Boots

[Alan]

Trying to put together a suitable (80's) outfit to wear with my L/W landrover but am struggling with the foot wear. Was thinking of DMS, (i thought the rubber sole would be more forgiving when driving) but these seem hard to sourc. Lots of guard parade boots out their but not sure about driving with studded boots!

 

Anyone have any other thoughts ?

[paulbrook]

Can't remember when we changed from DMS and puttees to Boots Combat High - but it was in the 80s, so either would be OK. Be warned though if you are not used to driving in footwear like either set up.

[Scotch Harry]

What size you after as DMS are plentiful and cheap on Ebay.

[Alan]

I'm a 10/m or l, have been looking on e-bay. Will look again.

 

Comments noted on driving in-ability, may be case of changing when I get to shows.

 

Thanks

[PetOp Pete]

Can't remember when we changed from DMS and puttees to Boots Combat High - but it was in the 80s, so either would be OK. Be warned though if you are not used to driving in footwear like either set up.

 

Into the early '90s we still had POL boots and puttees but we never wore them. Just the BCH, which did not survive much exposure to fuels, so were replaced frequently. Being TA maybe it took longer to get relics like puttees out of the supply chain.

[Jimmy F]

I've driven a 1944 Ford jeep in hobnails and have no issue so I wouldn't worry too much about that, although I can't imagine they would have been worn apart from parade in the 80's? Army surplus still have DMS sometimes. Chatham fair is a good place to get them too.

[arcot1751]

Regarding driving in DMS and puttees I drove thousands of miles in them without a problem during my time as a regular, including several long trips from W Germany to the Outer Hebrides in an AEC Militant. Like all footwear your feet have to get used to them but breaking them in is all part of the fun :-D If you source a new pair just get plenty of polish into them which helps soften the leather up and build up your time wearing them, as someone said earlier they are plentiful on ebay so getting the right size will be easy enough.

[Tony B]

As far as hobnails go. There was an order Drivers could get rubber soles. I just use stick on soles.

[AlienFTM]

Trying to put together a suitable (80's) outfit to wear with my L/W landrover but am struggling with the foot wear. Was thinking of DMS, (i thought the rubber sole would be more forgiving when driving) but these seem hard to sourc. Lots of guard parade boots out their but not sure about driving with studded boots!

 

Anyone have any other thoughts ?

 

CH came in in 83 (or maybe 84) while I was in Osnabruck, but I always kept a pair of DMS in good nick for running in (I was never issues with NI Patrol boots: I am assured that they were very light and comfortable> Plenty of discussion about them in here). I found that a single 3-mile run was enough to break in a pair of DMS, whereas the same action in DMS, I can still see the scar tissue around my Achilles tendons. I still have a pair of DMS (9L) but when I left in 1989, they were still so far up themselves that I could not hold on to a pair of CH (which annoyed me, cos I has specifically kept a pair brand new for after I left).

 

You probably won't be too keen about this advice. On exercise (OUTSIDE OF CAMP!) I wore Bundeswehr Panzerstiefel (Tank Crewman's Boots, jackboots with a sheepskin lining for warmth). Many in Command Troop wore US boots but they simply did not make these wide enough for my feet. My commander wore helicopter crew boots.