Italian gaiters, canvas, short, surplus

Hats off to Italians for trying to keep the gentlemanly side of the war alive even in the '70s, which can be seen on these gaiters that would have been right at home in the trenches of the Great War or at least in the Second Act. Cotton, steel, laces, straps, fiddly donning, these have it all. These don’t have the Nylon mouth found on the previous batch we had. These probably represent an earlier version. In any case, the perfect accessory for your ankle boots.

Features

Not too tall, not too easy to use. Back in the old days, the main combination of a soldier's footwear was an ankle boot and a gaiter of various styles. These Italian gaiters from the post-war years look much like the US M-1938 leggings, but they are arguably a bit handier to use. They do their job in any case: protect the lower leg, keep dirt off your boot, and provide some degree of water resistance.

Made from thick canvas, steel hooks, thick laces, nylon understrap, and a little hook at the front to attach to the bootlace. The edges are trimmed with leather. Remember to wear these with the hooks facing outwards, or you'll risk getting tripped on them. At least by failing once you will learn.

Sizing

Italians use a reverse system where the size 4 is the smallest and the size 1 the biggest. This batch seems to contain sizes 1 (EU 46/47) and 2 (EU 44-45) shoes. But it isn’t precision engineering since the size of the hanging flap isn’t that important. But if you have really small feet, these aren’t for you.

Condition

Italian army surplus. Some of these are unissued and still paired together with the original factory thread. You should cut the thread open if you plan on walking with these. Some have seen some use. These are all old, so expect some corrosion in the metal parts.