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18th Century Knee boots from Mil. surplus.
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Hivernant
posted
Has anyone here made knee boots from East German military boots? I have heard of this being done, Just need some info on how it's done.
 
Posts: 106 | Location: Eastern West Virginia | Registered: 04 November 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
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It's very tough to answer your question without a link to the very type of boot you want to modify. If you mean taking Russian Boots like these, you want them to look like Cuffed Riding Boots, then you simply need to sew on contrasting colored leather at the top of the boot. If you simply want Men's Riding Boots, then you may want to consider trimming the tops of the surplus boots, BUT I'd simply use the Russian ones as-is if I didn't want cuffs at the top. They are for riding, not walking, or for dress-parade use, so if you are going to go more than a short distance in them, you should look at Fugawee hi-lows in black, or Rough-Out shoes from Flying Canoe traders, and get half-gaiters or full gaiters to go over the tops.

If you look at the Godwin boots (without cuffs) depending on your shoe size you may only be saving like $40.00 by buying something like the Russian boots.

If you are going to buy the hi-lows, and you want some traction, you could have modern soles added, or you could go with hobnails, BUT to do the nails you will need to have an extra sole added to give you the thickness needed to take the nails. I have a pair with extra soles and nails, and they work great but I didn't save any money.

The Flying Canoe Traders shoe is superior, but they are shoes not boots, so you do need to pay attention to the terrain, and be prepared to change socks in wet or muddy weather. Half-gaiters help, but are not as good as boots, but the shoes are fairly priced for the quality and support that they give you. I own three pairs of them.

Word to the wise, I'm a mere 50 years old, and walking in mocs at modern historic sites with gray-stone gravel on the paths has, over time, not helped my foot troubles. So don't skimp on footwear if you are going to travel on foot. If you are going to stand around and simply talk to the public, then an inexpensive shoe with some padded liners will allow you to stand around all day.

LD


It's not what you know, it's what you can prove
 
Posts: 3843 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 10 November 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
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I will be using East German "DDR" boots that are 15 inches high. If they don't work out, I'm only out $3.00. Thanks for the info.
 
Posts: 106 | Location: Eastern West Virginia | Registered: 04 November 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
Picture of Dick
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Mike,
Have you found the DDR boots recently? I ask because a friend got a pair and added the brown cuff to make a pretty decent pair of gentleman's boots (or at least boots for a middling sort of man). But that was several years ago and I haven't seen any since.

Dick


"Est Deus in Nobis"
 
Posts: 2902 | Location: Helena, Montana | Registered: 10 December 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
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I have tried the DDR boots but couldnt get my calves into them. Not even close. Buy them in person. I think they may have had rubber soles too but I could be mistaken.
 
Posts: 129 | Location: Southern California | Registered: 28 April 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Greenhorn
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Russian and DDR jack boots do indeed have rubber soles. Russian boots were most commonly found with rubberized cloth tops. Both kinds look about as period corrrect to the 18-19th century as an M16 would.
 
Posts: 30 | Location: Floyd Co. Indiana | Registered: 29 July 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Greenhorn
Picture of Ohio Rusty
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The russian boots have the rounded toe which is correct to the 18th century. Most of the civil war boots have a squared toe which is not correct. The leather is also smooth leather which is correct, not the pebbled leather finish of some european boots. If you look at the picture Loyalist Dave put up of the russian boots, if you look at the inside pic, you will see they ae cloth lined inside and leather outside. That is good. You can separate the stitching between the two to add the brown top leather like the gentlemens boot had. Then it is just a simple matter of hand stitching around the top again and just fold down the brown top around the top of the black boot. Voila !! a decent pair of 18th century gentlemens boots. The russian boots ar plenty wide at the top to fit your calf and the boot at the bottom is a very nice fit. These are really decent boots for the money and will last a long time with good care.
Lastly, I would store the boots with something down in the boot to hold the upper leg portion of the boot upright. What goes bad on tall boots is where they fold over from being so tall, then the boot leather starts cracking on that fold seam. Storing them standing without the top being folded over, or storing them upside down on a boot jack with the boot upper straight down will go a long way in keeping them in good shape.
Ohio Rusty ><>
Purveyor and Blacksmith
The Ohio Frontier Forge
 
Posts: 19 | Location: Falls of the Hockhocking, Ohio | Registered: 28 May 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Greenhorn
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If your Russian boots are leather, they were officers boots. The enlisted guys got rubberized cloth boots with rubber soles. They are good sturdy boots and the lowers are more or less correctly shaped (even for SOME CW boots, yep round toed boots did exist then). If one was to replace the pleather uppers with leather and resole the rubber soles they could be passable, but at that point wouldn't it be just as feasable to buy correct boots from the get go?
 
Posts: 30 | Location: Floyd Co. Indiana | Registered: 29 July 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
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Sorry for the late reply. Thank you all for the help. Mike
 
Posts: 106 | Location: Eastern West Virginia | Registered: 04 November 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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