Footwear contemplation

**KMCMICHAEL** · 15th June 17, 08:23 AM

I rarely wear footwear but years ago I received a pair of Corcoran jump boots they run a little large and have a nice roomy toe box. They are a good boot. Mine were some sort of reproduction for reenactors. I think they will look good with any kilt.

**Derekc5555** · 15th June 17, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by KMCMICHAEL

I rarely wear footwear but years ago I received a pair of Corcoran jump boots they run a little large and have a nice roomy toe box. They are a good boot. Mine were some sort of reproduction for reenactors. I think they will look good with any kilt.

Good to know, thanks.

If you didn't wear footwear, did you just go around barefoot?

**Tobus** · 15th June 17, 08:48 AM

I like the 10" Corcoran jump boots, but brown suits me better. See this previous thread where I discussed them.

Unfortunately, I never got around to taking a photo of me actually wearing them with a kilt. Dang, I guess I ought to do that some time.

**Derekc5555** · 15th June 17, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by Tobus

I like the 10" Corcoran jump boots, but brown suits me better. See this previous thread where I discussed them.

Unfortunately, I never got around to taking a photo of me actually wearing them with a kilt. Dang, I guess I ought to do that some time.

It was actually your thread that made me look at corcoran in the first place, so thank you.

I dont know if you're a hiker, but would you hike in them?

**Tobus** · 15th June 17, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by Derekc5555

I dont know if you're a hiker, but would you hike in them?

To be quite honest, no. I am a hiker/packpacker, and take my hiking boots pretty seriously in terms of comfort, load distribution, tread, etc. These jump boots seem well-made, but they lack the kind of soles that modern hiking boots offer. These are hard leather soles with a rubber texturized tread tacked on, and lack any sort of cushion. Plus, they just don't have any tread or grip on the bottom. If I absolutely *had* to hike in combat boots, I'd choose Vietnam-era jungle boots (in fact I have hiked in those, but it was pretty miserable compared to modern hiking boots). And I'd make sure I had a good set of inserts in them.

That's not to say I wouldn't do a brief day hike in jump boots on smooth, even trails, with no load on my back, as long as the boots were well broken-in. But for serious hiking or backpacking in rough country, I'd insist on real hiking boots. Or at least a more modern all-purpose boot with more comfortable soles and treads. My days of trying to look "cool" in the woods are long past.

Here are some photos of me hiking in Ariat roper-style boots, with canvas leggings for protection. This is about as far as I prefer to stray away from real hiking boots. To be quite honest, I don't know how those guys in WWII managed to traipse all over Europe wearing jump boots. Those were some tough fellas, for sure! I like the jump boots for casual wear whether I'm kilted or not, and while I think they'd certainly hold up just fine under hard trail use, I just know my feet and back would suffer.

**Derekc5555** · 15th June 17, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by Tobus

To be quite honest, no. I am a hiker/packpacker, and take my hiking boots pretty seriously in terms of comfort, load distribution, tread, etc. These jump boots seem well-made, but they lack the kind of soles that modern hiking boots offer. These are hard leather soles with a rubber texturized tread tacked on, and lack any sort of cushion. Plus, they just don't have any tread or grip on the bottom. If I absolutely *had* to hike in combat boots, I'd choose Vietnam-era jungle boots (in fact I have hiked in those, but it was pretty miserable compared to modern hiking boots). And I'd make sure I had a good set of inserts in them.

That's not to say I wouldn't do a brief day hike in jump boots on smooth, even trails, with no load on my back, as long as the boots were well broken-in. But for serious hiking or backpacking in rough country, I'd insist on real hiking boots. Or at least a more modern all-purpose boot with more comfortable soles and treads. My days of trying to look "cool" in the woods are long past.

Here are some photos of me hiking in Ariat roper-style boots, with canvas leggings for protection. This is about as far as I prefer to stray away from real hiking boots. To be quite honest, I don't know how those guys in WWII managed to traipse all over Europe wearing jump boots. Those were some tough fellas, for sure! I like the jump boots for casual wear whether I'm kilted or not, and while I think they'd certainly hold up just fine under hard trail use, I just know my feet and back would suffer.

I go on an annual backpacking trip where I hike about 8 hours per day with a 50 pound pack. I've seen the Corcoran boots with a more rugid sole on them, but I feel they probably still would not be very comfy.

I have trouble finding hiking boots because I wear a 9.5 2E. Apparently hiking boot companies don't think people with wide feet hike. I have yet to find a hiking boot that properly fits. I would love to find something that looks good with a kilt but is also comfortable to hike in, but I think that's asking too much.

Anyway.
Nice photos. I really like your leggings. Where can I get some and can I get them in black?

**Tobus** · 15th June 17, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Derekc5555

I go on an annual backpacking trip where I hike about 8 hours per day with a 50 pound pack. I've seen the Corcoran boots with a more rugid sole on them, but I feel they probably still would not be very comfy.

Yeah, Corcoran makes all kinds of boots, and I'm sure there are some models that would work better. They even have modern athletic-style police/SWAT boots that look comfortable but a tad unstylish for kilt wearing. As far as the tread goes, I'm sure any boot repair shop could replace the original treads with something more suited to trails that had better grip. But that seems like a lot of trouble and expense when there are better boots on the market that are specifically designed for hiking.

I have trouble finding hiking boots because I wear a 9.5 2E. Apparently hiking boot companies don't think people with wide feet hike. I have yet to find a hiking boot that properly fits. I would love to find something that looks good with a kilt but is also comfortable to hike in, but I think that's asking too much.

I have the opposite problem. I'm a small guy with small feet. Most boot makers won't make men's sizes smaller than an 8, and I wear a 7 (or sometimes a 6-1/2). It aggravates the snot out of me that I can't find serious footwear in my size.

Anyway.
Nice photos. I really like your leggings. Where can I get some and can I get them in black?

These are WWII military surplus canvas leggings which I discussed in this thread. To my knowledge, they only came in khaki and green for US military service (Army or Marines, several patterns exist). There are some companies making reproductions nowadays, but I don't know what their colour selection is like. I have purchased all of mine from eBay and military surplus shops. You might be able to dye/stain an original pair darker, but I just don't know how well they would take or hold the dye. My guess is that it would come out poorly.

I know that Scottish military-pattern spats, which are usually white, have been reproduced in black. As I recall, black was the colour used some time around the Napoleonic wars (somebody correct me on that if I'm wrong on the time period). I haven't had much luck finding any, though. And of course, spats will be different than these leggings. Military spats cover more of the top of the foot and don't extend up as high on the leg. If you manage to find some black spats, though, please share your source!

**ibrew4u** · 28th October 17, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by Derekc5555

I have trouble finding hiking boots because I wear a 9.5 2E. Apparently hiking boot companies don't think people with wide feet hike. I have yet to find a hiking boot that properly fits. I would love to find something that looks good with a kilt but is also comfortable to hike in, but I think that's asking too much.

I also have a wide foot and have trouble with boots. Then I tried Keens. They have a wide base and wide rounded toe. Now I have two pair, one vented and cool, and one waterproof, and have hiked over 1000 miles in them with no problems. I also have 1000 miles in Chacos...while comfortable in a kilt, not the most traditional look.

The jump boots were made for, well, jumping (out of airplanes), not great hikers.

13 years infantry, jump qualified, 1 year artillery, not qualified.

**Derekc5555** · 15th June 17, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by Tobus

To be quite honest, I don't know how those guys in WWII managed to traipse all over Europe wearing jump boots. Those were some tough fellas, for sure!

I assume when you're pumped full of adrenaline from constantly being shot at you don't give a damn what boots you have on, as long as you got 'em.

**The TALL TN Scot** · 30th January 18, 01:35 PM

I considered those or the Cocoran Maurader, but am leaning more toward the Thursday Boot Company Captain. Both have pictures attached. I think either will look good, and at the end of the day, it's more about what you like and what's comfortable to you, but that's just my opinion (I don't even have a kilt yet...but ordering this week).

black_compressed__90132_1451818113_300_300.jpg 61Z0h2YLNUL__UX395_.jpg