Vintage Military Boots
Vintage WWII Jump Boots
What's one of the best ways to remember the soldiers who fought before? Picking up a pair of vintage combat boots will certainly do the trick.
Boots from another era pours on the nostalgia and forces you to remember those who served before every time you lace those puppies up. Even if you don't plan on actually wearing the boots, they can certainly make a great collector's item for any history buff or enthusiast.
But where can you buy older-than-dirt boots? eBay, of course!
Right now you can find more than 75 results when you search for "vintage military boots," though it definitely takes some sifting to find real gold.
Here is a pair of vintage WWII Jump brown boots that appear to be authentic, especially with a $600 price tag. According to the seller, these boots are excellent condition and were made in the USA. The boots, however, are strikingly similar to a pair of historic military Corcoran brown jump boots that retail for $159.99. This style of boot is said to have played a part in the Allies' success during WWII.
Vintage Vietnam NAM Jungle Boots
Jungle boots are another style up for grabs on eBay. Although they've been worn a few times, the vintage Vietnam NAM Jungle boots is spike protective and dated 6-66 on the top (which is a little spooky!). Jungle boots actually gained major momentum during the Vietnam era with troops climbing through heavy, damp brush doing their best to avoid booby traps and who knows what else. Here's another pair of vintage, Vietnam-era boots. However, to us, they look neither vintage nor like combat boots.
While buying vintage boots can be a fun hobby, we don't recommend entering any battles with old school boots. Boot technology has improved greatly during the past 40 years. Military boots now carry features such as side zippers and enhanced waterproofing. It's those little things that make life easier when you're on tour. If you own a pair of vintage boots already and just want to fix 'em up, look into getting them recrafted. They'll be shining like new in no time.
7 Ways to Make Your Boots Last Longer, Look Sexier
Combat boots are hot.
You love your boots, don't you? (Well, we certainly do since we run a blog entirely dedicated to them.) So, assuming your adoration runs as deep as ours, you should want to care for them like they were your first and only child … or something along those lines.
Here are seven tips for you, gleaned from the experts themselves -- the people who make them! (Note: Some of these tips apply to only full-grain leather, while others only to suede. Read closely for specification.)
1. Brush 'em. Just like your teeth and hair, your boots need a good bristle lashing to get their cleanest. For full-grain boots, some advise using a stiff brush to remove dust and dirt on a regular basis, while Danner and Belleville both suggest a softer brush. For suede boots, pick a metal bristle brush and lightly stroke the boot -- no heavy scrubbing! Doing so can be damaging to the leather and possibly to your boot-cleaning reputation.
2. Clean 'em. Instead of a brush, you can use a wet rag on full-grain leather boots. Danner offers its Cleaning Gel, which can remove even the tiniest particles of grime and helps with waterproofing. Apply the gel sparingly to wet leather. On the other hand, suede boots should be wiped down only on the inside with a wet, soapy cloth. If your boots have Cordura nylon fabric, that can be tidied up with warm water but NOT polish.
3. Polish 'em. Note: This only applies to certain types of full-grain leather. Utilize a polish containing silicone to keep the leather soft. Wellco suggests you use mink oil, and rub a small coat into the leather and seams with a cloth or dauber. To give them that super-glossy, rock-star look, make sure you buff 'em, too.
4. Waterproof 'em. Even if your boots are awesome enough already to have Gore-tex waterproofing, you still need to treat the leather. If you have a problem with that, consult Danner's Boot Care page, because that's what they say. Apparently water can get in between the leather and Gore-tex liner and create ugly water spots. And nobody wants that. The solution? They propose Danner Waterproofing Gel as a proper solution, which should be applied after boots are cleaned. Once you massage it onto the boot, allow some dry time and then wipe away any extra gel hanging around. However, they do warn: Do not use Danner Waterproofing Gel on nubuck, suede or rough-out leather boots. Instead, use our Danner Waterproofing Spray, which will help maintain the original texture of those products. Whatever you say!
5. Condition 'em. On this one, if you own nubuck, suede and rough-out leather boots, you're in the clear. What does that leave? Full-grain leather! If your boots are made out of full grain, condition them with a boot dressing product to prevent the leather from flaking, cracking or just from looking generally unattractive. Really work in the conditioner with all your might, and let it dry overnight. (And we promise that we didn't plan to have that rhyme. Because that would be awfully trite!)
6. Dry 'em (naturally!). Your best bet, unless you own a professional boot dryer (which, let's face it, you probably don't), is to let those puppies air dry. It will be really tempting to get out a hair dryer or head over to the nearest Wal-Mart bathroom and stick it under a hand dryer, but DON'T DO IT! All that blistering air could put your feet's best friend in critical danger. It's best that you let the sun or air at room temperature take care of it. Plus, that's less work for you, right?
7. Restore 'em. If you've been a neglectful boot parent, it's OK. We forgive you. Although your boots won't until you restore them to their original beauty. No matter how much you've mistreated them in the past, there's a way for you to get those handsome boots back -- but it will cost you. Danner's Recrafting service runs between $45 to $160 and includes repair stitching, hardware and sole replacements, new laces and, of course, a good cleaning and polishing. In the end, it will be well worth it and very "green" of you to do instead of tossing the old pair.
Now forget everything we just told you, and see how a 7-year-old (well, he's definitely young) polishes his military boots...
Danner Recrafting
If you're familiar with Danner boots, you know that they represent top quality materials and legit craftsmanship. Old world craftsmanship. Their boots are the kind of thing that once you have them broken in, you probably won't want to give them up. The good news is, you don't have to.
Danner now offers a recrafting service in which they lovingly restore your boots to like new condition. The process has to be seen to be believed, and luckily for us the company has provided a video giving us a glimpse into the recrafting process and results. Amazing!