Fallshirmjager 2nd pattern boots....

[Gerry]

Get 'em while you can!

Seems Hessen Antiques will be the first US Distributer to carry the Sturm Made 2nd pattern front lace, should sell out Real quick!!!! They are $189

www.hessenantique.com/Fallschirmj_ger_Jump_Boots_2nd_Model_p/hag18178200.htm

[Warlord]

Good find Gerry!

[click]

I read that they weren't stable enough/not enough ankle support to really be useable.

Click

[Adler69]

oh man , the notch on the heel of the boot is not a ski binding notch like they have written on their description , the notch was for the rubber slip on sole that they had to wear while inside the aircraft , to keep the hobnails on the leather soles from making sparks while you where in the aircraft.
Nice looking boots though .

Click , it was the side lace boots and not the front laced boots that didn't give good ankle support .

[click]

You mean like on originals? Oh well, I didnt know that, thanks! I was talking specifically about the sturm ones. I read on one of the reenactor forums that someone has popped their ankle while participating in a tactical. I also heard that the leather is abit flimsier than the originals which may have been the cause of the problem. That was what I was commenting on.

Click

[Adler69]

They used to say the same thing about the SM Wholesale FJ boots , I have had a pair of their boots for 7 years now and never had a single problem. I think I will pick up a pair of the Hessen Antiques boots.

[Adler69]

Click , yeah I meant on the originals, the FJs where given a special ankle brace and an ankle bandage to wear when they jumped to keep them from braking their ankles when landing , problem was that you couldn't run with the brace on , so you had to take the boots off , remove the brace , put the boots back on and then get in the fight , not many FJs actually did this and quite a few ankles got broken on combat jumps until the new front laced boots started to show up.

[sir veilance]

I just received a pair of these! They are a little big, but not to bad when I put them on with my heaviest pair of wool socks. I ordered a size 12. I wear anything from a 11-12 in US shoes sizes. There is a label on the inside of the boot that says "46" which is the European equivalent to a US size 12. I wish they made an 11 1/2 in these, as that would have been what I ordered!!

The boots are comfortable, (With the heavy socks!) and seam very accurate. They have the groove for the galoshes in the heel, hob nails, 12 grommets for the laces and are constructed like the Front Laced FJ boots I have seen in photos. The only thing I don't like is the stitching is a yellow/tan color and the top of the souls that are visible around the toe and sides of the boot are yellow/tan color as well. In most of the photos I have seen, they look all black to me. I will probably just black them out.

Thanks for the heads up on these gerry528!!

[Gerry]

No Prob! I saw them at the Odessa, NY event last weekend. They look great and seem close. I wear a 12 1/2 shoe and the 12 that this fellow had were big on me. I would just order a half to one size down if I were gonna order them. I am still waiting for mine from civil war boots! The ones you bought had hobnails? I thought they only came with nailed soles.

I wouldn't worry about the light colors they will be dark after an event or 2 I'm sure.

-Gerry

[sir veilance]

They are not like the hobnails on jackboots or on low boots. They are small flat headed hobnails that are almost flush with the sole. They do stick out a little on mine and are arranged like the hobnails on jackboots and low boots.

[feldwebelheidrich]

those are not hobnails, it is a "nailed sole" i.e that is how the sole is attached.

For field use you should still have them hobnailed

[sir veilance]

Sorry I disagree. To attach a sole to a shoe with nails you wouldn't need that many or use that pattern. The nails on the soles help prevent sole wear. Which is how hobnails are defined. Even "At the Front" who sells the boots describes them as hobnails, as does my local cobbler who asked about the boots when I wore them in one day. Here is how ATF describes them on their website.

The "hobnails" are the round headed type. (Square or rectangular heads also existed.)

To change the subject a bit, I have worn these to two events now and they are the most comfortable boots I own!! Just be careful when walking on a hard surface as you slide all over the place on the nails!!

[feldwebelheidrich]

If you look at originals they are wood pegged in that pattern, and it was to hold the sole on. Since you can't get many people in the world to do that anymore these reproduction ones are nailed in the same pattern to give the same “look.” Wood pegs were incidental in preventing leather sole wear as these will be.

These reproduction nailed soles while looking nice provide neither significant protection from sole wear or significant increase in traction.

FJ boot soles wore very quickly in this configuration, at least up here in the PNW you wouldn't be able to stay on your feet with those soles, you need real hobnails.

I do think they are nice boots and the best boot for the money right now. I would highly suggest them. As I would highly suggest having real hobnails put on them if they are to be a field boot.

[feldwebelheidrich]

BTW is the consensus they run ½ size large? How about width? I wear a /12 size in wide whenever possible so the size down may work perfect. Just what I need my fourth pair of FJ boots!

[Gerry]

The Feld is correct!

I wear a size 12/12.5 and I could easily have fit into an 11 in the Sturm boots.

BTW here is a photo of my Mattimore Fallschirmjager boots you can see the wood pegged soles these are not nailed like the Sturm or ATF ones, you can also see the nailed heel and added hobnails