Footwear RbNr research project

[doug strong]

Please help me with my research.

I'm currently trying to untangle RbNr. codes for German Footwear makers. If you own or have photos of a pair of german footwear marked with an RbNr please post a photo of the boot and any markings at all. For Marching boots, it is usually near the top edge of the shaft embossed either inside or outside. For ankle boots, it is similarly placed on the shorter shaft. For Felt winter boots it is typically printed in ink on the cloth pull tab which has to be lifted up to see. On pilot boots, it is usually on a cloth tag inside the top edge of the boots or under the zipper. Bonus point for boots with a date or the name of the maker!

These numbers appear in the following format X/XXXX/XXXX
The first digit represents the "industry" or trade. In the case of Footwear, this is always a 0/ because it is an "industry." The second two digits represent the region of production and the next two digits represent the exact city within those regions such as 0901/ which is Nayla, Northern Bavaria. The last four digits represent the actual manufacturer in that location so the 0/0901/0017 code would represent the Schuhfabrik firm of Seifert u. Klüber located in Nalla, Bavaria.

So far I have documented 85 pairs of footwear with RbNr markings. I would love to up that number significantly.

Sincerely,
Dr. Douglas W. Strong

[anmarlodz]

Here you have one for your list : Leo Schuchfabrik Bromberg = RB Nr 0/0714/0024 (double marked with name and RB Nr, so no mistake ).
Unfortunately no photos ( copied the name and RB Nr from eBay auction of ankle boots on german ebay, in which I was bidding ).

[Gene T]

So far I have documented 85 pairs of footwear with RbNr markings. I would love to up that number significantly.

Will you share your data with us? Have you seen this long-running thread?
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...D%26gt%3B+scan

I have two pairs of RBNr-marked boots that can be traced to specific makers. Neither number appears in Edouardo's massive list.

The unissued cavalry boots below are '44 dated, and marked 0/0750/0357, so they originated from Stuttgart. The shank area is stamped "Mercedes". Coincidence? Or perhaps the automaker's upholstery department was dragooned into making more than just car seats at that point during the war?




The never-worn '45 dated low boots below look a lot like the ones "zbv500" posted a month ago (https://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/for....php?t=1021744), but not identical (the quarter on mine is made in one piece, with no back stay). They obviously resemble castrated mountain boots. At that point during the war, my guess is that there was less demand for full-featured mountain boots but a huge need for field and work boots, hence this abridged version was pressed into service as an ersatz article, even though it was probably more expensive to make than the standard military boots. They are marked 0/0344/0005, and were found together with some ancient dead stock from Ilmia, based in Stadtilm, which is still in business. The number certainly matches the location. In fact, 0/0344/0006 was a glove maker based in Arnstadt not too far away, according to Edouardo's list. That business was a known collaborator of Ilmia's, but did not survive past the Wende.

[GAMS1]

Mercedes is a famous german Maker of shoes , nothing to do with Daimler Benz car maker !
Nick

[Gene T]

Mercedes is a famous german Maker of shoes , nothing to do with Daimler Benz car maker !
Nick

You are right! I had never thought of looking it up, but it would appear that the name was quite popular in that area. It also looks like this shoemaker was previously known as Haueisen & Cie AG. http://www.albert-gieseler.de/dampf_...adet3664.shtml