Late war volkssturm boots ... or????

[Danmark]

Hi all, I have just purchased ( cheaply by the way ) these boots. Advertised as 'last ditch', volkssturm used, blah, blah blah.....
Anyway, despite the story I bought them because they are so crudely made ( it just may be possible ) that they ARE exactly that. I am NOT claiming military issue of course but who knows if the Berlin defenders wore these such items???? They would never have got boots the front line soldiers would have had, surely? I have seen old men with normal looking shoes on so why not clog-like things?

Rask Antik has a pair ( last photo ) and Henrik is pretty good on the identification of things.

Similar but fresher looking boots have been discussed a couple of years back -https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/field-equipment-accessories-3-reich/german-latewar-boots-33632/ with mixed opinions.

Since then have any others seen these turn up. The 2011 thread indicated they were all over the online auctions but these are the first ones I have seen. Sure, they could have been made recently in Romania by 'Bogdan the cobbler' but there is a crudity to them that seems to fit the fall of the Reich and just drew me in.

Anyway, hope this provokes some discussion?
Dan

[Wagriff]

I've seen these being sold as "KZ inmate shoes" also....

[Danmark]

I've seen these being sold as "KZ inmate shoes" also....

True William - and the referred thread mentions that also but I tend to agree with the responders to that thread that ( sadly ) even these may have been considered too good to give to those poor souls in the camps...

Dan

[reneblacky]

not something I would add to my junk pile that's for sure

[Wagriff]

These are very well made-you can see the machine stitching on them. I can also remember seeing such shoes on civilians after the wars end when it was nigh on impossible to purchase ready made shoes.

[Danmark]

not something I would add to my junk pile that's for sure

Phew, that's a relief Rene ..... so it's safe on mine then? LOL

[reneblacky]

Phew, that's a relief Rene ..... so it's safe on mine then? LOL

yep

[HPL2008]

They may well be old boots of the period, but they should be considered as just that. I find the seller's claimed Volkssturm connection somewhat spurious.

No special boots were made for the Volkssturm.

If possible, its members were issued more-or-less suitable boots from any available military-/police-/political organizations' stocks (new or, more likely, second-hand) or had to make do with their own footwear. It is safe to assume that the latter was the case for the vast majority of Volkssturm personnel. By this time of the war, leather in general and good footwear in particular were scarce commodities; good boots being a much sought-after and prized possession for any soldier.

In fact, early orders for the raising of the Volkssturm made it clear that its personnel was to provide its own clothing, particularly stressing the importance of stout footwear.

So, such boots may have been worn by a Volkssturm man on duty, but if they were, they were no more Volkssturm-related than, say, the plaid scarf, hand-knit socks or old underpants he also wore for the occasion.

[Danmark]

They may well be old boots of the period, but they should be considered as just that. I find the seller's claimed Volkssturm connection somewhat spurious.

Quite right - and I wasn't blinded by the claim. If they fit the period, to me they represent the low / desperate point to where the once mighty and quality driven industrial might of the Reich had fallen to. As I mentioned in my opening comments, I certainly make NO claims of military issue but I can still imagine them on the feet of a pitchfork wielding civilian defender scared witless over the advancing Red hoard ..... one can almost smell the fear!!!