RAF 1941 pattern Flying boots

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, these boots are from my collection.

They are in good condition and are size 9's. The soles are original and the lower parts of the boots are rubber treated to help waterproof them. Maker marked to the "ITS Rubber Co Ltd", with the trademark "ITSHIDE" The sole has the letters "GRS" stamped onto them. Maybe the original owners initials? The uppers are good quailty sheepskin. The zippers still work. They are maker marked just a a letter "W".

These boots were an improvment from the earlier 1940 pattern flying boots as they had a leather strap put around the ankle to help secure the boot better to the wearers leg/foot. The previous pattern had a tendency to fall off, especially if the airman had to bail of of a shot down aircraft. Interestingly enought, the USAAF also found the same problem with their boots later in the war and straps had to be added too.

Cheers, Ade.

[Czech Republic]

Hello friends.
I'm from the Czech Republic and the estate I inherited these shoes.
I got it from the estate of the pilot Vladimir Cupák behalf.
After World War 2 was a pilot in England.
Know what value these shoes are?
Thank you for the information.
Sorry my english is bad

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi, and welcome to the forum! Your English is fine.

These boots are now worth between £150 and £200. Price in Euros is about the same.

Cheers, Ade.

[sitges1990]

Those boots are in fantastic shape Ade. I really enjoy the extra historical information you include. I wonder how many stories the USAAF brass heard about their crew's boots falling off before they decided to fix the problem. Thanks for sharing.

Jay