For years I've been searching for a boot maker who doesn't skimp on quality and delivers a historically accurate replica of the INSANELY hard to get, yet pretty commonly seen in WW1 low boot.
These boots were used by German forces from the late 19th century, through the First World War and beyond. Designed in 1893, many of these were made up until the front-lace designs also commonly seen from 1915 onward started replacing them. Constructed of a heavy duty leather, these were designed to be worn with gaiters or puttees, and can be seen being worn by German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, Finnish, and some Polish forces even after the War. These were originally issued in raw leather form, as I offer them, and were waterproofed and/or darkened by the soldier when issued. This allowed for increased manufacture numbers as the factories didn't have to use time doing that themselves.
These feature that same heavy duty rough-out cowhide construction on the foot, and smooth side out ankle leather. The hard leather soles, attached with heavy stitching and wooden pegs, and reinforced with hobnails and heel irons just like the originals.
These are what I personally use for my WW1 Imperial German impression, so rest assured these are historically accurate.
ORDERING. I do offer these in regular U.S. Sizes to keep it simple. If you wear a size 10 US, and don't have odd shaped or wide feet, these will be a great fit out of the box, and will break in nicely. If you want a more accurate fit, you can measure your foot from the back of the heel to the front of your toes, and the width at the widest part of your foot, usually behind the toes. Measurement in Centimeters is better for this.
Historically, the issued boots were not custom sized, and were issued in regular sizes to be broken in by the wearer, but if you want to make sure they fit, you can send an e-mail with those two measurements. If you are in between sizes, order a size up as you can always wear thicker wool socks or foot wraps like soldiers actually did.
These are made-to-order overseas, so please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery, although it could be sooner depending on how many pairs are on order at the time. These are WELL worth the wait. If you've been looking for a very nice pair of these that won't completely bankrupt you, you've come to the right place.
