What type of boot have I found? 1956 Adams Bros

Discussion in 'Postwar' started by PaddyHickey, Sep 18, 2024.

  1. PaddyHickey

    PaddyHickey New Member

    Apologies if this rather mundane post isn't suitable for this particular forum. I know you have a forum for things like uniforms and equipment but it seems to be for second world war objects.

    I found the attached boots in a charity shop recently. They are an immaculate pair of 1956 Adams Bros boots. I had assumed that they were simply black civilian hiking boots or something because they didn't have any obvious military markings, and didn't have a toe cap or reenforced heel, which to my mind is the sign of a British army boot. It also says 'Commando Style' on the sole, and I guess I assumed that actual Commandos wouldn't wear boots with those words ('cos they are real Commandos!).
    I was conditioning them this evening and I noticed a faint broad arrow mark with a WD on the inside. The stamp also has what looks like 356.

    Did the army issue boots without toe caps and heels? What sort of soldier would have been issued them.

    Finally, they are drinking conditioner. Will they be okay to wear after some treatment or are they simply too old.

    Thanks in advance.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

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  3. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Nice boots!

    And as an addition to Kyle's post above.

    " It was developed in the 1930s by English rubber maker Itshide, who at the outbreak of WWII switched from producing toys and brushes to churning out tank treads and pieces for torpedo systems. Among its martial output was a new kind of rubber sole used for army boots, which soon earned the name “commando.”

    "Following the cessation of hostilities, Itshide—which relocated to the British shoemaking capital of Northamptonshire in 1989—continued to turn out the sole, whose utilitarian properties earned it a following in post-war Britain."

    Courtesy of the webpage here:

    How the Commando Sole Went From the Battlefield to the Runway

    The detail around the sole maker's name on your pair; there appear to be "full stops" between and after the "I.T.S." letters. This may help in dating when the soles on your pair of boots were made - maybe!

    Kind regards, always,

    Jim.
     
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  4. PaddyHickey

    PaddyHickey New Member

    Thanks everyone for your replies!
     
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