Vintage Belstaff Tourmaster Enduro Motorcycle Boots

Posted on by Rob Drews
Vintage Belstaff Tourmaster Enduro Motorcycle Boots

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.

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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

 

Red Wing Irish Setter Sport Boots – Late 1960s

Posted on by Rob Drews

This is an older pair of Irish Setter Boots by Red Wing. This style boot is consistent in cut and quality with boots marketed under the Red Wing name for that time and even today. The boots featured original Vibram Montagnabloc soles made soles, ideal for hunting and hiking.  Single layer split leather uppers are triple stitched around the vamp and back strap. Storm welt and gusseted tongue keep the elements at bay as the wearer tromps about the field, snow, mountain or marsh.  Closure is completed via six eyelets and three loops making for. easy on and off.

Chestnut brown in color with slightly darker tongues for added style. Boots are stamped inside uppers 10 A, model number there but not legible. Red Wing stamped on the inside of right boot. Leather insole.  7″ uppers and 1 1/8″ heel.

Frye Model 2177 Western Boots

Posted on by Rob Drews

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.

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

Frye Black Label 2550 Campus Boot in Black

Posted on by Rob Drews

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

Danner 30520 Hiking Boots

Posted on by Rob Drews
Danner 30520 Leather Mountain Light Vintage Boots

These older Danner 30520 hiking boots are the bases for what is now known as the Mountain Light 30876. Though not called the mountain light, this version was made significantly lighter than the previous 6490 version primarily from the move to a Gore-tex lining and lighter sole material. Danner was an early adopter of the revolutionary Gore-TEX fabric which made its entrance into outdoor market in the mid 70s. A similar boots marked 3052 was also made, I’ve not yet determined what the extra 0 found here denotes

Much the same as the current Mountain Light these boots feature:

GORE-TEX lining
Vibram Soles
5 D-rings, 2 hook lace-up
Danner tri-fold tongue
5″ shaft
Are Made in the USA and Recraftable

Tongue Markings:
10 D 30520 23A233
Danner

World War II Era US Air Forces Type A-1 Heavy Flight Boots by Bristolite

Posted on by Rob Drews

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

Danner 31570 Gore-Tex Hiking Boots

Posted on by Rob Drews

Great boots from the great northwest. These Danner Boots are like none other that I have come across before and you’ll be hard pressed to find another pair in this style. Marked as 31570  040035, these boots share have similarities with the famous Danner Light in the form of mixed  material uppers, but are lower cut with a more casual feel. Still fully lined with Gore-text they ready to take on just about anything, from the city streets to the mountain trails.

In the early 80s, the use of synthetic fabrics in hiking boots began to take hold. Cordura along with Gore-Tex had the ability to greatly reduce the weight of a pair of boots while still allowing for dependability and weather proofing serious hikers had come to expect from their earlier leather tanks. Boots like the Vasque Sundowner and Danner Light exploded in popularity and pretty soon every boot maker had a similar option.

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..