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Reproductions of the service boots issued to soldiers (and paratroopers) in 1944-45. Our boots are exclusive to ATF, and were designed directly from original examples. These are copies of the pre-July 1944 production models with olive drab canvas lining the cuffs and rivets on the vamps. (From July '44 on, the rivets were dropped and the white canvas was used.)
Correct pattern: 99% of reproduction Combat Service Boots suffer from "cankles" due to improperly patterned cuffs. To fit properly, the cuffs need to be slightly funnel shaped to compensate for the widening of the wearer's leg as the top of the boots reaches the base of one's calf. Ours are were patterned from original cuffs.
History: As soon as the War began, the shortcomings of the service shoes and leggings became readily apparent. The QMC immediately instituted a program to develop a universal boot to replace leggings as well as jump boots. First tested in small numbers in Italy in 1943, the Combat Service Boot was approved for mass production late that year and mass production began in January 1944. These were manufactured concurrently with the Type III Service Shoes ("roughouts"). By the Fall of 1944, these had begun to replace the older model boots, although they never totally supplanted them before the end of WWII. Airborne troops in particular resisted replacing their distinctive jump boots, and paratroopers wore a mix of both styles from September until the end of the War.
The boots were manufactured flesh side out, and were issued with dubbing which was used to treat and make them water repellent. Goodyear welt construction was used and there was no internal toe box. The cuffs were lined with white or olive drab canvas, and most soles were the rubber, with a few boots being made with leather soles and hobnails.
Sizes: 8-13, in half sizes, D or EE widths.
Fit: These run true to US military size.
Imported
Note! The factory marked wides as "2E" rather than "EE". Annoying, but they mean the same thing.
Treat these boots! To accurately portray WWII military personnel, roughout footwear needs to be greased, as this was the first task given to the men when they were issued new boots. They did not fight wearing buff colored boots. If left untreated, they will have very little water repellency, and the light color will easily show stains.
The US Army designed these boots with flesh-out uppers in order to improve their water repellency. This required "dubbing", which was a beeswax based leather treatment. It was issued with the boots and soldiers were required to apply it to their boots as part of their basic equipment maintenance.
The modern equivalents are Huberd's Shoe Grease or Sno-Seal. We have them on our accessories page, or you can find them on Amazon. Mink oil and original WWII "Dubbing" also work.
Yes, the color change is as dramatic as the photo. The dubbed boots were treated once, wetted, then worn for an afternoon until they dried to break them in. That's it.
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