Swedish Ankle Boots with Rubber Sole, brown, surplus

Extremely well made, tough ol' ankle boots. No GTX, no injection-molded soles, just thick leather, roomy fit, and to top it off, a Goodyear-welted leather & rubber sole. These boots will last a decade or two if properly cared for, and we're not bullshitting. Old used Swedish army surplus from the times when things like 'planned obsolescence' were not fashionable.

Features

Just like the boots the Swedish army used during the '30s and '40s, but "modernized" with a rubber outsole in the '50s. The model stayed more or less the same until the '80s when the color changed to black.

The leather used for these is about 2.5 mm (0.1") thick and of extremely high quality. Nothing fancy or exotic, but very tough and hard-wearing. A nice detail for a shoe model as old as this is the bellowed tongue that won't let water seep in from the sides. No wonder the British SAS favored these (and probably the rubberized variety as well) during the Falkland conflict over the standard-issue DMS Boots.

On the heel, you'll find a ski groove, the kind that accommodates, say, the old Finnish ski bindings or just about any snowshoes. Couple that with the overall generous sizing for many pairs of socks and you have excellent old school ski boots!

A word of warning: the rubber of the soles is not as supple as it was when new. This means it's probably not as grippy as it was back then (if it ever was grippy at all). It's still tough as nails. If absolutely necessary, a decent cobbler may even be able to change it to something modern.

Being ankle boots, these encourage the use of puttees, anklets, or gaiters to provide extra support and keep snow out. Or just fold your wool sock over the shaft.

These come with laces, either leather or cloth. In any case, it might be wise to invest in a new pair. No insole included.

Size info

The fit is roomy, these are meant to be used with many pairs of socks or socks plus footwraps, and thick insoles. We dare say the last will not cause problems for people with wide feet.

Condition

Swedish military surplus. Used and tossed around in warehouses for decades. The lace eyelets are often brass and usually have that bluish-green oxidation. They might come off in use but are easy to replace or just leave out. All kinds of signs of use are certainly visible, but overall these are not bad and have a very long way to go before they give up. And just to remind you dear reader, being Goodyear welted these can actually be repaired (or even rebuilt) by a decent cobbler.

Most of these have spots of old talcum powder or grease, dead surface mold, or some other type of dirt, just rub it off with a rag. There's also a slightly musty ol' warehouse smell, a real first-world problem.