WWII Army Officers Dress Shoes

[JoshK]

WW2IMP are indeed made in the US, are considered in the reenacting community to be the absolute best boots on the market. They are indeed made by Cocoran, but they are a special contract so don't judge the quality of Juan’s boots from the Jump Boots that may have gotten from Cocoran.

As for sizing the easiest thing to do is to contact Juan and try to figure it out with him.

As for my experience with Juan’s boots, nothing short of phenomenal. I bought my first pair of Juan’s boots from a reenactor who bought the boots from Juan’s first run. They are now on their 3rd sole and are holding up fantastically.

As to Juan’s shipping time, in the past it used to take him longer than most vendors but recently he has greatly improved shipping time on in stock items. If the item is out of stock though there is a reason your not going to receive it... And once it is in stock there is are reasons that he might charge you more for such as, if the price for material has gone up.

Having owned boots from ATF they are good boots (M43 Combat Boots and M43 Rough out boots) but their Service Shoes and Jump boots are frankly horrible. On both item the leather is unnatural feeling and the finish is not correct for WW2 boots. On the other hand the WW2IMP boots of these models leather quality is fantastic and the pattern is allot better. Plus they have more sizes so you can get a better fitting shoe.

As to the Marine Corps Service Shoes, they are fantastic and worth every penny, as they perfectly recreate the said shoes.

The difference between the Cocoran Jump Boots and Juan’s Jump boots is that Juan’s have better quality materials, the pattern is the actual 1942 pattern and not a brown version of the modern pattern and the eyelets are made of the correct metal and they are actually died and not sprayed painted brown.

Basically if you want WW2 boots look no farther than WW2IMP.

 

[cbrunt]

Hey Josh,

This is going to come across as sarcasm, but I'm honestly curious. How do you "know" that they are made by Corcorran under a special contract? I've seen a pair worn for just a few events that were falling apart and looked and felt like boots that I knew with absolute certainty were made in India. These boots didn't have Made in USA anywhere.

Why would Corcorran make a "special contract" of boots in low numbers yet leave off their trademark name?? Or at least the legally required "made in XXXX" tag which is not present. They omit both their name and where they're made? Seems a silly thing both for Corcorran AND WWII impressions to be shy about claiming by whom and where these boots are made.

Considering how much of an issue "american made" is becoming, I'm skeptical of a company who themselves never- not anywhere on their site- proclaim proudly "Made in America". (With the exception of their denim.)

But the debate over MANY reenactment companies having their goods made overseas, but never providing any real answer is frustrating- we do have a right to know where things are made... legally. In other words, if any maker is having stuff made in America, why aren't the open about?

Again, this isn't sarcasm or aimed at you.

Clint

 

[Davep]

I agree, I would want to know what country for any other reason as who is making it. I ordered a canteen from WPG, which I find is made in Pakistan. Also after recieving it find it had a small pin hole. Now with issues WPG is having with them, it's been three month getting a new one, and WPG customer service sucks.

 

[JoshK]

I know they are made by the Cocoran by two things:
1. One of my freinds worked with Juan to help create their new and improved M1942 Jump boots and helped him with going through also of getting them made.
2. I know this sounds stupid, but me and several of my know Juan he is a stand up guy, and anything he says I would take to the bank. That combined with the possible legal reprocussions of lying about his product twice on his website(in regards to the boots):

"One main difference with our boots is the last. The last is the rigid foot-shaped form used to mold the shoe around during the course of production. Our boots come from the Corcoran factory and are hand made here in the USA (Yes Corcoran still exists and still makes boots for the military!). We are the only retailer offering our vast selection of WWII reproduction footwear using the copyrighted genuine WWII spec Army Munson last. Though the Army contracted to have jump boots made by various suppliers, Corcoran was by far the most widely known brand of them all using the distinct Munson styling. "



He actually spouts that his american made products everytime he can:
"There was a recent thread discussing a vendor's decision to ship their products out of another country. I don't know why they made this decision but that is their business. I have another competitor who sells a quantity of their in-house-made field equipment in the USA but the vast majority of their uniforms are made in Asia. To each his own. They have their reasons for doing this.

It is appearing more and more that we (WWII Impressions) have retained it's domestic manufacturing status. Call us stubborn but we have our reasons for doing so, even if it means a slightly higher price and hassle factor. As I say on my web site, I am not interested in operating a company selling products made out of the USA. I know that with work and discipline a quality product can be produced outside the country. I want to sell American made products, not foreign. We do this only with a couple of unavoidable exceptions.

The US has become a consumer based economy and has lost it's manufacturing edge to the developing third world. This is as a result of the global economy which we have no control over anymore. This is just the way the wind is blowing right now. What this means is that we will have to become comfortable with purchasing what ever raw materials from places which are no longer available in the USA. There is still hope since the USA is still competative in the cotton industry. But, the USA is no longer competative in wool and metal findings. These two industries in the USA have been wiped out by foreign competition.

This was not the case ten years ago. The USA still had an edge. When we started WWII Impressions it was still possible to find practically everything we needed made here in the USA. But that has all changed. Our small company is doing everything it can to operate under it's original intent and still offer American made products from American made raw materials. The reality is that even we have to purchase raw materials from industries that no longer offer those materials domestically.

Since we started we have seen repro companies come and go, and other companies change it's format to fit the current economy. It is comical to hear their complaints against American industry to justify their decision to go "Global". I guess we are just old fashioned.

In the meantime we will continue to offer American made uniforms, footwear, and equipment that is second to none in quality, durability, and value.



I'm counting how many times he says made in the USA:
http://www.wwiiimpressions.com/usarmy.html (6 times, 2 items he states are made in pakistan)

http://www.wwiiimpressions.com/usarmydress.html (10 times)

http://www.wwiiimpressions.com/usarmygear.html (30 times)

ect...



As to how they are different from the regular Cocoran Jump Boots, I'll let him explain:
Our jump boots are genuine Corcorans, but with a historical twist. Corcoran jump boots found at discount suppliers have some synthetic and plastic components. Ours does not. We had Corcoran follow the original specs from 1942 and put the original style components back as the Army originally called out for them. We used cotton thread on the uppers. The only sythetic thread used was on the genuine goodyear welt which Corcoran insists on using nylon. We are the only company to sell such authentic Corcoran jump boots. And don't be satisfied with foreign made jump boots. Only Corcoran boots are made using the genuine munson last. All other boots use commercial lasts which don't offer the authentic box toe shape. We have customers still wearing our boots after 10 years of rugged performance.

-Josh

 

[cco23i]

Josh,
All I know is in business there are certain things you do to hel customers. I ordered a set of 38 pattern coveralls almost 2 years ago, they were on sale and I bought them. I was then deployed and was gone for 6 months. Upon return (and I think once while I was deployed) I asked about the coveralls. I kept being told by Juan on the PM section of the WW2 reenactors website "a couple more months". Well I thought i'd just be patient and not bug him about it. I then was emailed about 1 or 2 months ago that the coveralls were in stock and ready to ship, they just needed confirmation on my credit card and they would be on their way. I called and talked to somebody there not sure who and was told the coveralls would be 169.00, I said that I had been put on a back order for the sale price of 139.00, I was told "due to sources increasing clothe price I would have to pay more. Well I told them to cancell as I was my impression, that I was to pay the 139.00 from the original order. I had run my own business and one major order I had just as I got halfway though and ordered more mold rubber my vendor tells me the price went up so he charged me the new price, well as I was halfway through the order I was producing I had to take a loss and charge my customer the ORIGINAL QUOTED PRICE, I then informed them that my supplier had raised my price and thier next order was to show an increase in price, well they had no problem with this and I retained a loyal customer. That's my beef with ww2 impressions.

Scott

 

[JoshK]

Wow that stinks and I understand why you left him. All have to say is I'm sorry.

-Josh

 

[cco23i]

I apreciate that but it's not your fault. All well I actually found a vendor who produces them and cheaper. :eusa_clap

Scott

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

Does anybody have these low quarter WWII reproduction dress shoes?(not buzz R's)

Hello,

Recently I stumbled upon some reproduction WWII low quarter dress shoes that look pretty nice, and I wondered if anybody here had a pair. The place of manufacture may be somewhat dubious, but they sure look to be pretty nice shoes:

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...irefox-a&rls=com.ubuntu:en-US:unofficial&um=1

Does anybody have a pair of these? Know anything about the company? Thanks folks!

 

[Davep]

How about these
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Handmade-Ox...var=&hash=item76be5eb0cb&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

 

[filfoster]

Round heels

What Price Glory has US officer russet low dress shoes, $95.
www.onlinemilitaria.net look under "boots" under American products.

Not to dis Jim at Motorcowboy. He makes great footwear-made a dead-on pair of 1920's high top leather football stacked leather cleats for me this year. He can make anything but WPG is cheaper and 'ready to go'.

 

[reetpleat]

I know very little about this stuff, but those look too brown. Are they supposed to be the russet color of hat brims, and officer's shoes of the era?

Interesting story. I found a pair of dead stock russet shoes. the tags looked 50s and they had one of thos plastic strip ties on them. the stamp on the bottom said something about us navy pattent.

After i ebayed them, I did some research and discovered one interesting thing. The company that made them came up on google as having been in a lawsuit about the advertising. seems they were reproducing the shoes in the 50s and advertising them in a way that suggested they were us military surplus, but they were just making them to the same specs. They looked good, and seemed fine quality. And I sold them to some guy in France. No big deal, but interesting that I could have tracked down this info. Ten years ago, that would have been unimaginable.

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

How good: SM Wholesale Russet Low Boots?

Hi,

I recently stumbled on the SM Wholesales website and found a picture of their Russet low boots, here is a link: http://www.smwholesale.com/0073.html

To me they look like the best reproductions I have seen. Do any of you-all have a pair? Do you know someone that does? What do you think? Thanks!

 

[Doug C]

I don't have any experience with those and don't remember anyone ever posting a pair here - but just going from that picture they look great. Let us know if you take the plung on them and post pics by all means.

Doug C

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

I posted the same question on a WWII forum. Everybody said they are nice boots but WWII Impressions boots are better and the company is more reliable. Oh well--

 

[Davep]

Yeah I notice that site, has update things since 2001. The have statements like "... for the upcoming HBO special, Band of Brothers" on their website. So I wonder if there still in business, plus if they having update their site, those prices may be real old, and out of date

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

People seem to have OK luck with their Ebay auctions--I don't think they keep their site up.

 

[FinalVestige79]

SM Wholesale is still alive and well, they just don't update the site. And their store / factory is semi local. I can put you in contact with the right people if you wanna order anything. just pm me.

 

[Diamondback]

Apologies for the thread-necromancy, but would the Dockers Shelter work if hit with a judicious dose of darker tint, wax and spit 'n' polish?

The sole's nowhere near WWII-era, but as long as you ain't in a situation where people aren't looking that close it might slip by.

 

[Bilko]

These are typical of a pair of low quarter private purchase shoes favored by U.A.A.A.F. officers.

 

[cco23i]

One thing you have to remeber is yes, they did buy their own shoes BUT they did have to conform to regulations as well as be aproved by the installation commander.

Scott