Boots / shoes to wear with your flight jacket s...

CombatWombat · Nov 21, 2023

Grant said:
I wear Blundstones for work and fun (steel toe and regular). They're super comfortable, but the heels and soles wear down easily and eventually crack.
For me, being able to re-sole my Red Wings and keep on wearing them is better than adding to a land fill.

Blundestones used to be incredibly robust but Redbacks are what Blundestones used to be pre 2000's.

The only Red Wings I've seen (and worn) are Iron Rangers/Beckman and they definitely aren't "Blue Collar" work boots.
My workboots are very old but excellently made BundesMarine jackboots (for winters) and Magnum Amazon's for summer.
Both have fantastic slip resistance and steel toes that are high and wide enough for my toes to feel comfortable with 12 hour shifts

CombatWombat · Nov 21, 2023

As for boots I wear with my flight jackets.....
Well if it's just a casual dinner at the pub or day out I wear.
1 William Lennon Ammo Boots (full "pig irons" and leather lining)

2 1951 Swedish Army boots
(Rubber topped leather sole with pig iron horseshoes)

Both are dressy enough that you could mistake them for Iron Rangers......but robust enough to walk through flooded ovals chasing after your wife's bloody Cav Charles spaniel

If I'm wearing a flight jacket for actual flying or load master work......then it's probably bog standard RAAF Redbacks

Micawber · Nov 21, 2023

Lennon boots in whatever style are terribly overlooked on this forum so it’s nice to see someone else mentioning them.

CombatWombat · Nov 21, 2023

Micawber said:
Lennon boots in whatever style are terribly overlooked on this forum so it’s nice to see someone else mentioning them.

I think it's because of how small they are as a business (and their Eastman style waiting list lol)

If it wasn't for a couple of War and Peace re-enactment enthusiasts, I'd never have heard of the company

FlakMagnet · Nov 21, 2023

CombatWombat said:
As for boots I wear with my flight jackets.....
Well if it's just a casual dinner at the pub or day out I wear.
1 William Lennon Ammo Boots (full "pig irons" and leather lining)
View attachment 127969
2 1951 Swedish Army boots
(Rubber topped leather sole with pig iron horseshoes)
View attachment 127971

That Swedish Army boot looks awesome! How and where did you get those??

CombatWombat said:
Both are dressy enough that you could mistake them for Iron Rangers......but robust enough to walk through flooded ovals chasing after your wife's bloody Cav Charles spaniel

If I'm wearing a flight jacket for actual flying or load master work......then it's probably bog standard RAAF Redbacks

Micawber · Nov 21, 2023

CombatWombat said:
I think it's because of how small they are as a business (and their Eastman style waiting list lol)

If it wasn't for a couple of War and Peace re-enactment enthusiasts, I'd never have heard of the company

Surely you mean GW waiting list?

Heresy?

I’ll get my coat

CombatWombat · Nov 21, 2023

FlakMagnet said:
That Swedish Army boot looks awesome! How and where did you get those??

Ahhh how I came across these was sheer dumb luck!

One of the few disposal stores left in Sydney had them thrown in a bin!

The guy that ran the store had the rubber version of the Swedish"ski boots"/M55 boots, most of which are in massive sizes that don't fit my peculiar feet.......I asked him if he had any in the warehouse that were smaller and he told me about these ones that were "water damaged with mould....too tiny for a guy that I chucked out yesterday ".
(I wear a Euro 42 and these fit me perfectly, with a decent saddle soap clean and wearing them wet till the leather got unmangled, I got a phenomenal pair of boots that might be the closest thing to bespoke footwear I'll ever own )

CombatWombat · Nov 21, 2023

Micawber said:
Surely you mean GW waiting list?

Heresy?

I’ll get my coat

Haha well I was lucky......I only had to wait 2 months for these lol

Jtrob · Nov 21, 2023

Droodogg said:
I have a few pairs of Thursday boots that are really comfortable. Good sole support and nice leather quality.

My son bought a pair of Thursdays a year ago, loves them. I’m a JK guy myself!

Chandler · Nov 21, 2023

CombatWombat said:
Both are dressy enough that you could mistake them for Iron Rangers...

Wait, what? Did you just use dressy and Iron Rangers in the same sentence?

Smithy · Nov 21, 2023

Micawber said:
Lennon boots in whatever style are terribly overlooked on this forum so it’s nice to see someone else mentioning them.

I had an online chum over at Le Salon du Chapeau back in about 2007 who was a massive/obsessive boot fan and had had both Red Wings and William Lennon kickers. He told me after getting his first pair of Lennons he sold his Red Wings pairs and never bought another pair. High praise but he thought they were vastly superior to RWs.

I really should pull my finger out and buy a pair of Lennons.

Smithy · Nov 22, 2023

Micawber said:
Lennon boots in whatever style are terribly overlooked on this forum so it’s nice to see someone else mentioning them.

Been seriously sniffing around the William Lennon site today. Seriously looking like I might have to abuse the CC. Now I just have the arduous task of choosing which pair and what options.

These are like the GW of work boots. Love how they are made to order.

Micawber · Nov 22, 2023

Smithy said:
Been seriously sniffing around the William Lennon site today. Seriously looking like I might have to abuse the CC. Now I just have the arduous task of choosing which pair and what options.

These are like the GW of work boots. Love how they are made to order.

As long as you get the sizing right and are prepared to undertake some serious breaking in I don't think you will regret it Tim. Good, well made traditional footwear of a type that would have been made by literally hundreds, possibly thousands of provincial makers up and down the UK years ago..

Interesting short BBC documentary looking at the William Lennon factory..

427Donkey · Nov 22, 2023

Just got these today from Japan, Toys McCoys M-43 Roughouts, really chuffed I got these, size US9 fits my size UK8 fine. Very nicely made and will be completing my fave look with my A-2’s and sheepskins.

atlasfields · Nov 22, 2023

These from Whites

B-Man2 · Nov 22, 2023

Micawber said:
As long as you get the sizing right and are prepared to undertake some serious breaking in I don't think you will regret it Tim. Good, well made traditional footwear of a type that would have been made by literally hundreds, possibly thousands of provincial makers up and down the UK years ago..

Interesting short BBC documentary looking at the William Lennon factory..

Wow!!
Smithy and Steve .
These boots look outstanding and it looks like they have a pair that are patterned after a WWII Garrison boot. I see that they have a number of older people working there, who have probably worked there most of their lives. I can only imagine the skills and expertise they have acquired in boot making over the years . It’s going to be almost impossible to replace them when they are gone. I would venture a thought that if anyone is thinking about getting a pair of these, now would be the time.

Harris_HTM · Nov 22, 2023

Smithy said:
Been seriously sniffing around the William Lennon site today. Seriously looking like I might have to abuse the CC. Now I just have the arduous task of choosing which pair and what options.

These are like the GW of work boots. Love how they are made to order.

Just do it and you won't regret it. You can't go wrong with them, exceptional build quality.
Email them and ask for available leathers.

Smithy · Nov 22, 2023

Harris_HTM said:
Just do it and you won't regret it. You can't go wrong with them, exceptional build quality.
Email them and ask for available leathers.View attachment 128073 View attachment 128075 View attachment 128077

Those are absolutely beautiful!

I'm sold, thanks Harris for posting those.

Harris_HTM · Nov 22, 2023

Smithy said:
Those are absolutely beautiful!

I'm sold, thanks Harris for posting those.

Make sure to contact them before ordering, they usually have many different hides in stock and you can further customise (lining options, 10-hole models, soles, etc).

Smithy · Nov 22, 2023

Harris_HTM said:
Make sure to contact them before ordering, they usually have many different hides in stock and you can further customise (lining options, 10-hole models, soles, etc).

Thanks mate!

Boots / shoes to wear with your flight jacket s...

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