Mle 50 para boots

[Étienne]

Of course, I've been looking for a pair of repro para boots for awhile, and since the Italian ones have become hard to find, I had been looking at various vintage boots. I know WPG had some repros made, but they are a bit out of my price range right now.

Anyway, I just purchased a pair of [used] Danner Elk Hunter boots, and they look pretty darn good...even the soles are close-ish to some of the 1950s French rubber soles.

These are pics of the ones I got:






Yes, to be more accurate, the speed lacers would have to be swapped out with eyelets, but otherwise they are pretty close to what originals look like.

IMHO (ahem), I think they look more closely to the originals than the Italian para ones do.

[Étienne]

Here's the soles:



don't you think they look somewhat like the "rubber hobnail" type soles the French used in the 1950s? Of course, I can always resole them to be more accurate later on.

Like these:

[lew]

They look okay. Get rid of the cleats and replace with lace grommets. The sole doesn't even look close, but resoling would be pretty easy provided you could find a suitable tread.

[Étienne]

of course, that is the problem: finding a suitable sole and heel. That's why I like these Danners the most out of the repros, as their sole looks just as appropriate/inappropriate as any others (like WPG's), plus they are much more affordable. They can be found used under $100. And they look much more correct than the Italian para boots.

I am thinking about pulling the soles and heels off my 1950s "Rangers" and putting them on the Danners, or looking for another pair of French boots that have damaged uppers so I can use the sole. But for now, I'll keep the Danner soles on them until they wear down/out, since they look "somewhat" like some of the original style soles that have the rubber faux hobnailing like these original Mle 50's (and like the ones I posted earlier):



I will do more correct changes over time, however...

I wonder if French eBay or Delcampe has any soles for sale? Hmmm

[Étienne]

By the way, if anyone's thinking of getting Danner Elk boots, they're sized small (i.e. I wear a 10.5, got an 11, but they're slightly tight), so get one size to one and a half sizes larger than you normally wear.

Lew: Now you're got me motivated to take these apart and make them more correct! 

[rullow]

Hi Thanks for the idea for the replacement
except for the fact that in Europe its almost as scarce as TAP50.... however I ll try to search for them on ebay

Thanks

Jakub

[lew]

Étienne: If you do, I'd love to see a thread documenting the process. I need to know more about cobbling. I have a couple Mle. 52 boot pairs that will need to have the heels reglued. Looks straightforward, but I've not done my homework before and had that bit me in the ass.

[Étienne]

Have no re-heeling fear, monsieur! Sometime ago, I decided I wanted to do some cobbling for some reenactor friends, and also couldn't afford to get some boots and shoes repaired by a professional, so I started learning cobbler basics via YouTube videos and online forums (and by just taking old boots apart until I got the basic construction methods down). I still haven't found the WWI-era Singer sole stitcher that I want, but have some other equipment.

Heels are the best and easiest place to start, as there is a 95% chance you will not screw up the boots/shoe in the process. Soles are much harder to do, but I can get to that much later. I

With heels, I just get a stiff pry bar, nothing too sharp but nothing too dull (like an oyster knife or dull kitchen/butcher knife or even a Hyde/hive tool), and start working at the front corners of the heel to get an edge or two pulled up. If the sole's nailed, you'll usually pull the heel off the nails, and they will remain in the sole (but can be pulled later). I also use farrier's pliers or nail pincers to pull the sole off sometime, but it's best to use that only if you are not trying to salvage the heel, as it can tear a thin heel if one part gets stuck. After that, abrade your gluing surfaces, use some quality contact cement (according to directions), re-nail the heel, and voila!

You'd be amazed at how easy it is once you've done a few. And you'll likely never pay anyone to do it for you ever again.

Anyway, I'll post a series somewhere in this forum if that's cool about what I'm doing with my boots, and will post some videos of YouTubers that I think have useful information.

Thanks!

[lew]

That's helpful. Thanks!