Auction Find 4 - Low boots

[NTZ]

That was a great help, you answered my question. Wow, what a collection. If I ever have a footwear question I will make sure you’re the first I ask. Thanks.

Nick

[WWIIBuff]

Thanks Manny. Oh well, I thought I finally had it. I was using a pair sold on The Collectors Guild site as reference. The pair sold on that site was identical (I believe) to these and they were sold as German.

[derspiess63]

Thanks Manny. Oh well, I thought I finally had it. I was using a pair sold on The Collectors Guild site as reference. The pair sold on that site was identical (I believe) to these and they were sold as German.

John,
fyo brown Czech low boots are nearly always of WW2 vintage....... !
Manny

[derspiess63]

These are post war!

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...169342602&rd=1

[WWIIBuff]

Boots

Thanks Manny. Being a purist, I'm definately wanting German boots. Unfortunately everything I seem to be finding lately is Swiss. Did the Germans wear Swiss boots at all?

[djpool]

Another great education on german low shoes.

Manny- I reread all your threads again on german footwear. Just great Info. I hope you decide to publish a book one day. It would definately be an addition to my library.

I checked your link to the Postwar Czech boots and just so no one gets confused the Germans produced shoes very similar to them. I've posted a few comparison shots for info. At first glance the postwar shoes could be mistaken as wartime German. In each picture the Postwar Czech are on top. Mine are probably made for civilian or para military wear.They do share some features with the military issue shoes and probably saw some use by soldiers in the field.

Jim

[djpool]

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[djpool]

Last picture showing they were made by a German company.

[derspiess63]

Hi Jim,

the "Shark teeth" fitted to these boots(yours and eban alike!) are "period",and so are the Italian "Brocchette" ; I've found several pairs of shoes with them driven into their soles myself!I'm rather confident your shoes are para-military (most likely HJ/RAD) but they have been surely worn by fighting soldiers as well!
I've got several pictures of one of GD's leading Panther commanders,Maj. Helmut Langkeit,sitting on a blanket near his tank wearing a pair of low boots very similar to yours...nailing and stuff!
John,the German actually wore Swiss-made shoes, albeit to a very limited extent.These shoes were made by Bally's in the late 30s and were produced for a bunch of fellas led by someone Heinrich!High quality mountain and riding footwear were also privately bought and worn by NCOs,Officers and soldiers who could afford to buy them,and these were "tolerated" in that they were very similar to "GI" ones!
Of course,liberated footwear was widely used,especially in North Africa, where all-leather Italian and Commonwealth shoes were preferred to "crappy" canvas/leather German ones and rather sought-after to boot....now....what about a time warp,go to Africa with a container full to its rafters with all-leather Czech and Swiss shoes and swap them for those "crappy" suckers ?
Manny

[derspiess63]

I've checked Maj Willi (not Helmut !) Langkeit's pictures once again and by closer scrutiny I've noticed that he's wearing Italy's Regio Esercito Low Boots;note the rivet, the pattern of the nailing and the rear sewing!Maj Langkeit's boots seem to miss the reinforcement on the toes but I'm 343% confident's all there,even if it's somewhat hidden by the quality of the picture and not so evident like it is on my boots only for one reason;mine are stone-mint while Willi's have been used for a while!Further........this picture is testimony to the fact that Panzer Mannschaft wore hob-nailed boots like anybody else, even if Langkeit's right-arm man wears a pair of marching boots without nails!
HTH
Manny

[derspiess63]

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