General Patton's Tanker Boots - Attention Military Boots Experts !

[polocoat]

It's said that General Patton designed tanker boots with straps instead of a zipper allowing his tank personnel to get their boots on and off more quickly. Patton also wore these boots. My question is, what was their color - black, russet, brown? The pics of Patton wearing boots that I have seen are always in black and white. Thanks

 

[kyboots]

Current Tanker boots are the typical brown like other combat boots but black is an option and I suspect they were black at that time.
. John

 

[MrBern]

Slight correction, they had straps instead of laces. Not instead of zips. Easier to pull off in an emergency, like a fire. And no laces to tangle in machinery. I dont think there were any US combat boots with zips til after WWII.
Ive read one source that indicated the idea was taken from a WWI French boot.

WWII US boots were russet back then. They didnt go black leather til the mid 50s.
Cant say I've seen tons of photos of this boot in WWII. Most pics of Pattons seem to have him in modified cavalry buckleboots.

 

[HodgePodge]

Slight correction, they had straps instead of laces. Not instead of zips. Easier to pull off in an emergency, like a fire. And no laces to tangle in machinery. I dont think there were any US combat boots with zips til after WWII.

It was my understanding that the straps were/are used because laces will burn, then you won't be able to keep your boots on.

 

[polocoat]

Yes, of course, zips were not used; another senior moment. LOL. Thanks for the correction. I suspected russet because just about all leather items back then were russet. Were Patton's cavalry boots russet? Any color pics of this?

 

[Sgt Brown]

Here is the full uniform Patton proposed.

Star Trek 1942?

Tom

 

[polocoat]

Great Pic!!! Are those laces on the boots of General Patton's proposal? Maybe he thought about boot straps later. Looks like the boots are russet. Star Trek Indeed - Very Interesting, thanks.

 

[thecardigankid]

They still make a commercial version of the tanker boot with straps today. I bought a pair for my first tour in Iraq, they were discarded after a month, horrible boots in my mind. They were too loose on my feet no matter how much I tightened them down.

 

[Stearmen]

You can tell by his design, that Patton was a Francophile!

 

[Sgt Brown]

Great Pic!!! Are those laces on the boots of General Patton's proposal? Maybe he thought about boot straps later. Looks like the boots are russet. Star Trek Indeed - Very Interesting, thanks.

Or boots with laces are what the museum had available to display.

Tom

 

[Kopf-Jaeger]

Polecat,
I think the boots you are referring to are the Model1940 Cavalry boot. These were designed for the horse cavalry for ease of removing and putting on due to the fact that the Model1931 and prior issues had laces that went all the way up. My Grandfather used to have a pair still when I was a kid.

 

[polocoat]

Thanks for your interest. I'll check out the Model 1940.

 

[Edward]

Here is the full uniform Patton proposed.

Star Trek 1942?

Tom

Oh! I've never seen a colour photo of that before. For some reason, in the B&W photos I had pictured it in green. I really like it. The jacket, I think, owes something to the Wehrmacht / SS Panzerwraps, though they had the buttons concealed (more practical in the field, I should think).