museums already. Love your work, really interesting- and never thought I’d be so into a channel - but I am!!!
@@bonerbot7138 The quality raw material mostly part that make them last longer. I still have my dad shoes that he gave me since 1991. The 30 years old shoes still look far better than any new shoes I have today.
@@dulistanheman and using raw materials that are more durable. I've got a 60s pickup and everything in that truck is made of metal. The dash is in immaculate shape, the door panels look like new, the roof is flawless, etc. None of it is fancy though. I get in a 90s car and the whole interior is plastic that's cracked, faded, chipped, and fallen apart. Those cars aren't going to last as long as my 60s truck has The bumper is also made of decently thick steel, and I had a brand new car crash into me in a parking lot. I have a dent that's 1/8th inch deep, it totaled the front end of their car. Hood, fender, bumper, radiator, headlight, etc all destroyed. Worst part is that bumper costs substantially more than mine and is less durable. There's real merit to they don't make them like they used to
@@imthedarknight-8755 Very true 👍🏼 You spell many good point there. For car, I still keep my 2013 Honda Accord until it dies 😅. It already reach 285K miles. The newer car is even more complicated with computer chip that is harder and more expensive to fix DIY. That's a big No No for me. Yes, the future is getting weird - said Elon Musk.
About the threading on the sole, I used to do larp and going through canadian forests, mountains and swamps with little threading under laceless leather shoes. It isn't as bad as you might expect it is, as long as it isn't completely flat. You have to adjust and get used to it though, it might be a bit more slippery in some conditions for sure, but you can use it to your advantage by using it to go down some slope that would be somewhat more difficult with more grip on the ground as you end up with an awkward angle forcing your foot toward the tip of the boot. Truth be told I personally got wounded more with short boots with big knobing on the sole than with casual shoes. A caveat though, I have a lot more experience than most people doing that kind of stuff in general having grown near woods and going in rough nature for years. I wouldn't advise doing the same as me for a perfect beginer in those environments as they will not always recognise the dangerous ground in front of them they will need additional support to their ankle.
@@johnphillips4708 I believe you but there's some really good stuff that's authorized if you're willing to spend the money. Especially for the Army since you guys simply have a checkbox of requirements instead of an authorization process like the Navy generally does.
The British Army has spent 150 years equipping its soldiers with the cheapest boots it could. During the Falklands War they went to fight in sub Arctic conditions wearing boots made from the cheapest leather and cardboard. So poor, in fact, there were instances of Argentian soldiers being forced to give up their boots to their captors.
The standard US Army issue leather "combat boot" was certainly very well made. However it was not waterproof and was the cause of many cases of "trench foot" or frost bite from the cold , ice, snow and damp @the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944-1945. This became a serious problem until the Army issued the men rubberized overshoes "Artics" which the GIs wore over their boots. The Germans were in even worse shape and there were stories of them stealing the boots and cold weather clothing off the bodies of dead GIs. BTW my dad fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He once told me he had no desire to ever return to the place where he was almost killed.
There's a case to be made for different designs working for different conditions. Being Norwegian, I've got a pair of M/77s that costed me somewhere around 1200 nok, which lands somewhere in the 120 dollar range. They're designed to be worn with hiking socks and have a slightly raised instep to accomodate the more typical Norwegian foot shape, along with being made of big patches of extra isolating leather, along with having a rough sole pattern that makes it easy to find traction on stones and in the mud and snow. Meanwhile, my Corcoran jump boots are very much not designed for running in the snow and despite being a bit too long from toe to heel are also just barely wide enough for my feet, and putting on hiking socks with them makes tying the laces crush my instep. They seem to be pretty well ventilated so if I managed to walk them in properly I could use them for summer weather though.
@@odinlindeberg4624 During WWII the US ARMY designated the 10th Mountain Division(infantry) to be its premier cold weather outfit designed to operate in extreme mountainous weather conditions in places like Norway. They experimented and developed a lot of cold weather gear at first not available to "ordinary" GIs. They were often referred to as" Our Soldiers on Skis" by the news media of the day. I do not think they had much opportunity to fight the enemy on skis since the Division was sent to fight the Germans in Italy. During the Battle of the Bulge the overshoes our troops were eventually issued were a godsend. Lessons learned, the soldiers of today have the benefit of clothing and equipment unheard of by their fathers and grandfathers "back in the day".
Soldiers stealing boots off their dead enemies also happened in WWI, Russian troops had such a bad standard issue boot that they would try to get German boots whenever possible.
Oh, man, some people are going to be REAL mad about these getting cut in half. Unrelated, but have you thought about cutting any Eccos in half? I'm curious what their sneakers are like inside.
@@laurensa.1803 You could say that about anything though. They may be just boots to you, but to the solider who had to run through fields full of gunfire, they were probably his pride and joy. Those would still be very nice boots for back then.
You're one of the few people on the internet who I'm not angry at doing this. You've put in your time where it's legitimate. Any possibilty of Anvil Rose version of these with a Vibrant or similar sole?
The standard issue jungle boot in 'Nam couldn't be beat -- they dried out fast, loved those things, they treated my feel very well. Went thru about one pair monthly.
When I was a kid, those were really popular (mid 50s) among kids. They were called "paratrooper boots". I was so stoked when I got a pair, even though it took about an hour to get them on and all laced up and buckled. Did a lot of stomping in those boots, really gave the a workout, but dang, I would never own a pair today. They took FOREVER to get on and off. But you sure did feel protected.
I had paratrooper boots. But they were a later smooth black design. I wasn't a kid in the 50s. I was a kid in the 70s and 80s though. So I had Corcoran jump boots.
During WW2 when my dad was going from island to island, he developed a case of foot-rot he lived with till 2010. He was probably wearing boots like the ones you’ve evaluated.
If your dad was USMC, it was likely the boondockers and leggings. If he was army, it was likely these or boondockers depending on what year he shipped out to the theater
They also fought with very little clothing, and viewed death as an honor. I'd say that's a little different. Also, try crawling through a WWII trench filled with gravel, barbed wire, dead bodies, and knives everywhere in sandals... Probably wouldn't go down well
To all the complainers, cry me a river. There are thousands of boots in waaaaay better condition in museums and private collections. These have obviously been donated to or bought by him in order for us all to see and learn of the craftsmanship that went into the war effort and historical boots of which we can compare our modern equipment to. Without him doing this, it would be impossible for us to truly appreciate what these boots are, the people that wore them, and the people who made them.
On top of that, when he’s cutting them in half you can see that there’s a big hole in the back of the boot anyway before he starts cutting, so I don’t think these would have been wearable anyway without fairly substantial repairs anyway, which I believe would defeat the purpose
Indeed! It's not like this is a rare one of a kind pair but yeah I get it because putting the spotlight on a pair in a good setting makes it museum-worthy looking.
Honestly yeah. And as a historical shoe maker myself, it’s really precious knowledge to be able to see all the inner secrets of a shoe. Cuz there’s plenty of pics of the outside from all angles, but nothing about that canvas panel, or the tongue, or the spike eyelets, or the cork filler. All of that is invisible, so this is great information
I have a pair that went up the beaches on D-Day. They were a guy's spare pair. Never worn. So they were in his backpack. When I got them they were brand new. But I wore them for a bit in a machine shop. So they have some metal chips in them now.
Cut open vintage redwings vs today's redwings so we can have back then vs now apples to apples comparison! Thanks , I didn't know I was into shoe quality until it start watching your videos. I work industrial construction and always ended up buying redwing after dissatisfied with any other brand I had tried.
wow, I remember we had a pair of boots like that in our boot pile when I was a kid. I had no idea it was from WWII era. I always thought they were cool but were way to big for me.
Another thing with the dubbin, it supposedly also helped seal against chemicals used in warfare like in WWI. You should try a pair of old and new Corcoran Jump boots. They made them in WWII and still make them today and I wonder if anything has changed in the last 75 years.
I have a pair of new ones, and i have examined older ones. The new ones don't even compare in quality the sole fell apart after a year of wearing them they don't make them with a leather sole+rubber halfsole anymore, they make them with a thin rubber sole+rubber outsole. The uppers are reasonable quality in terms of durability, but they have an unappealing (to me) fake mirror shine layer applied to the leather, sort of like a doc marten. Don't buy them, unless you can get them at a discount and like the style. They are quite comfortable boots though
These boots just demonstrate the problem with global production. Like you say every city used to have plenty of cobblers and tanneries meaning high quality at relatively low cost was achievable. Now that’s impossible, hence why a boot like Nick’s cost so much when back in the 40’s that kind of quality construction was standard. They built the boots to last and when they failed you’d go to one of the many local cobblers to fix them. Now for the majority you get cheap shitty boots and shoes made halfway round the world that will break pretty quick but are of such construction and quality that you can’t really repair them and why would you when it’s cheaper to by a new pair!
@@thomashardison1140 It's not that they don't want it; it's that they don't want it _enough_ to pay the cost necessary to get it. If you found a way to make a boot of this quality today at a price that was competitive with much cheaper footwear, people would be all over it.
@sbcontt YT Yes, as a matter of fact I *do* need a boot that doubles as an art piece.Not only do those boots *look* better than anything I've seen on the market, but a pair of boots constructed in that manner would outlast any pair of boots I have ever owned. Doesn't matter that a modern pair are cheaper or faster to build if they get worn out in 1 year or less.
At the front sells almost exact reproductions of these and they go into detail about the minor differences, mostly manufacturers saying no or they can't do whatever it is. They are going for $299
My mother did, just after the change to black boots. Dad's first uniform issue included the old olive brown Class A's with Ike jacket and brown boots. ;)
800,000 people have spent time learning about WWII boots because of this video. You really think that's a shame compared to a pair of boots like this just sitting in a closet somewhere?
@@s_vb2220 Yes. I wonder if this boot saw actual combat overseas or it stayed domestic. The history of it's creation, construction and materials is valued knowledge. However, the life these boots protected is also valuable. Cutting them in half, almost, seems like a desecration. Still I watched the video and gave it a like.
Rubber companies were also big in sneaker manufacturing - Converse started as a rubber company and BF Goodrich originally made the Jack Purcell sneaker.
This was the vid that introduced me to your channel. Which led to watching more videos on your channel. Then I learned about Nicks, and now I am ordering my second pair of Nicks. I did not know a high quality boot until I took delivery of my Builder Pros. Thanks for the vids. -Bourgeoning boot snob.
I always feel a bit of relief when I see the center cut score. Dont ever do away with that. Id imagine its because I'm discretely pretty judgemental. "Wtf who cuts like that... oh well he scored himself pretty fairly"...
I had a pair of these boots in the early-1990's that were given to me by a WWII veteran who gave them to me in trade for some work I did for him. They only needed a few small repairs that a local cobbler made to them to get them back into use. Unfortunately, I outgrew after only three years since I was still growing as i was in my late-teens. IMO, they were the most comfortable boots that I've worn even by comparison to some of the military boots that I purchased on my own while serving in the USAF. Then again, it could have been just that they were nostalgic and so much different than anything available at the time. It's too bad these boots are no longer being made. Perhaps another company will make them provided they're made to the same quality of construction and materials used instead of some cheap quality product made in Asia.
Get a high quality wallet, belt or MORE in the Rose Anvil shop here - bit.ly/44jXLNu
My great nephew showed me your broadcast today very interesting . So I’d like to add my two bits in as an old man who went to Korea as a young man . I was issued a similar pair of boots ( we still wore canvas leggings in the Marine Corps.) in the early 50s so they did not have the leather over wrap which was more common with US Army issue from what I can recall ,which isn’t much at this age . I can tell you they were not comfortable at all compared to the shoes I wore as a civilian which were leather soled street shoes , especially when you had to walk countless miles with 60 to 80 lbs of gear along with a rifle or BAR . They were not cushioned, had no arch support , caused back aches , heel aches and hob only knows what else . Simply put they were made by the lowest bidder on a government contract and were mass produced with rudimentary QC and while you , today may look at them in amazement they were insufficient when it comes to comfort and wore out quickly under combat conditions, they simply just protected a mans feet from the elements and ground churned up by the happenstance of conflict and little more than that , once they were wet they stunk so high hell , eventually caked on mud and soil reduced the odor to a very earthen smell mixed with wet wool . At least thats how I recall it . I’m sure from a professional cobblers perspective you may admire them , but you wouid change your mind awful fast if you had to live in them for over a year . I went to work for Plymouth Motor Division at the old North Assembly a few years after coming home , and in those days I wore Brown shoe co. Engiineer boots which were far more comfortable and this with being on my feet alnost the entire shift and often walking home . More often than not when someone says to me and at my age I often hear it from young folks waxing nostalgic for times they don’t remember “ hey mister they don’t make em like they used to right “ I tell them yes that’s true consider yourself lucky .
Thank you for taking the time to write that! :)
Aye, sir. Thank you for your service.
I fixed your grammar, syntax, and PARAGRAPHING to make your ramble more coherent and easier to read. It took me a while. But I thought it was important. Good points. They just needed to be clearer and EASIER to read.
BTW, I am just a pup. Only 65 years old.
1979mackdriver wrote:
My great nephew showed me your broadcast today very interesting . So I’d like to add my two bits in as an old man who went to Korea as a young man .
I’m sure from a professional cobblers perspective, you may admire them , but you would change your mind awful fast if you had to live in them for over a year .
I was issued a similar pair of boots ( we still wore canvas leggings in the Marine Corps.) in the early 50s so they did not have the leather over wrap which was more common with US Army issue. I can tell you they were not comfortable at all compared to the shoes I wore as a civilian which were leather soled street shoes. Especially, when you had to walk countless miles with 60 to 80 lbs of gear along with a rifle or BAR. They were not cushioned, had no arch support , caused back aches , heel aches and God only knows what else.
Simply put, they were made by the lowest bidder on a government contract and were mass produced with rudimentary QC. Today, one may look at them in amazement, but they were they were terribly uncomfortable. They wore out quickly under combat conditions. They simply just protected a man's feet from the elements, the terrain, and little more than that ,
Once they got wet, they stunk so high hell. After a while, mud reduced the odor to a very earthen smell mixed with wet wool.
I went to work for Plymouth Motor Division at the old North Assembly a few years after coming home.
In those days I wore Brown Shoe Co. Engineer boots which were far more comfortable. I was on my feet almost the entire shift, and often walked home .
At my age, I often hear it from young folks waxing nostalgic for times they don’t remember: "Hey Mister, they don’t make 'em like they used to, right? " I tell them, "Yes, that’s true. Consider yourself lucky!!"
-Corrected and edited by Big Dave
@@deplorabledave1048
Dave , thank you . my eyes aren’t what they used to be . At this age I’m lucky I remember where any of the punctuation goes lest I forget what I was thinking about in the first place. I was a far better math student than an English and grammar student but that’s my fault not Mrs Marzak , my high school English teacher may god rest her soul she had such patience with me .
@@1979mackdriver
No worries. I do this from time to time for comments that are full of great information but need help to reach a wider audience. I cant read one gian single paragraph. It all jumbles together.
So I copy and paste to the Note Pad program and go to work . It take a lot of effort sometimes, but I do it as a service, free of charge. LOL
-Big Dave
US Merchant Marine, Force Protection, MSC Military Sealift Command.
Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. And other classified work off the coast of commie China.
Wow thank you for the historical perspective! You would think if we were sending all these guys out to fight in the name of our country, the least we could do was give them some arch support.
The "shortages" were in the civilian markets because the military got priority for all supplies and manufacturing.
Yep.
Shortages were because only soldiers got good boots.
Germany literally ran out of gas and steel, so no, the shortages were not just for the civilians.
@@tktspeed1433 Germany is always short on something
@@tktspeed1433 The video is about an American boot, therefore, the comment about shortages was in reference to America
@@tktspeed1433 Germany also was a country in the middle of several others, with trade logistics far different than that of USA, especially in wartime. Germany ran out of resources because they lost access to all territories that produced it.
As a M1A1 tanker veteran, the flat soles creates better traction climbing on metal. The leather straps instead of laces are used for better blood circulation when bent for looong hours in tank positions. The leather straps are better than laces, that could get caught in machinery. Corcoran and Altima!!!
Wow very informative, thank you.
@@Surrealiantx NP
@Ban this youtube Right on!
And smooth soles are rubbish for moving across country and rough terrain in all weathers. And laces are far more practical. Leather ankle straps are more likely to catch on vegetation or terrain. If you dont have a tank to sit in....
@skogenburzum I believe the Altima brand will replace the soles free for the lifetime of the boots
German Historian (and hobby leatherworker) here. I stumbled over your video and quite frankly I'm thrilled. I like your approach to the piece. When you cut the boot open, you're not destroying history, you preserve it. Yes, the boot may not be wearable anymore, but now it can give us deeper understanding about the production methods.
Your content is great. Greetings from germany! :)
You should do the same with an early-war Wehrmacht boot if you can find one, it would be interesting to see the differing styles/standards of construction from country to country.
German engineering, pride in work, ethics, production under brutal pressure and blockades, caused shortages, bartering. Do short boots, even Afrika Korp, all services and types footwear. Probably expensive to get some though as seem to be collected, maybe even footwear. I don't know but I'd watch, interested just found box of old photos after fathers passed, tons in uniform. I hare to think he'd hide these purposely. History infinitely more interesting than quality of trendy silly footwear, like hippy sandals? 👍 all read.
@@aryanprivilege9651 Agreed 100%
@@aryanprivilege9651 based and tread-pilled
@@exunitatevires9475 Yes and also interesting to compare early versus late war progress in design and materials
The inside of those boots look better than the majority of used boots i see for sale
I agree but this also means that the inside maybe didn't conform to the person's foot as well as something new
@@et3946 or it’s better quality leather
@@redram5150 I don't think that's how it works. Nick's boots for example use some of the best leather available and still take a print given enough time. What I think you mean is sturdier and/or rigid.
@@et3946 Nick’s uses flesh side in, IIRC. That’s the reverse of these boots
these boots obviously weren't worn for a long time. They were kept locked away somewhere.
Imagine how many men laced up those boots and never took them off
My great uncle was one.
Thats deep. They are still there, buried where they fell at times on many battlefields .
May we all remember their bravery and sacrifice.
:(
A lot got their boots taken off of them after they died I'm sure..
"A beautiful piece of history" then proceeds to cut it in half....
Let's appreciate this piece of history, by cutting it in half!
Hey he turned a piece of history into pieces of history so that's pretty great!
It's pretty great, right guys?
To be fair, it did have a pretty sizable hole at the heel. You see it when he's cutting up that part.
Heh, it's kinda like archeology, you find a thing, inspect the thing, then you pop it open to see how it's built.
Sometimes artefact need to be sacrificed in order that we can learn so much more than we could from a mere surface inspection.
If he didn't do it, but went on to say "yep, they don't make them like that any more" we would just think it's yet another nostalgia-driven statement and move on. By cutting in half he pretty much proved the cliche-sounding, yet very true statement that things were better built in the past than now (or you need to pay an arm and a leg today to have something custom or hand-built to match the quality of the past).
Thanks for a great program. Years ago when "Buckle Boots" were cheap and easy to find, I used to wear them all the time as an everyday work boot, they are a hard wearing comfortable boot. Back in the 40's and 50's they were inexpensive GI surplus and everybody wore the darn things. One note about the diamond tread rubber soles, they are EASY to scrape clean. Worst thing in the field is mud, big gobs of it caked on your boots like cement blocks. Modern boots with those big clunky lug soles collect mud like crazy and you can't scrape it off, it's a REAL pain in the a** !!! The old rubber soles on the WW2 boots work just fine.
I, for one, think you made that historic boot even more valuable by displaying it like this. This is information that completely lost until now. And maybe it will actually inspire the right person. Knowledge is more valuable than any object.
About Price: "Boots, Service, Combat, Composition Sole” (commonly called "combat boots" by WWII veterans) were listed on 1 July 1943 (stock numbers 72-B-2740-10 through 72-B-2747-62) for $7.06 a pair. They got the price down to $6.74 by 1 October 1944.
According to the CPI Inflation Calculator (using May 2021 data) that's $109.23 and $102.51 respectively...Cheap by modern standards. Mass production drives down costs, and the U.S. Government bought 28,700,000 pairs from over 50 manufacturers. Over 28 MILLION pairs! In three years.
These boots were issued with standard brown nylon (or cotton) shoe laces. 90,000 pairs were sent to North Africa for field testing in July 1943, and the first regular combat issue was in March 1944 in Italy (with members of the 3rd Infantry Division at Anzio).
Troops that landed on D-Day used the older service shoes & leggings combination that had been stockpiled in the UK prior to the invasion. The European Theater did not begin to receive large quantities until July 1944, meaning it wasn't until late summer that combat boots began to filter down to the G.I.s at the front in France. (Supplies such as ammunition and fuel were higher priorities in Normandy; updating serviceable footwear to the latest standard took a backseat.)
*Edit: Interesting video by the way. It always hurts to see WWII militaria destroyed, but I think that was worth the educational experience. (And it's not as if those were one of only a handful left in existence. If you do come into possession of an early example with a toe cap you may want to keep them away from the saw.)
thank you someone else who gets it and thanks for the info I knew we had 8 million men in the army so I just assumed we produced anywhere from 16 to 24 million pairs of boots but 28 million dosen't sound off I wish people would realize that although old these boots were not really rare thanks.
@@samellowery According to Quartermaster Corps statistics, in addition to combat boots, over 75 million (!) pairs of service shoes were procured between 1 July 1940 and 31 December 1945. 26,907,000 pairs of men's service shoes, each for around $4, were bought by the U.S. Army in 1942 alone. (These numbers don't include the millions of pairs of other combat footwear such as jungle boots, winter shoepacs, and arctic overshoes.)
While 8 million was peak strength, 11 million served in the U.S. Army in total during the war. Boots were authorized two pairs per soldier, and they wore them all-day every-day in some extreme climatic (the jungle especially punished leather items) and combat conditions. They wore out and needed replacing. (G.I.s lived in the elements for such long stretches, when units were eventually pulled off the line and showered they were provided with a complete change of uniform. They dumped their used-up stuff in a pile before going in, and picked up fresh stuff on the other side.)
@@G.I.HistoryHandbook super Thanks for informations.. Hopefully, troops get Great Stuff (;esp Footwear & foods,) Anyways see my purchase of PARATROOP Boots remarks,, In 1966.. Imhad to,get for “ Color Guard” @Indianapolis 500 RACE WEEKEND( there was a big Parade On track before, PURDUE ROTCs Provided Color Guards)::: my BLACK,Paratroop (*??, special)BOOTS were comfortable , at least for marching the **INDY 500 , 2.5 mile, Track ! Always kind of wondered how Quartermaster” SPECKED “”, OUT “THE Black High Boots I got AT PX , Indianapolis..? Interestingly,many of 04~6s at PURDUE CADRE were just buying “ CORFAM BLACK SHINY DRESS SHOES” then…( I always figured they would be HOT/sweaty)….THANKS, ,, DENNIS M., East HELENA, MONTANA ( now)…
@@G.I.HistoryHandbook ps.. great Stuff!
Those ww2 dollars (oz. Silver) are worth $25 paper fiat dollars of today. Makes those $7 cost $175 today. Like the dollar, our support for the troops has gone fiat too. Poor quality, poor training, poor support.
Best video yet. Hate to see them cut but most things were scrapped after the war. Thanks !
Really? Scrapped? I hate our world...
@@user-pe2yx9kt4e it was necessary. Pretty much all economic output went into the war, so after the only way to recover at a decent rate was to salvage as much as they could
@@user-pe2yx9kt4e Most German helmets were turned into pots by cutting off the bring, taking out the insides, and stamping them
If you search a bit, there are lots of antique (pre 1920's) boots to be found online, both men's and women's, for relatively low prices. They aren't museum pieces because they were already produced in big amounts back then, so no loss there. It would be interesting to see those dissected!
@@jeremywhite8639 I'm assuming they mean vintage boots for collecting/historical purposes not wearing
"They don't build 'em like they used to" is not just an empty expression.
Sure, mass production is a pain in everyones ass. Highest quality clothing items I own are from my late grandfather. His old clothes are from 1950s, produced by the the village tailor, with 1000 inhabitants at the time. Glad I'm the same size with my grandfather. The jackets and trousers has been patched here and there, but the quality of the wool cloth and stiching is out of this world, in a world where most clothing is produced in asia by kids...
It's true but also unfortunately old items can be made with toxic metals.
@@te9591 Haven't heard about that. What metals, can you elaborate?
@@TheSpekkel1an example would be lead, like as in lead paint. Not metals but asbestos and Mercury, things of that nature. Look up "toxic building materials".
Yeah, they figured profits could be maximize by making shit that fell apart after a year, outsourcing the labour, and making it desirable via marketing anyway.
Please take your historical boot halves, and bring them to a museum that has a display about WWII or that era. If you collaborate with the curators, this fascinating bit of history can be preserved and shared beyond what you've presented here. Personally, I would love to have heard more background information and detail about the different design elements and history that led to that boot.
That's a great idea and I hope he's able to do that
what's more likely is they'll end up in some backroom shelf for all eternity. virtually every museum already has more stuff, and less space.
"If you collaborate with the curators, this fascinating bit of history can be preserved and shared beyond what you've presented here. "
What you're suggesting isn't a bad idea, but I dispute the above claim. I'd say there's much better odds that this video reaches far more people than the number of people who will look at one of these boots in a museum.
you realize this is mass media right? already almost 1 million people have watched this video of a boot that was produced in the tens of millions.
This is not a museum quality piece, lol.
This is like somebody seeing an sks and saying “this thing belongs in a museum!” Not realizing there are literally millions of them lying around and anybody can buy one for cheap XD
Bigger lugs also hold the mud and make your feet 10 lbs each.
Chunky lugs are great when you're getting through the mud. If you're living in the mud they are a nightmare. The weight and the fatigue are a serious concern.
But there are different designs. When I served military (non-US), I used through a few pairs of different boots, and while all of them had quite aggressive lugs (even the summer-only ones) with a comparable grip some had the issue with mud being stuck and the others you could clean by simply striking the other boot with the side of your outsole.
I preferred ones that dont do that tho because their lugs are more rounded and while equally good on land they are MUCH less reliable when you climb around the armor (especially when it is snowing), and I spent, dunno, 70%? 80%? of my field moving time doing exactly that. Also while in the modern army you can afford to have two pairs of boots even when not sitting in garrison (and in garrison I had six at one point, lol), if I had to choose only one and expected a lot of moving on foot in urbanized area - the ones in the video are a fantastic choice.
Yeh look at the Vietnam jungle boots if you want to see colossal lugz...haha
Being a reenactor and wearing all sorts of boots/booties/etc from the 19th century to my modern boots when I was in the Marines. I'll take the weight any day.
I've slipped/slided in slightly dew wet grass with leather soled and weak rubber soled boots. Hobnails and heel plates were absolutely there for many reasons, these among them.
Weight is better than taking a full gainer down a mountain or at least busting your face or just plain sliding at the wrong time.
@@goldenhide Try scaling down rope netting off a ship with big lugs. Indeed wear wear big lugs on paved roads for many miles. They are great in deserts, jungles, plains, mountains, but not on urban surfaces.
The collector in me died a little when you cut that in half, but the historian in me was fascinated. Thank you for this interesting video.
I believe showing an old , worn boot tells you more than cutting up a new one. Maybe that is a different show for you boot cutters (killers) to explore.
This is cool, Rose Anvil. If anything, in the future, you should do a cowboy boot from 1860s - 1900s. (Western Boot)
More Western boots in general would be awesome
They belong in a museum
Cowboys boots have always been the same
@@megacomments4947 You don't know that.
@@derrickricherds156 the concept and building technique is the same but there is more unique leathers being used now especially with the Mexican boots
My dad was a WWII vet , he would always reminisce about being part of the “brown boot army”, I always thought he was talking about the color of the boot!
Well, after you eat, sleep, and travel all day in them for a tour of duty; I imagine you would have to peel them off your feet. So they were merely an extension of his foot....
@N Webb Yeah the 90's issue boots were the worst. It was like wearing boots made in the 1800's. No real insole, plasticy leather that didn't breath OR drain and finger size piece of rubber whose only reason for existence seemed to be to cut off circulation to your feet. I went to Corcorans as soon as I got to my unit. That pair lasted my whole time and I STILL can wear 'em today after 25 years. My last issue pair died about 2 decades ago...
@N Webb acetone helps with the look & polishing the black boots, but whatever that treatment was it soaked into the leather, so it was like wearing tight rain boots with wooden soles. Pretty sure the parasites might just steam to death in there. Most from my time just used the issue boots for inspection and crap work so we didn't destroy the ones we bought like Corcorans & jungle boots.
And for the love of all that's holy never use acetone on Corcorans! They're made with real leather, which would just get damaged. Can't say anything about the modern boots, I left right as those started getting issued.
@@nicholashodges201 i cant stand my Corcoran's
in his WWII memoirs (sold as novels, but extremely closed to what he experienced), Buchheim in "Die Festung" took a moment to admire the quality of the boots of dead British paratroopers and lament that they got so little use out of such good boots.
My late grandpa was a Korean War Veteran and he told me that American Combat Boots were so durable and comfortable. He kept some of them for his work boots until late 1970s. They were his favorite boots for he loved hunting and hiking. I miss him a lot😢
I know if i was a grandpa it would mean so much to me to have a grandson say such things with my passing. I would like to imagine you made him smile.
When my dad was about 10 years old, just after ww2, he walked almost 20 miles through the Ozark hills to a war surplus store to buy a set of these boots. His little sister went with him but was too tired to make the walk back, so my dad carried her home wearing his surplus boots.
So the boots where durable?
We’re they comfy?
They had his size?
I used my dad’s Korean War boots (a cut off version of that boot) for a couple of Summers working for a landscaping contractor when I was in high school in the mid 80s. My dad used them for lawn mowing and yard work until he couldn’t any more. They were super comfortable and tough. I did not miss the lack of traction that I can remember in any way. I have his dog tags but I should have kept the boots too. Watching this brought back some great memories. I miss my father so much.
Shoes today are crap, for the most part.
As a child in the 50's and 60's. everyone got their shoes re-heeled several times, and re-soled at least once.
They were better quality, and deserved that.
Now, shoes are cheap crap, with horrible leather.
Check out Palladium boots. They're expensive, but they're really durable and reliable
Late 90s I actually had a pair of shoes a sort of cross between a sneaks and a dress shoes re-souled at a shoe/leather maker/repair shop that was once around. Cost more than shoes but was completely worth it those shoes where so comfortable I could stand/walk in them all day no problem.
They where also great for kicking people in the shine lol. God I miss those shoes I out grew them but since they were in great shape the replacement souls where still good, and so was the lether (I kept them dry,clean, and mink oiled) so I donated them to charity
@@theglobalistchannel1471 I haven't had much luck with their canvas boots, but I can totally vouch for the soles. Of course - palladium was a French tire manufacturer so you can't be surprised the sole is the best part.
@@jimvargaco.6344 Try the pampa series. They're very good. Also the leather ones. Yeah the soles are great, they partner up with Michelin and made a special series but they ran out.
Even in the 90s and 00s, the cheap shoes I bought lasted me at least 5-6 years, if not 10. A shoe I buy today will wear out in less than a year.
So I was in the 82nd from 2014 to 2018 and we wore Corcoran jump boots purely as part of our dress uniforms. To my knowledge these boots have changed little since their initial production in 1941. While they're of an excellent quality and a true part of military history I could think of few hells worse than having to wear them in any kind of actual operation. I'm sure they have some benefits over modern boots but none that would make anyone consider them over their replacements. Modern boots are lighter, more flexible, and are far more resistant to the elements. Purely anecdotal so take it for what it's worth. Great video and a excellent preservation of history!
yea brother, i have some corcoran "clown shoes" ( that raised toe cap just makes me think of military ronald mcdonald) slippery fuckers...
I had a modern production pair of black leather corcoran jump boots, and I loved them, I wore them every day for iver 2 years, after all that walking in them tge soles started wearing out so I took them to a cobbler for repair, to my disappointment the modern ones have a vinyl midsole that when it cracks cannot be replaced, unfortunately my midsole had cracked.
Contemporary Corcoran boots aren't that great, from what I've heard. Repro's/copies of them actually do a better job than the original company. Yet another case of cutting corners and coasting on the reputation of your company's name alone.
Have you worn them? If not, how would you know?
"This boot is better then 99% of the boots out there- it's really well built" --- well, it was...
@@hahmann Steve1989
One of my most worn, and all time favorite shoes is a pair of US navy service shoes from 1972 that I bought for $100, the quality and comfort is a constant reminder how far we’ve strayed from quality and workmanship, in the name of cost.
THANKS, SEE ALL MY comments..from OPERA… ANYWAYS, my Service Shoes were great for two years (interestingly My HIGH PARATROOP black BOOTS , were super HIGH Quality & comfortable , also** ( comes to mind RETAIL/ people valued them at **way over $200 from a Boot maker/ Cobbler in 1966)……!!Axtually, this is oddly interesting history…, and Decent Footwear in THE ARMY IS PARAMOUNT.
Wow they REALLY REALLY don't make em like they used to. Nicks and Clomps are maybe the only two comparable brands you've reviewed.
If you make boots that will last this long now,you won't make a lot of profit
@@Ibrahim-vx5kq It is not true! Your sentence is just an excuse to make and sell rubbish products. Many producers use that fake statement to justify their mediocre or bad products. If one make high quality product, one sell it for high price. There is a profit. It is up to the seller how high he price his product. Most people chose to buy cheap and bad products and producers adjust to it. As simply as that.
@@betulaobscura very true
@@betulaobscura personally I’d rather invest my money in something well built and keep buying that product from that particular company for my children and so on. Honesty and good quality products go a long way
Like my Nick's better than my whites but whites are comparable.
I would absolutely love a modernized version of that. Those things look amazing.
same. if anyone knows of a similar boot(preferably without the cuff thing) let me know.
@@human__________ the rough out service boot, basically the same thing without the cuff. But if you want one with the cuff, French army surplus used similar boots in a black smooth leather
I'd take a cheap replica, the cuff is the best part!
Modernized? Have your feet evolved in the last two generations?
@@MattAlexanderMe Tech has changed. Newer, more durable materials. Better support, better fit. Also, my feet aren't military standard... so yeah, XD
fun fact: a couple companies do very nice reproductions of this boot for around 300 bucks. you should do more historic boots!
What companies?
What are one or two of those quality companies? It's easy to find shitty repros, but I'd love a quality repro.
@@Funhaus_Ryan SMWholesale is doing a very nice run of these right now
Know of anyone making modern versions? I think they'd make solid mountain boots.
@J. W. SM Wholesale has them produced to the exact specs in one of the original war time factories.
I really love this video. And for everyone that’s saying “these boots should be in a museum”, they have a lot of those already. The video is not just about cutting the boots in half. It can tell us something more about the time it was made in and how boots were made back in the day.
Yeah but do you have to cut it to pieces to figure that out?
So that means since we have plenty of other pieces of history we can dump those too right?
@@Front-Toward-Enemy yes, quite obviously to see inside the boot you must destroy it
@@carsonj.sullivan5755 Point is they made millions of these. So cutting one pair in half to learn something does not mean there are not many more left for museums and collectors. Clearly nobody is saying let's destroy all historical artifacts you potato.
@@Front-Toward-Enemy the alternative would have been to dismantle it piece by piece into something completely unrecognizable as a boot.
You used a picture of my grandfather. That was pretty cool to see.
where?
im curious
@Shrimp Lord in history class with a black family then discovered that that family name was linked to slave owning
So history class taught me by degree that im decended from slave keepers
@@VincentGonzalezVeg I dated a girl who’s family had old money and were from the south. Our trip to a history museum was interesting
(although she was very much modern so it wasn’t horrific or anything)
@@VincentGonzalezVeg you can't control your ancestry nor are you responsible for it. You can only control your present and your future!
@Hunt or Die also I may be African decended
There's stories of an ancestor who was wealthy in melanin 🟤 & I have some silly lips
I've always been told that on that side of the family were Navajo, and we're Mexican, where I get this catholic last name (there's a crest)
On mom's side was the slave keepers
Basically everything pale in europe
I'm a slight tan with pale overtones & I have a golden skin tone
So I'm ethnically ambiguous to a point
All this stuff is really cool
BTW there was a war in California for acorn orchards, I tried some white oak acorns after soaking & it makes sense; they're sweet, oaky, savory, buttery & delicious
I learn the edible plants like a guide
Most 'weeds' may be aggressive vegtables
Also manzanita is a fruit that tastes like fruit punch & I highly recommend
Bought a pair of these off ebay, they run about 1/2 size big. Local leather worker is currently cleaning them and he was super impressed about how well they were made. Cant wait to get them back.
Not gonna lie: The very idea of having that boot sliced in half makes me ill.
I had to look away…
@@darbyheavey406 seriously though...
When I saw a section labeled "Cutting in half" I couldn't believe it, but then when he mentioned he was, in fact, going to cut it in half, I cried a little bit inside.
@Duke Hugh Johnson it’s a boot, not rare, just old. there lots of them out there.
@Duke Hugh Johnson but now we learned, history should be extracted. But luckily these boots are everywhere.
Ugh, that hurt my soul seeing those beautiful historic boots cut in half.
Yeah like he couldn’t have looked up how they were made . In order to get the the contract for that type of boot I’m pretty sure they had to send in a schematic so they could pick the quality and see what kind of boots they were giving the soldiers .
Those drawings etc have to be around somewhere . But nooo had to cut up a godddamn good pair of boots for it
@@panchopistola8298 they manufactured 28 million of these boots, and only 8 million were issued to soldiers. It's not exactly a rare item haha.
@@michaelmcintyre158 it’s a rare size to find though. Usually found in sizes 6 to 7,5. Large sizes are sought after
@@panchopistola8298 seeing a blueprint and seeing the finished product are two very different things.
He could cut up a boot from today's soldiers and I bet no one would care. But today's same boot in 50+ years would be looked at how you look at this one. I get it, it's a piece of history but now he has them to show or possibly donate to a museum.
Disgusting if you ask me. More honor should be paid to pieces of history...particularly an American soldier's boot.
Will you be cutting modern day military boots in half too? :)
It would be interesting to see the evolutionary process.
Insane how well the leather has held up over so many years in these!
Should be the USMC Danner RAT boot.
Construction for new General issue boots is nothing like this now. 2-3MM rough out leather exterior. Fiberboard foot bed, toe and heel stiffener. Fiberglass shank. Canvas boot liner. Polyurethane foot bed cushion. Vibram outsole.
Do the Garmont T8 or Garmont T8 NFS. Two most popular boots in the Army without question.
@@DocDigg those are great boots imho. I wore my old desert combat boots I wore in the Army doing construction work when I was younger and I would wear them out in months , even the new ones I bought from Danner, I bought the USMC hot weather rat boots when Danner had them on sale and they lasted almost two years
@N Webb We've had very different experiences.
Entered the Marine Corps in 1961. We were issued boots In inside out turned leather. They were the best boots I've ever had.
Great video..!
H.H. Brown (under their "Corcoran" brand) still makes those boots in small batches for movies and reenactment. Materials vary a bit by price, with lower cost versions using a thick leatherboard midsole and leatherboard for the counter and toe box, and pricier versions having period-correct Goodyear soles, and sometimes even WWII surplus parts. "At the Front" seems to generally sell then highest-quality, most period-correct boots, but they are all still made by H.H. Brown.
Oh God, if that's true then I gotta get my hands on a black version of these boots.
SM Wholesale...
Whats the name of the boots that H.H sell
What Price Glory has some pretty good ones aswell
Thanks, interestingly… see all my Remarks, BLACK HIGH PARATROOP , etc, in three places..Actually, May be interesting looking in the COMBAT, SPECIAL OP BOOTS:: I imagine ..oddly,I always wondered about OLD GUARD, DRUM & FIFE,( And bunch of other units: their marchers, Boots issues??j…….
You may be interested to know, that direct "descendand" of this boot was used in Poland up untill late 90's. Its not the first example of Polish army's fascination of US Army equipment, but one of the nicest. Have look at these boots, keyword "opinacze"
Weren't they made shitty tho? Everyone, i asked about them, was telling me, how incomfortaboe they were. Also it amazed me, how this youtuber called those boots amazing, like i don't imagine wearing them over modern stuff.
@@tornad8063 They were made almost exactly the same as ones shown on this video. Technology wasnt there yet, but I wouldn't call them shitty. They can be very comfortable, but as with any other old school leather boots they are nightmare to walk for a first few weeks. After that they feel as if they were custom tailored. I still like to wear a pair of these, definitely feels more agile than modern multi-layered, shock absorbing, waterproof combat boots.
@@PolesAreEverywhere personally i did not walked in "opinacze" only in "desanty" and they were terrible. Chamging original plastic insert for somethibg else helped a lot, but still buying more moders stuff (grom protektor in my case) was like going into heaven.
@@tornad8063 "Desanty" is really a different breed, although soles are quite similiar. That crude plastic insert was meant for winter, and it is not meant to wear without thick woolen sock and its not really good anyway. I've found many people fond of these boots as well, but generally they are worse than "opinacze". Anyway, I think if you dont like the feel of "desanty" you wont like "opinacze" as well - the feeling is somewhat similiar. "Grom" is not as good representation of modern military boot. Its somewhat flimsy, and doesn't offer particularly good ankle support nor does it protect against water. "Jany" are quite an improvement from "desanty" - if you like "Grom" you should like "Jany"
@@PolesAreEverywhere i can agree on lack of ankle support in "grom" but it wasn't a big problem for me tbh. I have "plus" version so waterproofing was really nice. They never failed me even in really wet terrain. "Desanty" were failing, whenever water was higher than ankle level (tounge was sew in only partially) I would like "grom"s to be a bit more solid (they slowly start brealing at cinnections between leather and fabric, after abot 2 years of using them once a week on average)
I didn't knew, that this insert was meant for winter tbh. Most of my group were putting on double socks or additional cotton just staffed under heel.
Good to know, that these new MON's shoes are good, tho i need black shoes due to my paramilitary organization regulations. When i grow out "grom"s, I own rn, i will search for something solid. Depemding on my budget i will either take something from demar(patriotic points lol), haix, lowa or I'll once again go with "protektor" product. If you recommend anything, ill take that into account toi
"Lets cut this beautiful 80 year old world war II combat boots."
Me: Died of dismay.
Me too
Same man
well they weren't that expensive, so there probably still are a lot around. and at least he didn't get boots in especially good condition.
@Duke Hugh Johnson but it's something he said in the end that made it better. He could only justify it by putting out something informative, we were able to watch the video and learn so much about the quality of craftsmanship, and see so much, that you or I would probably never be able to see, and instead of 10k or 100k people needing to cut a boot in half, one person did, and we all learn. (It was also very rough condition so would have been nice to own if you're a collector but not museum grade yet)
@@Ass_of_Amalek there very very very expensive a pair of originals are 500 up
Lugged rubber soles were only introduced a couple of years before the outbreak of war, in Italy, and they were initially for mountaineering. It would seem weird to build a combat boot without them nowadays, but they were still very new technology when these boots were made.
I learned a ton, it was heartbreaking to see a pair cut in half though.
I used to be horrified watching his videos but I'm desensitized now. The fact that the boot he cut in half was already busted at the area right above the heel made me not feel as bad though, though you could've gotten that fixed I would think.
@@danshakuimo yeah these boots cost 20 bucks on eBay 🤣
Like digging up ancient graves for science
@@MobileAura 1:29 shows the cost at $178. WWII Surplus like this isn't cheap, especially stuff that's still wearable.
@@danshakuimo we also learned a lot, and it will forever be preserved in this video
Please do a video on current combat boots: Rocky, Danner, Bates, etc. especially the jungle boots by Rocky with the steel plate soles.
Those aren‘t issued boots doe
@@saudakar9004 they are still used and purchased by us military folks
I been saying that for months
@@SilverKnightPCs There are a trillion companies making some sort of military boot, it matters more what the military actually issues you
@@saudakar9004 no there are only about 5-7 companies who make boots APPROVED for service men to wear. And most companies models are derivatives of one model. So it would be nice to see the inside of the most popular models
This guy didn't destroy a piece of history, he expanded our knowledge of history by teaching us about it.
he didnt expand anything, we already know how these boots are constructed as we still have the patterns for how they are made
@@MrSpamdagger Sure, but most people won't be searching for those patterns, this guy made a video for the public to see and understand and I think that's great.
You mean "he didn't just"* because he 100% destroyed a piece of history.
Cut aways are important
@Knott Bobby I have an unissued, unfired, german WWII rifle that i dont shoot. It loses 85% of its value if I do.
There's good reasons not to shoot collectors arms.
My grandfather served in Korean war and he has some amazing stories about his journey and we are still blessed to have him with us today to tell us . Thank you for the great video.
I mean the shape of the boot up to the 8th hole is probably one of most beautiful shape for a boot i have ever seen. The inside and the outside has patina’d beautifully.
not a big fan of that toe tbh, i prefer the look of a munson lasted boot
As a history major, this was awesome! I've always wanted to see what/how one of these combat boots were really made. Thank you for this video.
"Hey, here's something that belongs in a museum... Let's cut it in half."
Right? I was thinking the same
Finally like minded people hope is kind of restored
There were around 28 million of these produced for the war, and probably kept being produced afterwards. They're old, but not exactly rare.
@@jakezanders6598 just because its not rare today doesnt mean it wont be tomorrow. History is history and abundance doesnt give people the right to destroy it.
I feel like looking at it cut in half in a museum display is actually interesting
seriously, you are my most favorite channel. the information is provide is so useful, and watching you cut these boots is SO SATISFYING, please don't stop.
Dear Allen Edmonds CEO, make these exact boots today. I bet they would sell extremely well and you’re logo and stars and stripes brand identification are perfectly aligned.
What is the closest boot to this on the market today?
@@frankrizzo7185 The reproductions of this boot. These ones are probably some of the best ones: www.atthefront.com/WWII-Double-Buckle-Boots-made-in-USA-p/usfcsb.htm They're made in the USA too.
@@IrishThunder2020 they’re out of stock. Would truman, grant stone, or parkhust have anything close do you think? The thick leather midsole is key!
@@frankrizzo7185 I'm not sure. I'm not really familiar with those brands.
@@frankrizzo7185 sm wholesale
I actually wore a pair of those to high school for a while. My dad served in the occupation of Italy and his boots were still around. They were very cool to wear IMO in the late 70's punk era but I had to stop wearing them when my feet got bigger than his even though he was taller.. I had his battle jacket too. The only remaining artifact of his service is his stenciled duffel.
I enjoyed seeing the details in this boot. The only way to see how they were made is by prying back the curtain and seeing what materials were used and how they were applied. It would be interesting to compare this boot to a German or Japanese military boot from the same era.
I would argue that there is a lot more context on this video than you would get from a static museum display.
Also, if you are into WWII history you have to go to the museum in New Orleans. It is by far the best museum I have ever visited.
My DD sold WWII surplus boots in the late 40’s and said that he sold them for $3 to$4 a pair!!
I grew up in a small MO town that had a Browns Shoe Company factory spot too. My grandma apparently worked there for years before it shut down
WW2 boots might have been "quality" from a civilian perspective, but they were awful as combat boots. Countless injuries were caused by USA WW2 boots. They leaked water like sieves. Mens' feet got wet, cold, dirty, painful, fungus, frostbite, trench foot, you name it. Those boots practically knocked the US Army out of commission at the Battle of the Bulge.
I remember watching the tv series combat one episode a replacement came having been issued new experimental boots. Several soldiers were trying to buy them and the sergeant kept upping his offer to nearly a couple months pay. Made me wonder if that didn't have some type of basis in reality as to how bad standard issue boots were in combat.
So their flaw was that they weren't water proof enough, which isn't that hard to believe looking at it. They were definitely extremely well made regardless though
When I was in the reserves back in the early 2000's we were told not to get gortex boots. Getting your feet wet is unavoidable and as a soldier it's just something you do. The problem with gortex lined boots is if water gets in it stays in until your tip it out. So either way your getting emersion foot (formerly trench foot).
I see your point, but frankly i believe you are being a little unfair to these boots. Even today, almost no boot exist that would be capable to stay dry and warm for long in continuous rain and late autumn central European climate. Think of what farmers wear in those conditions, even today anything short of full rubber boots will fail in short order, Goretex, E-vent and all.
Foot problems were a common complaint in every front from every army, only proper foot care can relieve these problems, any kind of boot technology by itself isn't enough.
Wet and cool conditions are probably the absolute worst for footwear, too cold to ever dry, too hot to have dry ice or snow, just awful.
Technology has come a long way. They were well constructed with quality materials of the time. There’s a lot we’ve learned about footwear in the past 50 years.
I have a reproduction pair from At the Front, they’re the best boots I’ve ever worn. Oh so comfy and are my favorite hiking choice
Great video, Weston! As two guys who LOVE history, and WWII history in particular, this was great! 👍
Hey! Fancy seeing you here
Ditto guys! 👍🏽👍🏽
Ghey
@@rustyshackleford7265 ke?
most times loving history doesnt involve destroying it. just sayin.
For all the sensitive commenters acting like Weston is destroying a rare artifact that Indiana Jones risked his life for, he's not. These can often be found on eBay.
They can also be made brand new. They were popular for kids in the mid 50s, and I'm sure they weren't surplus. God, I loved mine, even though they actually did suck... it was the psychological effect. But they were leaky, cold, heavy, and not well cushioned.
Good, you can buy me a pair, bignuts.
@@shaggybreeksthe ones people wore in the 50s were 100% military surplus.
For anyone out there that needs to hear this: a little rubbing alcohol on a paper towel or a piece of cotton then a quick rubdown of your insole will completely clear out odor almost instantly. No more powders or sprays, lol. Great video! Beautiful boots. They don’t make them like that anymore.
I just stick dryer sheets inside my boots when Im not wearing them lol
The alcohol will work as far as it gets rubbed on the bacteria causing the odors etc.
But it's not always foolproof.
But for example, I wear a bullet proof vest for a living & I've used copious amounts of rubbing alcohol to attempt killing the odor on my vest to no avail.
The vest itself can be washed & just about dipped in alcohol & the smell doesn't go away so sometimes it's not so easy to accomplish but it's a definite to try.
I remember having a pair of this style combat boots as a kid. This was right after Korea . Another item that was in style for kids back then was fatigue pants in O.D. I remember thinking that the side pockets were pretty cool, just like the real soldiers wore.
The fact that the WW2 boots still look that good says a lot to their build quality. If those had new soles id rock those every day.
Updating one of these boots with a modern sole would be an interesting project. Kind of along the lines of what he did for the Doc Martens a year or so ago.
It's goodyear welted. The uppers were in good shape, hell the welt looked ok. It would have been an easy restore.
@Oliver Pong Maybe but I've got McHales and florsheim from the 60's and 70's that have been recrafted several times that still look fantastic. Good leather footwear, with minimal care (trees and occasional conditioning) will last a lifetime.
When I was 16 years old I drove to work with my motorcycle in the winter. Of cause my Chinese made motorcycle boots fell apart after a couple of weeks. I was broke - so my dad told me to look in the old stuff of my grandpa, he saw some heavy leather boots in there.
Long story short - Without knowing I wore Wehrmacht Boots for the next 2 winters until I was allowed to drive with the car.
That escalated quickly.
Didn't you wonder why France was trying to surrender to you?
i always used to wear ex german army surplus "jack boot's" on my m/cycle in the 1960's, they were cheap and really good quality,
@@CarrotConsumer And why did people keep giving me nasty looks when I rode my motorbike around Poland? 😎
It's sad to see all the comments about how "destroyed" people are over you cutting these boots in half. I get it - a piece of history (in a lot of your minds) has been destroyed. What else would you do with these? Wear them? Put them in a museum (which has undoubtedly been done) ? Keep them in your closet and stare at them on occasion? In my mind, the information your audience has gained is more valuable than one 80-year old pair of boots. I'd even argue that having one cut open boot displayed next to a fully intact one is far more interesting than a complete pair. Just my 2 cents on the matter. Anyway, thanks for the video.
- One person who learned something
there is no reason to tell a story while destroying its essence
The information was already there though, he added nothing whilst taking away a historical item.
@@Anthony-dh2ig Where is the information already there?? And where is it this easy to access for a large audience on UA-cam?
You don’t get it its kinda disrespectful every old thing has a interesting history
‘Disrespectful’ - ‘destroying its essence’….? Being a person that has worn issued Army boots I find these comments odd as well…. If you understood how many boots are issued, and worn out, and replaced (thrown out). No Soldier keeps all their old boots from my experience, but all like a GP boot that does its job and is hopefully fitted and comfortable. Totally respect the intrinsic knowledge that comes from parting it, and comparing to modern materials and techniques. Plenty of boots in foot lockers / basements, and museums already. Love your work, really interesting- and never thought I’d be so into a channel - but I am!!!
"Greatest generation" they really earned that title
Absolutely
Edit: Another amazing piece of design from this era are radios. Even the cheap cabinets from the 30s and 40s are works of art
@@bonerbot7138 The quality raw material mostly part that make them last longer. I still have my dad shoes that he gave me since 1991. The 30 years old shoes still look far better than any new shoes I have today.
@@dulistanheman and using raw materials that are more durable. I've got a 60s pickup and everything in that truck is made of metal. The dash is in immaculate shape, the door panels look like new, the roof is flawless, etc. None of it is fancy though. I get in a 90s car and the whole interior is plastic that's cracked, faded, chipped, and fallen apart. Those cars aren't going to last as long as my 60s truck has
The bumper is also made of decently thick steel, and I had a brand new car crash into me in a parking lot. I have a dent that's 1/8th inch deep, it totaled the front end of their car. Hood, fender, bumper, radiator, headlight, etc all destroyed. Worst part is that bumper costs substantially more than mine and is less durable. There's real merit to they don't make them like they used to
@@imthedarknight-8755 Very true 👍🏼
You spell many good point there.
For car, I still keep my 2013 Honda Accord until it dies 😅.
It already reach 285K miles.
The newer car is even more complicated with computer chip that is harder and more expensive to fix DIY. That's a big No No for me.
Yes, the future is getting weird - said Elon Musk.
About the threading on the sole, I used to do larp and going through canadian forests, mountains and swamps with little threading under laceless leather shoes. It isn't as bad as you might expect it is, as long as it isn't completely flat. You have to adjust and get used to it though, it might be a bit more slippery in some conditions for sure, but you can use it to your advantage by using it to go down some slope that would be somewhat more difficult with more grip on the ground as you end up with an awkward angle forcing your foot toward the tip of the boot. Truth be told I personally got wounded more with short boots with big knobing on the sole than with casual shoes. A caveat though, I have a lot more experience than most people doing that kind of stuff in general having grown near woods and going in rough nature for years. I wouldn't advise doing the same as me for a perfect beginer in those environments as they will not always recognise the dangerous ground in front of them they will need additional support to their ankle.
This is such a good idea and I was always curious weather the quality of boots were better on the olden days
It'd be pretty cool to have a combat-boots-throughout-history series
@@corwin32 I agree, or at the very least a modern pair of authorized boots to compare
Spurs GO!
Oh I knew it was better before I watched, just got out of the Army myself and let me assure you that most of our boots were pos. 👌🏻🇺🇸
@@johnphillips4708 I believe you but there's some really good stuff that's authorized if you're willing to spend the money. Especially for the Army since you guys simply have a checkbox of requirements instead of an authorization process like the Navy generally does.
Would be interesting to see what boots the other counties wore too.
Yes it would
What is known though, is that US army boots of WWII weren’t suited to northern European winters.
The British Army has spent 150 years equipping its soldiers with the cheapest boots it could. During the Falklands War they went to fight in sub Arctic conditions wearing boots made from the cheapest leather and cardboard. So poor, in fact, there were instances of Argentian soldiers being forced to give up their boots to their captors.
Thank you for explaining why it was easier to produce high quality shoes in the past. The history of textile production is fascinating.
It broke my heart to see that boot cut in half. And in my size too! It gave all for education...
Love your work!
The standard US Army issue leather "combat boot" was certainly very well made. However it was not waterproof and was the cause of many cases of "trench foot" or frost bite from the cold , ice, snow and damp @the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944-1945. This became a serious problem until the Army issued the men rubberized overshoes "Artics" which the GIs wore over their boots. The Germans were in even worse shape and there were stories of them stealing the boots and cold weather clothing off the bodies of dead GIs. BTW my dad fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He once told me he had no desire to ever return to the place where he was almost killed.
There's a case to be made for different designs working for different conditions.
Being Norwegian, I've got a pair of M/77s that costed me somewhere around 1200 nok, which lands somewhere in the 120 dollar range.
They're designed to be worn with hiking socks and have a slightly raised instep to accomodate the more typical Norwegian foot shape, along with being made of big patches of extra isolating leather, along with having a rough sole pattern that makes it easy to find traction on stones and in the mud and snow.
Meanwhile, my Corcoran jump boots are very much not designed for running in the snow and despite being a bit too long from toe to heel are also just barely wide enough for my feet, and putting on hiking socks with them makes tying the laces crush my instep. They seem to be pretty well ventilated so if I managed to walk them in properly I could use them for summer weather though.
@@odinlindeberg4624 During WWII the US ARMY designated the 10th Mountain Division(infantry) to be its premier cold weather outfit
designed to operate in extreme mountainous weather conditions in places like Norway. They experimented and developed a lot of cold weather gear at first not available to "ordinary" GIs. They were often referred to as" Our Soldiers on Skis" by the news media of the day.
I do not think they had much opportunity to fight the enemy on skis since the Division was sent to fight the Germans in Italy.
During the Battle of the Bulge the overshoes our troops were eventually issued were a godsend. Lessons learned, the soldiers of today
have the benefit of clothing and equipment unheard of by their fathers and grandfathers "back in the day".
@@Frank-mm2yp
Unless you’re a Marine
@@peterpiper_203 True! SEMPER FI
Soldiers stealing boots off their dead enemies also happened in WWI, Russian troops had such a bad standard issue boot that they would try to get German boots whenever possible.
Oh, man, some people are going to be REAL mad about these getting cut in half.
Unrelated, but have you thought about cutting any Eccos in half? I'm curious what their sneakers are like inside.
Would like to see more European brands too. Because, pretty much all the boots that reviewed, are made in America and can be bought in America
Honestly it makes me pretty upset. If the seller knew he was going to be cutting them in half they probably wouldnt have even sold them to him.
Their still just boots. And I think cutting them in half also serves a usefull historical purpose.
@@laurensa.1803 You could say that about anything though. They may be just boots to you, but to the solider who had to run through fields full of gunfire, they were probably his pride and joy. Those would still be very nice boots for back then.
@@jaalan7896 Think how John Dillinger feels. Lol.
You're one of the few people on the internet who I'm not angry at doing this. You've put in your time where it's legitimate. Any possibilty of Anvil Rose version of these with a Vibrant or similar sole?
The standard issue jungle boot in 'Nam couldn't be beat -- they dried out fast, loved those things, they treated my feel very well. Went thru about one pair monthly.
Q: “What’s inside WWII Boots?”
A: Back in the day, Many ‘a Tough Mens Feet.
Surprise patriotism
As others have said, this is absolutely the best video you've made yet!... And you've made some great videos! Thank you for this gift!
I do adore the look of these boots and wish I knew of a modern maker who cloned them with actual workboot level quality
The comment below yours says he got a reproduction pair from At the Front and it sounds like he loves'em. Happy hunting
When I was a kid, those were really popular (mid 50s) among kids. They were called "paratrooper boots". I was so stoked when I got a pair, even though it took about an hour to get them on and all laced up and buckled. Did a lot of stomping in those boots, really gave the a workout, but dang, I would never own a pair today. They took FOREVER to get on and off. But you sure did feel protected.
I had paratrooper boots. But they were a later smooth black design. I wasn't a kid in the 50s. I was a kid in the 70s and 80s though. So I had Corcoran jump boots.
During WW2 when my dad was going from island to island, he developed a case of foot-rot he lived with till 2010. He was probably wearing boots like the ones you’ve evaluated.
If your dad was USMC, it was likely the boondockers and leggings.
If he was army, it was likely these or boondockers depending on what year he shipped out to the theater
They also fought with very little clothing, and viewed death as an honor. I'd say that's a little different.
Also, try crawling through a WWII trench filled with gravel, barbed wire, dead bodies, and knives everywhere in sandals... Probably wouldn't go down well
To all the complainers, cry me a river. There are thousands of boots in waaaaay better condition in museums and private collections.
These have obviously been donated to or bought by him in order for us all to see and learn of the craftsmanship that went into the war effort and historical boots of which we can compare our modern equipment to. Without him doing this, it would be impossible for us to truly appreciate what these boots are, the people that wore them, and the people who made them.
On top of that, when he’s cutting them in half you can see that there’s a big hole in the back of the boot anyway before he starts cutting, so I don’t think these would have been wearable anyway without fairly substantial repairs anyway, which I believe would defeat the purpose
Indeed! It's not like this is a rare one of a kind pair but yeah I get it because putting the spotlight on a pair in a good setting makes it museum-worthy looking.
Honestly yeah. And as a historical shoe maker myself, it’s really precious knowledge to be able to see all the inner secrets of a shoe. Cuz there’s plenty of pics of the outside from all angles, but nothing about that canvas panel, or the tongue, or the spike eyelets, or the cork filler. All of that is invisible, so this is great information
I have a pair that went up the beaches on D-Day. They were a guy's spare pair. Never worn. So they were in his backpack. When I got them they were brand new. But I wore them for a bit in a machine shop. So they have some metal chips in them now.
Not gonna lie, my historical preservation side died a little inside. But my morbid curiosity grew.
Yep …. I felt the same way!
Cut open vintage redwings vs today's redwings so we can have back then vs now apples to apples comparison! Thanks , I didn't know I was into shoe quality until it start watching your videos. I work industrial construction and always ended up buying redwing after dissatisfied with any other brand I had tried.
wow, I remember we had a pair of boots like that in our boot pile when I was a kid. I had no idea it was from WWII era. I always thought they were cool but were way to big for me.
Totally agree, this vid is definitely my favorite so far.
Another thing with the dubbin, it supposedly also helped seal against chemicals used in warfare like in WWI. You should try a pair of old and new Corcoran Jump boots. They made them in WWII and still make them today and I wonder if anything has changed in the last 75 years.
This right here is the best comparison he could do
yeah, I second this suggestion. I wear a pair today just for casual or hiking. They can be slippery but they are quite durable still.
My dad has a pair of old corcorans made in the 70’s. He wore them in the legion color guard. Those things probably weigh 8 pounds each.
I have a pair of new ones, and i have examined older ones. The new ones don't even compare in quality the sole fell apart after a year of wearing them they don't make them with a leather sole+rubber halfsole anymore, they make them with a thin rubber sole+rubber outsole. The uppers are reasonable quality in terms of durability, but they have an unappealing (to me) fake mirror shine layer applied to the leather, sort of like a doc marten. Don't buy them, unless you can get them at a discount and like the style. They are quite comfortable boots though
I'd love to see that video!
I screamed when you cut it in half. I knew that it would be well-made. They don't make them like they used to.
These boots just demonstrate the problem with global production. Like you say every city used to have plenty of cobblers and tanneries meaning high quality at relatively low cost was achievable. Now that’s impossible, hence why a boot like Nick’s cost so much when back in the 40’s that kind of quality construction was standard. They built the boots to last and when they failed you’d go to one of the many local cobblers to fix them. Now for the majority you get cheap shitty boots and shoes made halfway round the world that will break pretty quick but are of such construction and quality that you can’t really repair them and why would you when it’s cheaper to by a new pair!
Tanneries use toxic products that can contaminate water. Why they had smog then
As someone who loves quality, I agree that it is sad. However, I don't think it is primarily a supply-side issue - people don't want it.
@@thomashardison1140 It's not that they don't want it; it's that they don't want it _enough_ to pay the cost necessary to get it. If you found a way to make a boot of this quality today at a price that was competitive with much cheaper footwear, people would be all over it.
@sbcontt YT Yes, as a matter of fact I *do* need a boot that doubles as an art piece.Not only do those boots *look* better than anything I've seen on the market, but a pair of boots constructed in that manner would outlast any pair of boots I have ever owned. Doesn't matter that a modern pair are cheaper or faster to build if they get worn out in 1 year or less.
At the front sells almost exact reproductions of these and they go into detail about the minor differences, mostly manufacturers saying no or they can't do whatever it is. They are going for $299
I'm familiar with the site, and given his comparison to the Nick's boots, I'm suddenly doubtful that even the At the Front boots measure up.
i wish they were in my size, i'd buy them in a heartbeat
This video changes the insult, "Your mother wears army boots", to a compliment!
My mother did, just after the change to black boots. Dad's first uniform issue included the old olive brown Class A's with Ike jacket and brown boots. ;)
Who uses that as insult? If someone would say that to me I would her "Your Mother is gonna kick ass"
I wish there was a video of how these boots were made during the war time. It would just be awesome to experience it.
The old saying, "They don't make them like they used to" definitely seems to apply here.
"its a really cool piece of history" * proceeds to destroy it *
I hate this man.
Couldn't the same information be gleaned by unstitching it? Then they could be restored, or even repaired.
I was like Nooooooo!
800,000 people have spent time learning about WWII boots because of this video.
You really think that's a shame compared to a pair of boots like this just sitting in a closet somewhere?
I cried when you cut that boot in half. It is history itself. However, it is awesome to see the history of boots making and how they compare.
think of it this way, the historical value of the information this provided is more than that is the boot itself.
@@s_vb2220 Yes.
I wonder if this boot saw actual combat overseas or it stayed domestic.
The history of it's creation, construction and materials is valued knowledge. However, the life these boots protected is also valuable. Cutting them in half, almost, seems like a desecration.
Still I watched the video and gave it a like.
Could have CAT scanned it or better yet, MRI.
Rubber companies were also big in sneaker manufacturing - Converse started as a rubber company and BF Goodrich originally made the Jack Purcell sneaker.
I like how excited he was when he talked about cutting his OWN boots! So cool you got this far with this channel
In regards to the lack of lugs, that boot comes from the era where traction still meant hobnails.
Beautiful boots. They belong to a museum. Maybe one day, you’ll be able to open your own boots museum. That is one of my favorite video, congrats! 👍
This was the vid that introduced me to your channel. Which led to watching more videos on your channel. Then I learned about Nicks, and now I am ordering my second pair of Nicks. I did not know a high quality boot until I took delivery of my Builder Pros. Thanks for the vids. -Bourgeoning boot snob.
As a collector of wwii equipment, this was awesome
I always feel a bit of relief when I see the center cut score. Dont ever do away with that.
Id imagine its because I'm discretely pretty judgemental. "Wtf who cuts like that... oh well he scored himself pretty fairly"...
Bruh, i want to wear this thing right now. This is literally the "what man want to wear vs society want us to wear" meme
Absolutely! :)
I love to wear puttees (those leg wraps) as well.
You can buy reproductions of these that are good quality but expensive. You can wear them with pants and it looks like an expensive shoe
Bang on. Love a top quality set of tall leather boots. Society has feminised tall boots unfortunately so more men should reclaim them!
I had a pair of these boots in the early-1990's that were given to me by a WWII veteran who gave them to me in trade for some work I did for him. They only needed a few small repairs that a local cobbler made to them to get them back into use. Unfortunately, I outgrew after only three years since I was still growing as i was in my late-teens. IMO, they were the most comfortable boots that I've worn even by comparison to some of the military boots that I purchased on my own while serving in the USAF. Then again, it could have been just that they were nostalgic and so much different than anything available at the time. It's too bad these boots are no longer being made. Perhaps another company will make them provided they're made to the same quality of construction and materials used instead of some cheap quality product made in Asia.