Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Kortoso wrote:Very neat! If I am not mistaken, this is based on a Viking turnshoe, which is great, since the sole can be replaced if it wears out, keeping the rest of the boot.

Frankly, I don't like the idea of high boots too much. They're often heavy and awkward; the leather is extra weight on the feet if you're covering extra miles, and I've yet to find high boots that stay up!

Has anyone had any experience with these boots? They are sold through KOA but are made by GRFB:
http://kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=GB1165

High boots can be a double-edged sword, so to speak. Sometimes they can definitely add a lot of weight, but they also offer a good deal of protection, as Greg mentioned. Historically, tall boots seemed to be reserved mostly for riding - which makes sense, because all that extra weight wouldn't have really been an issue while on horseback. "Captain Jack Sparrow" style pirate boots are fairly representative of late-period riding boots (although, historically, pirates never actually wore them, but that's another topic for another time), and owning a pair of these myself, I can safely say: Yes, they are heavy, yes, they are bulky, and yes, they have an annoying tendency not to stay up on their own (which is why one generally needs to wear "boot garters" to keep them from falling down around the ankles). That being said, they DO offer a ton of protection from brush, etc. (especially when the top bell is folded up for nearly full-leg coverage). But, once again, these are designed for riding, so they have tall, stacked heels, and slick soles.

On the other hand, you've got something like Native American moccasins. They can also be quite tall, but they are designed differently. First off, they're lightweight and the leather is relatively thin and pliable. They're not designed to hold themselves up, but rather, to be laced up the leg, which keeps them up fairly well. They also generally have soft soles, which is can better for trekking through uneven terrain, if one is used to it.

The ones I made are based on a historical medieval shoe, but I added the extra shaft up the leg for better coverage. It was a sort of "fantasy" design, overall, but in the end they came out much like classic moccasins, because they are not bulky, and because of the straps winding up the leg, they hold themselves up just fine. At first the straps would fall down from time to time as I was wearing them (and I feared they might), so I sewed a couple of little pieces of leather near the top of each boot to act like "belt loops" almost, and now the straps stay up just fine.

I love these boots because they offer great protection from the brush and brambles, they're extremely lightweight, and they're based for the most part on a historical design, so to my mind they have some "historical plausibility" as it were. Plus, most commercial tall boots are made like the ones you've pictured, which is to say, they have a HUGE calf opening. I'm fairly certain this is to accommodate a wide range of leg sizes, but I've always thought it looked pretty weird when worn. I prefer the style I went with (or most styles that involve lacing or strapping) because it hugs the boot close to the leg, so it doesn't get in the way, and it doesn't look weird and baggy.

Great looking boots. I like how you added the shank. I understand what you mean about high boots. I use a laced boot so I don't have the trouble of them coming down.

Manveruon wrote: On the other hand, you've got something like Native American moccasins. They can also be quite tall, but they are designed differently. First off, they're lightweight and the leather is relatively thin and pliable. They're not designed to hold themselves up, but rather, to be laced up the leg, which keeps them up fairly well. They also generally have soft soles, which is can better for trekking through uneven terrain, if one is used to it.

Actually, I do. They are low, light, soft and quiet. And yeah, you feel every bit of the trail beneath you, which suits me.
http://shop.mukluks.com/images/TKNUT.gif

Hmmm... still pondering my Ranger boot choices.

I have a wondrous pair of mocs from this company:
http://www.mukluks.com/
My tracker mocs are very comfortable (that's from someone who hates shoes)

So these guys also have tall boots:
http://shop.mukluks.com/Traditional-Tal ... L2smS5QBFd

Compare with this from the movies:
http://www.alleycatscratch.com/lotr/Hum ... r-boot.jpg

So the boots would be $170. Having made shoes and mocs myself, that's about what I would charge for a custom pair I made.

Scratching my head. They would be very nice, I think.

They all look quite comfortable and handsome I love the design. I would most enthusiastically use these as they could be veiwed as having a dwarven shape and flair if decorated properly.

Hmph. I checked with Steger. All of their high boots are mukluks, made for snow, with heavy rubber soles and tons of insulation. My Tracker Mocs from them are a horse of a different color and Steger doesn't make a high-top version of them.

This might be a good brand, if you're willing to fork out the dough:
http://www.footwearbyfootskins.com/

I have a pair of Footskins.

Quality is waaaaayyyyyy beyond the price....buy them.

i use to have a pair of the foot skins with the soft canoe sole. i loved them, my only gripe really was they don't like to stay up , they tend to slouch a bit on me. other than that i loved walking trails with them, they let me feel the ground under my foot but with out making it hurt or feel uncomfortable .

grimwulf wrote:i use to have a pair of the foot skins with the soft canoe sole. i loved them, my only gripe really was they don't like to stay up , they tend to slouch a bit on me. other than that i loved walking trails with them, they let me feel the ground under my foot but with out making it hurt or feel uncomfortable .

Thanks for your reviews, brother Rangers!
They have two types: "cowhide" and "deertan"; I assume that the first is of thicker or stiffer leather than the second.

i had the deer tan ones. they were butter soft, thin but not to thin as to feel cheap or like it may tear . i don't know about the cow hide ones. with the canoe soles the bottom outer sole area is a thick piece of leather, but the inside had a great "comfort sole made from leather that added nice amount of cushion to your step but did not take away from feeling the forest with your feet.

Correct. I have the cowhide and they wear like iron....but at the same time...very supple!

My father was a cowbow, lied about his age to join the marines durinjg WW-II so was in the days when he rode the range on a horse!
He preferred boots that went above the ankle because if he got hit by a snake, it would hit him just about the ankle.
BUT he never wore high boots as too heavy and no real protection.

Resurrecting this post to share some very interesting (at least I think so) updates!

I've decided to start a pretty serious re-work of my Ranger boots. These things have been through the wringer over the last six years or so. They have been worn in heat and in cold, dust and dirt, mud, rain, snow - you name it. Overall they have served me extremely well, and I have to say, if you're looking fora a good solid set of historical boots that won't break the bank, I can still absolutely recommend Viking Leathercrafts. I have been extremely pleased with how their 13th Century boots have held up for this long. These were one of my earlier major leatherworking projects, and as such I have learned a great deal since making them. I have also learned a few things about how they function in the various elements. For one thing, the lacing holes in the shoe section definitely cause them to be EXTREMELY non-waterproof. This hasn't been TOO much of an issue, but the last winter hike I did, my feet got thoroughly soaked, and despite my heavy-duty ski socks, I was definitely less than comfortable. Also, the lacing system could be greatly improved, as it continues to come undone with wear, and slide down the leg. Beyond these points, however, they have honestly served me extremely well!

Over the course of their use the dye job has definitely suffered, and they've become a bit misshapen due to being soaked, and also just due to normal wear. I also had a pair of lugged rubber soles added to them about 5 years back, which I recognize is kind of antithetical to their (at least somewhat) historically accurate beginnings, but has honestly saved my bacon a number of times on treks where traction was extremely important.

Right now I'm tearing them apart, then I'm planning to clean them thoroughly to remove any dirt and the fairly copious salt stains. Then I'll re-dye them, re-seal/condition/waterproof the leather, and rebuild basically the entire upper portion to fix some of the problems I mentioned above. For one, I plan to sew a long strip of leather up the backside with "loops" built in to pass the lacing through, which will hopefully prevent it from sliding down the leg with wear. I am also considering sewing some patches of very thin leather on the inside of the foot, underneath the lacing holes, in order to (theoretically) help make them slightly more water repellent.

I will post updates as I work (or at least once the rebuild is finished), but until then, here are some shots of the boots after six years of hard use:



Before and after...

Excited to see this project! I've revitalized several pairs of military boots in the past, but never to the extent that you are planning. I remember talking to a moccasin maker once who said he could rebuild and resole a pair two to three times before they had to be replaced, which gave me a little more confidence to take my home made boots out in the field!

Those boots look like they have stories to tell.

Brian

Wow, those look like they’ve seen many a mile on the trail. Glad to hear that they’ve held up for you! Looking forward to seeing them restored and repaired.