Barker Shoe Co. 10th Mountain Division ski boots. Boots are dated 1943 Produced in Boston. This example has original waxed laces with metal ends. Also the wool foot bed for insulation. Goodyear heavy lugged sole provides traction when not full of snow or mud. From what I understand the original design had a flat sole, but traction was impossible so they later retrofitted these boots with the lugs. Squared off toe allows for maximum heel lift during cross-country maneuvers.
Rare pair of western style Hi-Point boots by Alpinestars. We’ve all seen the mx “mad max” boots, but these are something else. Based on a pretty traditional round toe western style upper. 10.75″ shaft. Looped boot pulls at the top. Double stitched all around. Heavy duty welt attaches the beefy soles made by Skywalk for Alpinestars (also made boot soles for Vasque hiking boots) 2.25″ heel height. Hypnotic vinyl Hi-point patches stitched on. Stamped size 43. Can’t find anything on them. Not sure if they were a demo piece or what. I’d guess late 70s early 80s on the age.
These rare 70s era Belstaff motorcycle boots were crafted in England and probably an expensive import for their day. The style is somewhere between a motocross and a road touring boot. The 15.5 inch shaft (measured outsides as the boots slope down on the inside edge of the shaft) is made easily accessible by the heavy gauge metal zipper at the back. The zipper features a large pull tag ensigned with the letter ‘a’, a maker’s mark I am not familiar with. Cinching straps at the heel and top of the shaft allow for a more custom fit. The solid one piece vamp rises high on the shaft for added protection from the road and elements. The soles are a heavy lugged rubber of similar style to that of a Vibram hiker, but are unlabeled. The inch and quarter tall heel has a metal insert which appears to have been hand carved and hammered in to prolong the wear and may lead to some show stopping sparks at night if dragged ever so lightly across the asphalt. The top of the shaft is finished with a yellow leather insert that creates a nice finish and compliments the gold Belstaff logo on the outside of each shaft.
This is a fairly unique pair of Frye western boots. The Black Label inside the right shaft dates them to the 1970s and produced at the company’s Marlborough Massachusetts facility. The boots are quality constructed of thick split grain leather brushed just shy of a suede texture. Stacked leather heel with black rubber grip and leather sole. Ornate details are slight, there is a dark piping that runs up the sides of the boot and around the top. Unlike the Campus boot one often sees from Frye in this era, these boots have the narrow point toe and an angled, shorter leather heel. Like the campus boots these have the leather lined shaft and cloth lined vamp, leather foot bed and reinforcement in the back of the shaft to reduce pull-on wear.
This is one beautiful pair of Frye Campus Boots in black. This particular style of boot is indicative of the traditional campus cut popularized in the 60s and 70s. The original Frye Black Label (black being the main color of the logo stitched in the right boot) verifies their authenticity. Around 1979 the black label was discontinued and a white label was introduced. At this time Frye also started embossing the logo on the outside heel of the boot.
The “Campus” style is a take on a traditional western style boot but with a blunt, rounded toe, thick sole and block heel. These boots are usually seen with lighter, banana or medium brown uppers with natural leather soles and heels. This particular boot is midnight black top to bottom, but maintains the natural undyed leather inside. In my researching these boots I found that the 2550 was show as ‘hand stained brown’ in an old Frye ad. I have no knowledge of whether that leather color may have varied in the model number 2550, but given that all other colors of the boot are assigned their own number, It is quite likely that these boots started their life as brown boots and were later dyed, or by some other means made black.
13.5″ shaft
2.25″ heel
Inside Markings:
11 D 4K13068
Made in the USA
These boots are currently available on the BCV eBay store
WWII era United States army Air Forces uniform A-1 shearling flight boots. The boots shown here are 10″ tall size XS and may actually be women’s boots. Other pairs I’ve seen were larger and the tongue tag read Mens instead of Wos. Not a war historian, but can’t imagine too many ladies donned these boots in those days. Crown Zippers with ankle and upper belts and buckles for added fit. Shearling lining runs throughout the uppers except for the sole. In each of these boots are two thick wool insoles as well as a wool foot bed. Don’t know if the added soles were standard issue or later additions by the wearer to increase warmth and or fit.
Bits of the US Air Forces logo still visible on the outside of the uppers, but most of the dark tanning has come off. These boots are of a similar era to the Type A-2 jacket seen on my blog, but a little later. The U.S. Army Air Forces became the U.S. Air Forces in 1947.
Tag reads:
OVERSHOE, FLYING, HEAVY, TYPE A-1
SPECIFICATION MIL-0-6540
SIZE………Wos XS 5-6 1/2
STOCK No. AF-8305
BRISTOLITE
U.S. PROPERTY
This striking boot is a model 3572 Frye 12.5″ tall riding boot done in deep chestnut-brown premium Frye leather.
This style is similar to the popular campus boot but with a narrower toe which is slightly rounded (somewhere in between a square toe and a point). This boot also has some nice lines which differentiate it from the campus model. The vamp extends high up the ankle and does not continue to the side seem. Side seems are covered in a strip of leather and the heel panel extends from that a few inches up from the sole. They are lined with very soft white leather and have internal nylon web pulls. The sole is all leather, with 1.75″ stacked leather heel (including rubber heel sole).
These boots are not “black label” but were probably made shortly there after the label switch. This is evident by the heel markings which use the company name as well as the logo. Predating boots with just the twin F logo.
These boots are currently available on the BCV eBay Store.
This is a pair of deadstock Chippewa Steel Toe Engineer Boots. Black Label includes Chippewa Falls Wis. These boots can also be dated by the ANSI ( American National Standards Institute) 1967/75 marking. Sturdy split leather uppers with nickel hardware, steel toe, stitched leather mid-sole.
These boots are unworn as evident in the pristine Vulcan Neoprene Heel and Nitrene Sole. Uppers do have some light scuffing and wear from sitting around for 40 years but are otherwise in great shape. These boots could be polished to a shine if desired.
Inside markings:
ANSI
Z4L1-1967/75
9EE 3045
7863
Measurements:
heel height 1.75″
shaft height 11″
Heel to Toe (sole) 11.75″
width at ball of foot (sole) 4.25″
Vintage USA made Red Wing ankle high work boots. These plain toe boots use a four eyelet three hook lacing system. Black with White reinforced stitches on the split leather uppers. Crepe type sole with no branding. Single Red Wing logo sewn in to right boot tongue only. Tongues stamped with size 7D and 57000
These boots are in good wearable shape. A few scuffs and scrapes on the heels and toes, most notably one small nick on the right toe. No heavy wear or gauging in the leather though. Nice patina throughout.
Soles show a little wear on heels and across ball of foot, but otherwise in nice shape. Welt is firmly intact as well.
Sole measures:
heel to toe: 11 1/8″
width at ball of foot 3 5/8″
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