Military Boots – A Primer

A look at early military boots, according to Wikipedia...

The first soldiers to have been issued boots were the foot soldiers of the Roman legions, who wore hobnail boots called caligae to war.

During the English Civil War each soldier of the New Model Army was issued three shoes or ankle boots. After every march the soldier would change them round to ensure they received even wear. Following the Restoration shoes and uniforms followed the civilian pattern: shoes with buckles were used by most armies from 1660 until around 1800. Hessian boots were used by cavalry from the 18th century until World War 1.

Late in the Napoleonic Wars the British army began to be issued lace-up boots that replaced the older buckle shoes. These "Blucher" boots remained in use throughout the 19th century and were used in conflicts that included the Crimean War, Zulu War and Boer War. By World War 1 they had been replaced with the Galosh pattern or "George" boots. These in turn were replaced by ammunition boots which were used from World War 2 until the 1950s.

Rifle units of the US military were equipped with calf-high boots in the War of 1812. From the 1820s until before the Civil War soldiers were issued ankle-high boots which were made on straight lasts. There was no "left" or "right" boot: instead they shaped themselves to the wearer's feet over time. These were replaced in 1858 with an improved version used until the 1880s, known as Jeff Davis boots after Jefferson Davis the secretary of war who re-equipped the army in the 1850s.