Ankleboots "Bata"-marked - what are they?

[Gran Sasso]

Another fleamarket find, those unknown pair (at least for me) are not german, but to which country - and army - belongs them?

[Gran Sasso]

Sole-markings 1:

[Gran Sasso]

Sole-markings 2:

[Gran Sasso]

Markings outside the insteps:

[Gran Sasso]

Markings inside the soles:

[besslein]

if the marking mean Bata,the are czech,but in ww2 bata made boots for germans

[peter monahan]

Very intriguing! The 1-45 might be a European size (not sure there) but the 7/W on the sole looks like an English/American size. For what that's worth - not much, I know!

Bata WAS Czech but became a Canadian and a Canadian success story after the war! There is even a town in southern Ontario called Bataville, where his biggest factory was located and we have the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, run by Sonja, his widow.

Having said all that, Bata made shoes and boots worldwide. In fact the black 'sneakers" beloved of VC and NVA troops in the Vietnam conflict are often referred to as 'bata boots' in uniform descriptions (Osprey uses the term, I believe). I assume that means that they were commercially produced and trademarked, not made on order for the NVA, but have never checked.

So, I guess I'm saying that the manufacturer of these (post-WWII?) boots may not be much of a clue as to their country of issue. The heelplates and hobnails look pretty generic for Europe too, though if they're WWII period I'd think the heel plates might rule out the UK. Just a guess. Very nice boots though and look to be in good condition. Nice find. Hope you can pin them down.
Peter

[Grabenkater]

They look a lot like British Ammo boots.

[byterock]

Canadain made pebble boots me thinks. These I think are simple civy version.

Though there appears to be a broad arrow mark on it. and the cleats/hobnails are defiantly Brit/Canadian style.

Pebble refers to the style of leather

[blinky]

Post them in the British and Commonwealth forum. They look like typical UK pattern Ammo boots. The 7/W is the size and they do look like they are Broad Arrow marked. Could the 1-45 be the date they were made?
The guys on that forum should give you a lot more information than I can.

[NickG]

These are war dated (44) British military contract ammo boots made my a commonwealth country located BATA affiliate. (and yes BATA was world wide and also produced footwear for the Germans, including tropical laceless high booots for the Waffen SS, I believe in the Czech Republic)
Note that the Canadian ammo boots usually lack toe caps... so UK made? The "broad arrow" is a typical British military mark!

[Richie B]

Certainly look British. There was a Bata factory in Tilbury, Essex established pre WW2.

Bata certainly continued to make boots for the British forces in the 1970s - I had a pair myself.

[Grabenkater]

War dated British Ammo boots are more rare than German low boots in my experience.

[zzman]

Bata also made the current issue US Army "Mickey Mouse" boots.

Ben