Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

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TOTVERBAND
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#16

Post by TOTVERBAND » 02 May 2009, 07:47

mr hunt, actually in terms of lowboots sharktoe profile is right and wrong. the m37 lowboots were very similar to jackboots in terms of toe design/shaping. shark toe was also carried over into the m42 boots, but with these came greater variations including internal toe reinforcement, so I consceed that to grigsby. so shark toe is very real, but no one has mentioned the variations of shark toe i like to call elevated-shark toe which still appear like standard shark toe when not comparing the two, but differ in terms of the toe being higher producing an extremly light bump like grigsby boots however grigsby's soles are a bit flat whereas elevated shark toe's soles sometimes resemble a scimitar bend like that, which is found in many ww1 low and jackboots.
I live the war in my head and I am the walking dead when i'm alive. Everyone's a critic, but they live their lives in their heads and they are dead just like me, so i say let them 'live' until they die by me dead walking over them.

TOTVERBAND
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#17

Post by TOTVERBAND » 02 May 2009, 08:01

pzrwest, it's duct tape. for some idiotic reason i thought it would make less noise on concrete for a little while and prevent slips on smooth surfaces, but it didn't and pulling it off caused an uneven mess, so there you go.
I live the war in my head and I am the walking dead when i'm alive. Everyone's a critic, but they live their lives in their heads and they are dead just like me, so i say let them 'live' until they die by me dead walking over them.


TOTVERBAND
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#18

Post by TOTVERBAND » 02 May 2009, 08:50

aeros66 thanks for the support. i began this accidental collection when i was seeking boots that i could use in the North Caucasus/Vladikavkaz. I started buying all sorts of soviet boots and got into the habit of foot wrapping. That was until i saw a russian soldier in Grozny i think in a photograph holding an M42 war-prize stahlhelm taken from a rebel during the first chechen war. It introduced me to thoughts of ww2 items serving a purpose in modern warfare and it led me to marschstiefels since boots are a heavily used item in war and don't go through as many changes as other gear. at first i bought boots that remotley looked like ww2 boots (ddr). The more i researched, the more i realised that only exact repros or in the worst case only originals would suffice for the caucasus whether to live there or stay a little while. so yea it's that search for the perfect pair(s), but for all the wrong reasons (i don't have them for reenacting). sorry for the life story; itls probably a "you had to be there..." sort of purpose.
I live the war in my head and I am the walking dead when i'm alive. Everyone's a critic, but they live their lives in their heads and they are dead just like me, so i say let them 'live' until they die by me dead walking over them.

aeros66
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#19

Post by aeros66 » 02 May 2009, 10:38

Tot.. No, I understand fully. If you're into it, you're into it regardless of the reasoning. Most of the people super anal about being "correct" are reenactors (I assume), so from a non- reenactor standpoint, to be so into it being correct, must mean that person is really into the whole thing.

i'm not all rockabilly or into vintage clothing or whatever, but when it comes to boots- I AM a snob/ "stitch nazi" then. THey gotta look "right"! Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.

regards,

kevin

TOTVERBAND
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#20

Post by TOTVERBAND » 06 May 2009, 05:21

Here's a pair of dyed unissued original m37 lowboots all roughout. This is my main reference when approaching the authenticity of repro lowboots on the market. For example these boots led me to believe that ATF lowboots are too wide, and grigsby lowboots are a bit too rounded in the toe (though to be fair, Grigsby produces an M42 roughout lowboot, which in some cases had a reinforced toe.).
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I live the war in my head and I am the walking dead when i'm alive. Everyone's a critic, but they live their lives in their heads and they are dead just like me, so i say let them 'live' until they die by me dead walking over them.

TOTVERBAND
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#21

Post by TOTVERBAND » 06 May 2009, 07:10

Here we have the Lost Battalions Reproduction m42 lowboots. These are made very accurately in terms of cut, widths (made from original lasts i hear), and accurate wood pegged soles with heel irons sans the hobnails. In terms of authenticity this is the most accurate lowboots out on the market; however, i don't think they're the best lowboots mainly because of substandard stiching on the soles (at least on my pair) resulting in a faster wearing out. This issue can be remedied however by a cobbler.
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I live the war in my head and I am the walking dead when i'm alive. Everyone's a critic, but they live their lives in their heads and they are dead just like me, so i say let them 'live' until they die by me dead walking over them.

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Satter
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#22

Post by Satter » 06 May 2009, 17:09

Totverband, did you let LB know your concerns with the quality of their stiching?

TOTVERBAND
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#23

Post by TOTVERBAND » 08 May 2009, 03:26

Satter wrote:Totverband, did you let LB know your concerns with the quality of their stiching?

I didn't even though i considered it. the right boots of this pair was great and didn't have that issue, but the left one did. I take it that it was a slip in manufacturing process and even though i should alert lb on this I find it time consuming since they give their orders to their boot guy and he only shows up from what i gathered one time every month. I am very reluctant nowadays to commit to having stuff sent back only to wait without a clue when they shall be in my hands again (it's an experience, which i may have mentioned on another thread). I'll surely let them know about the stitch issue now thinking about it a little more, but I would prefer if anything that they cover partial cost of the repair at my local cobblers if it comes to that.
I live the war in my head and I am the walking dead when i'm alive. Everyone's a critic, but they live their lives in their heads and they are dead just like me, so i say let them 'live' until they die by me dead walking over them.

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Satter
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#24

Post by Satter » 08 May 2009, 14:20

I totally agree about hesitating to return an item. Especially dealing with some of the vendors who contribute to this hobby. And, yes, you'd probably have a wait a while if you returned your boot to LB. However, I'd put in a call to Ray and see what he has to say.

TOTVERBAND
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#25

Post by TOTVERBAND » 09 May 2009, 04:14

Now these are ZM lowboots, which are also known as underwood lowboots from when he sold them. These are a real gem; high quality leather, crafting, stiching, hobnails (even though it's slightly smaller than originals i've encountered), and wood pegging on front soles (no wood pegging present on middle though). These I would say are the most accurate in appearance right next to lostbattalions and are better than many originals i've seen in terms of the above mentioned. These look exactly like my original latvian ss m37 lowboots. These are so impressive that I already made an order for a second pair.
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I live the war in my head and I am the walking dead when i'm alive. Everyone's a critic, but they live their lives in their heads and they are dead just like me, so i say let them 'live' until they die by me dead walking over them.

chris1547
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#26

Post by chris1547 » 16 May 2009, 18:39

Anyone have the low boots sold by all era militaria? They look like the SSroom ones.

TOTVERBAND
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#27

Post by TOTVERBAND » 17 May 2009, 01:36

chris1547 wrote:Anyone have the low boots sold by all era militaria? They look like the SSroom ones.
based off of photos they look different. i've seen these all-era boots on ebay. i'd buy with caution. You, can't tell the quality of a boot just by looking at pictures, but the price should be somewhat of an indicator that you're not getting a quality product.
I live the war in my head and I am the walking dead when i'm alive. Everyone's a critic, but they live their lives in their heads and they are dead just like me, so i say let them 'live' until they die by me dead walking over them.

Brendan Hunt
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#28

Post by Brendan Hunt » 20 May 2009, 18:44

Allera boots look very VERY similiar to SS-Room boots. With the exception of the rough/smooth tongue and the configuration of the hobnails and other sole hardwear, the boots look identicle.

I'd like to read more about these if anyone has any experience with them.
Brendan

chris1547
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#29

Post by chris1547 » 21 May 2009, 04:03

I thought they looked alike as well. Allera stated they are made overseas but not the same as SSrooms.

TOTVERBAND
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Re: Who Makes the Best Lowboots?

#30

Post by TOTVERBAND » 21 May 2009, 05:50

they look more like a cross between grigsby (toe) and sm wholesale lowboots, but it's hard to be sure just from that one photo.
I live the war in my head and I am the walking dead when i'm alive. Everyone's a critic, but they live their lives in their heads and they are dead just like me, so i say let them 'live' until they die by me dead walking over them.

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