BACKGROUND: The felt and leather boots were originally introduced after the first devastating winter in Russian as the standard leather marching boots didn’t provide the warmth required in the extreme cold. The felt and leather boots came in two styles with a lighter weight style which offered warmth and enabled the wearer to retain a degree of mobility and a second heavier felt and leather over-boot intended for wear by stationary personnel such as vehicle drivers, guards and sentries. The lighter style felt and leather boots were designed to replace the leather marching boot while the heavier felt and leather over-boots were designed to slip over the leather marching boot. Both of the boots gained widespread popularity by all personnel in the sub-zero temperatures on the Eastern front. Both styles of the felt and leather boots were distributed to EM/NCO’s for the winter season, (September 15TH to April 15TH), with other winter garments and were to be returned to the units clothing depot in April for storage, repair and cleaning to be reissued the following September. Originally Officers and senior NCO’s responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and footwear were required to purchase the felt and leather winter boots until regulations of December 1942 extended the issue winter clothing and footwear to all ranks in the colder theatres of operation.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Compressed and molded grey felt and black leather construction boots are roughly, 43cm tall from the top of the heel to the top of the back calf section. The top 20cm of the calves are in grey compressed and molded felt while the bottom 23cm are in black leather. The boots have stacked leather heels and forward soles. The insteps and forward soles both show the typical diamond shaped wooden retaining dowels. The insteps of the boots are both well marked with impressed size numerals, "29". One side of the calf section of each boot has an inset, steel grommet with a small sheet metal panel to the interior of each with impressed markings to each that consists of "R.B.D. BERLIN", indicating, Reichsbahndirektion Berlin, (National Railway Directorate Berlin), followed by a inventory number and 1943 date. The boots are in overall good condition with minimal age toning and chafe wear to the leather and numerous small moth nips to the felt. The boots are roughly size 10.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $399.00