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My Dad had these for ever. I haven't seen another pair like them.
They have the air valve and are bell mouthed on top and have a tan sole.
I would to know more about them. Who made them and if they were a service boot.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
I think they're the earlier Korean war issue, not sure.
think browning is right.
My dad still wears then due to his foot being burned an the bots will not let your feet freeze if you due your part on changing socks.
So were this issued before the Mickey Mouse/ BATA boots?
When were the BATA boots issued?
I can kinda make out the name on the back of the boot. It looks like BRISTO. I'm not sure if the last letter is missing.
Any information on this company?
Looks like the Korean war issue...but a bit different. It could be they're just a variant. The BATA were the winter shoe packs? Was this the WW2 breed you speak of?
BATA ..... that name brought back some memories. I seem to remember that they were a Czech footwear co who's main boss fled to the UK(?) during the uprising but who continued the contract to keep his old Czech company running. They also made those calf length green canvas and moulded rubber soled boots we used to call 'jungle boots' Very lightweight and would only last a week or so on ops. They also made some rubber soled sandals that we used to call BOOTS, Jerusalem for obvious reasons. The trouble with the BOOTS, Jerusalem was that nobody I have even known had a pair that a) fitted, b) came in a size anywhere near to what you needed and c) you didn't have to take off after 5 minutes of pain. Everyone just wore V-C sandals or flip flops. The jungle boots were very comfy and you never needed to take them off between them wearing out because they let water in and out to suit the terrain or weather. Leeches would get in regardless but they sneaked in down the tops. As I remember them, when you got a new pair the laces were about 10 feet long
I was referring to the rubber black and white mickey mouse/Bunny boots.
Not sure when the military started to issue them.
Was Bristo a name of a contractor for the government?
Peter
Very interesting. I remember the local discount stores were selling the surplus jungle boots. I never owned a pair. The general size on the racks were 13.
The boots would wear out because of being wet all the time?
Leather boots would simply rot apart. I owned several pair of Jungle Boots and they were stellar when used correctly. Not sure what JBs Peter refers to...I had mine for years, used in the Aussie jungle and here in our BC bamboo.Quote:
Originally Posted by Killroy2
I think that I'm getting closer with the name of the manufacture of the boots. Came across the name BRISTOLITE on 1950's vintage winter boots. They had the tan sole and same tread pattern but no air valve on the side and no bell mouth opening at the top.
A couple months ago i was in northern Indiana on hwy 20 very near the Ohio border. I stopped at a surplus store and on the trailer for the store it said "Mickey Mouse boot man". Ir something like that. Turns out he has several atorage barns of these and sells to the Amish.
Used to wear the white ones while an Infantryman in Alaska.
IIRC the white was for cold, dry climates and the black ones were for wet, cold climates like Korea.
The valve was used to relieve internal pressure while flying at higher altitudes.
I was in the Corps stationed at Willow Grove N. A. S. mid '60s. I worked with the Navy riggers and boots similar to those pictured were attached to anti-exposure suits for ASW flight crews over the north Atlantic.
Of course most of us "borrowed" a pair for deer hunting in the Pennsylvania snow.;)
They do look like they were attached to something too...Quote:
Originally Posted by phydeaux
Phydeaux
Would you happen to have any pictures of the suits and boots?
If I recall my Dad's story correctly. He was a radar tec in the early 1950's. And did test flights in B-29's from Maine to Greenland. They were not issued life vest do to the extreme cold water and the poor survival.
He's been gone some time now and the stories are getting a little fuzzy.