Vintage Work Hunting Boots. Unknown Maker. Goodyear Lugged Sole

Posted on by Rob Drews
vintage US Army Snowshoe skiing boots

Very cool old boots, unfortunately I don’t know who made ’em. Quality on par with any Danner or Red Wing make or model. 7.5 in high shaft. Unique vamp construction minimizes seems. Eyelet and hook lace up. Goodyear lugged soles the America equivalent of Vibram. Lined uppers and thick felted wool insoles suggest they were intended for colder weather use.

UPDATE: Reader comments have identified these as “US Army issue Ski/Mountain boots. The original design is by Chippewa, but several manufacturers produced them over the years. The squared toe and grooved heel are for the ski bindings.”

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Gokey Botte Sauvage Snake Proof Hunting Boots

Posted on by Rob Drews
Vintage Gokey Botte Sauvage Snake Proof Hunting boots

Looking at a vintage pair of Gokey Botte Sauvage Snake Proof Hunting boots. These boots probably date from the 50s or 60s and are based (as the name suggests) on a style of French Trapper boot popular in the north-east and great lakes area. The Gokey company produced this same boot for outfitter’s Abercrombie & Fitch in the early mid-1900s. Their boots and bags of legendary quality and the standard for the worldly adventurer of the day.

The boots are of relatively simple construction of high quality materials. In the realm of boots crafted in Minnesota they’re somewhere between Red Wings and Minnetonka’s. The 15″ tall boots are constructed of thick, quality leather. Anchor brand brass buckles at the top and ankle give them an almost engineer feel, but with the moccasin style toe.

This bot features Queen B soles by Gro-Cord, but from looking at other such boots it appears the choice of sole changed throughout the years. The black fore soles are ingrained with pieces of rope or hemp for additional traction.

I have been researching the markings inside the boots but an unable to make definite sense of them at this time. My best judgement, these are size 7.5 men’s 9 women’s? I should also note the shaft on these boots is long and narrow, not for the person with a big calf and would require some ankle flexibility to get in to. Newer models offer a side zip after many requests I’m sure.

Chippewa Black Label Hunting Boot – Model 2328

Posted on by Rob Drews
Chippewa Black Label Hunting Motorcycle Boots - Olive Green - 7.5 E Model 2328

Neat pair of old black label Chippewa boots. The style is a 8″ round-toe hunting type boot. What makes these special is the olive green leather. Green leather was an option on boots makes and models from this time period, but you find green par is far less. The leather is died through therefore scuffs are a lighter shade of green instead of brown. The boots are lined inside with brown leather, but are not insulated. The back of the tongues are lined in a gold cotton blend material. These boots also feature a darker olive Dynamar crepe type sole. The boot feathers the embroidered black label in the right boot only. The embroidered label predates the screened and dates these boots back to the 1960s.

Vintage Red Wing Black Label Flannel Lined 9″ Hunting Boots model 04130

Posted on by Rob Drews
Vintage Red Wing 04130 Black Label Flannel lined 9" hunting boots

This is a pair of Red Wing  9″ hunting boots marked 04130.  The boot is similar to the 877 but has a different vamp construction and most likely predates that model. The boots date from the late 50s or 60s as denoted by the black  label in the right boot.

Lace-up is achieved via 12 eyelets and the boots are currently outfitted with leather laces which don’t look quite old enough to be original. The Du-Flex Cush-N-Crepe soles look period correct. Inside, the boots are fully lined with red and black buffalo check flannel. Yes, even the foot-bed is lined. The flannel feels like wool or a wool blend.

The top of the right boot is stamped RED WING. Tongues are stamped on the outside:

S (crest looks like a union label) 60
11 1/2 B 04130
202

 

Danner Light Insulated Gore-Tex 60630 Boot

Posted on by Rob Drews

Seen here is a great pair of older Danner insulated and Gore-Tex lined hunting boots. Tongue stamped 60630, a style number no longer in production, but the styling is very similar to what’s known now as the Sierra GTX, Style 63100. The boot consists of a multi panel leather and Cordura upper. Fully attached tongue construction along with the Gore-Tex lining ensure the elements stay locked out. A light quilted insulation on the interior makes these a good boot for almost any season. Old style duck camo  on the Cordura works well in the field or on the streets. In fact, Danner has recently collaborated with modern-american outfitter, Ball and Buck on a very similar, updated version.

Other details include an 8″ shaft height, Vibram soles, 8-eye lace up consisting of eyelets, D rings and hooks.

Herter’s Hudson Bay Hunting Work Boots

Posted on by Rob Drews
You are looking at the very finest pair of boots known to man. These Herter’s Genuine Hudson Bay Boots are fit for queens and kings alike, but made so that the lowly peasant can afford them.

This may have very well been how George Herter described these boots in one of his many volume of mail-order catalogs. Herter, an avoid outdoorsman, entrepreneur, writer and all-around kook, wrote garish product listings with the same panache that he put into his numerous hunting, fishing, cooking and motivational novels. Beyond enjoying a semi-successful writing and publishing career, George Herter also operated one of the most successful mail-order outdoors catalogs since Leon Leonwood Bean. The Waseca, Minnesota based operation ran from 1937 until the early 80s.

This pair of Herter’s Hudson Bay Boots is much like a plain toe hunting boot from Red Wing. The uppers are essentially made up of three pieces, the vamp extends from the toe around the lower areas of the foot to the heel of the boot. The upper connected along the side of the foot, then a back stay conceals the seam up the back. The tongue is solid across the front of the boot keeping the elements out and the boot is laced through a combination of D-rings and hooks. The boots appear to be fully leather lined giving them a little more insulation than a regular single walled boot.

Inside Markings:
7D 12150
S68 1200

Red Wing 27022 Steel Toe Boots – USA –

Posted on by Rob Drews

These boots, marked 27022, are seemingly rare and I have found no further information on them. They are a 5″ high, four eyelet, three loop lace-up with steel toe and one inch heel. The soles are a gum composite stamped Red Wing on both sole and heel with a tread pattern made of tiny Red Wing logos. All markings are contained on the inside ankle of the boot and not on the tongue. The single label on the inside of the boot suggests they may be from the 60s or 70s, though the look of this pair out dates that. The welt is a rubber, “storm” type around the front and leather around the heel.

These are the boots of which heritage lines are made.

Currently available on the BCV eBay Store..

Resoled Redwing 875 6″ Moc Toe Boots.

Posted on by Rob Drews

A while back I came across a used pair of Redwing 875.  The original soles had been worn to down to nothing but the uppers were in good shape. Knowing that they could be resoled I snatched them up for future use. They hung around in my garage for six months until this fall. I took them to my local Redwing retailer to have them sent back to the factory to be resoled. I was as little disappointed to find out they sent their boots to a local cobbler and not the place of origin, but agreed to send them out anyway. The local guy did a great job using Vibram soles instead of the Redwing stamped version.  When the boots landed back in the shop the associate oiled them and threw in some new laces before I picked them up.

If you are looking to get into a pair of Redwing having an old boot is a great way to go. Cost of the resole in this instance was $80 + tax.

Red Wing’s Irish Setter Hunting/Work Boots – Made in the USA

Posted on by Rob Drews

Nice older pair of Red Wing Irish Setter hunting/work boots. These boots have been cared for as evident in the leather, not dried and cracking around the toe creases as you so often see. Feel and look like a nice old ball glove, great patina with lots of character.

These boots are NOT steel toe. They have a storm welt still in good condition, all stitching is intact and the boots is not pulling up at all.  The Vibram Soles are in  good shape. Some wear around the heels with still plenty of life left in the lugs

Double and triple stitched uppers in places all intact through out booth boots. Normal scuffing and scrapes on the heels and toes. A scratch on the left boot’s toe and heel but nothing that permeates the leather. 5 lower lace holes followed by 4 loops and a grommet at the top. Single Red Wing’s Irish Setter Sport Boot Made in the USA  tag in the right boot tongue.  Faintly stamped 14 D in the right boot.

Measures:
8″ shaft height
1.5″ heel
14.5″ heel to toe (sole)
4 7/8″ across at widest (sole)

Wood N Stream by Weinbrenner

Posted on by Rob Drews

You are looking at a like new pair of Wood N Stream 7 inch moc toe, crepe sole hunting/work boots. These boots are very similar in construction and quality to those of the famed Red Wing boots. These boots were found unlaced and seemingly unused.

All stitching on the uppers and welt is completely intact and brilliant white. The BILTRITE NURON-CREPE soles show little to no use of actual wear. The boots were laced to give a better sense of of how they would look. Laced via the included leather lace through grommets at the bottom and around 9 hooks. The two flaps behind the loops overlap each other over the tongues to seal out weather.

The only flaws are minor scuffing on the left toe, a mild crack to the lower left toe sole, discoloration to the bottom of the right sole (perhaps the boot sat in or on something) and tarnish on the middle four inner left boot lace loops.

Weinbrenner Boots of Milwaukee Wisconsin have been making quality boots since 1892 and carries on today. Check out their Thorogood Work collection for a moc toe boot similar to these.

Marked inside:
J57
8 1/2 D 92091
477

Sole Measures:
11.75″ heel to toe
4.5″ across at widest