Tuesday, November 2, 2010

A MILE IN MY SHOES part2:the riding boots


This is the 1st pair i've bought .They are real jodhpur riding boots from Harris Hall,the biggest name in riding wear back then.This model is often see on ww2 pictures.By real ,i ment made for a purpose not for the show .....

No brand for this 1940's beautiful slip on riding boot.Its made of one piece of leather joined at the heel.Note the nice cloth pulls with stars on.....

In my humble opinion nothing beats the R.M Williams kangaroo boot.The patina you can achieve on such a boot,is simply amazing.Williams's are made of one flawless piece of leather too.The French toe being my favorite....

My interest for riding boots ,started when collecting militaria and looking at AAF pilots pictures from ww2. I noticed then,that officers and pilots from the 8th & 9th AAF ,when stationed in England developed an interest for such boots.Dress to impress ,while on leave,was common and to do so they were trying to stray away from the "regulation look".Transforming their uniforms or simply having them fully custom made by local tailors was the way to go.Shoes were of course an item of importance,as they were scarce,had to last but also look sharp.Riding boots as associated with status and a certain "prestige"{probably more back then},were a logical but also very practical choice for pilots always on the go ..........

8 comments:

  1. Incredible !!! Jodhpur boots are one of my favorite boots… I use to wear this model very often… french people forgotten that those boots are a WWII model and thought they are only for "gentlemen" with very classical look, navy color lambswool jumper, tan corduroy pants and 5 or 7 children in the old Volvo car going to the church …!!!! when they see the way I wear them they understand that it's not exactly my way of life… even If I've driven a navy color volvo Wagon !!!!

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  2. the only downside with the jodhpur model,is its very fragile ankle straps .especially on vintage models like the one above .should be noticed that pants get stuck in the straps quite often .....

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  3. Great boots, and fantastic polishing!! Love the blog, I have you linked, and very jealous that you were in the last RMC catalogue.
    Keep up the good work.

    Desu

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  4. thx .....i just wish i was able to dress the way i wanted......they brought the clothes for me ...can you imagine!? with the choice i've got in my closet!! .....

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  5. Amazing boots, wow your collection never ceases to amaze me. I have one pair of cool boots (it's fun to be starting a collection), I can't imagine how many you have stashed away...

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  6. no that much, in fact,i've got rid of a lot of stuff and just decided to keep what i dig the most and what makes sense to me .

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  7. i'll keep track of your expert polishing..
    we are in a similar business.
    young people try to polish their new shoes.. wax wont penetrate modern leather, makes you feel depressed- dont you think?
    all materials start to be nano treated . i hate it.
    great blog!

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  8. Great post and superb polishing, great to see RM Williams get a mention, unfortunately they mostly get seen when Australian politicians try to emphasize their country cred...

    cheers
    V

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