British ammunition boots

This video will cover probly to most iconic pair of military footwear in the world. The British ammunition shoes have a strange origin story and very long service life with some commonwealth of almost 100 years. These boots have many different versions with many countries and I will cover some of the more common designs in the video. Hopefully you liked this video and subscribed if you like this sort of stuff. Please leave a comment if you have any questions or suggestions for future videos and I will do my best to answer them. As always thanks for watching.
Thank you,
Devin K.

[@CharlieParker1959]

Wore thes a lot in the early 80's once broken in they were like wearing slippers you would wear them all day long....

[@PaddyInf]

Since the introduction of FAD in the mid 2000s and the general issue of shoes for parades there has been a steady decline in ammo boots in the British Army. Prior to this you would either bull your second pair of assault boots or got some ammos for No.2 dress. Most units still let the old and bold use ammos in FAD but you'd better make sure they are gleaming for parades as they are an RSM favourite for inspections. The shoes are easier to polish and have rubber soles which you dont have to bull so they are now more popular (yes the badge man used to inspect the soles!) but they look crap and dont make the erection-forming crunch when marching. I had the same pair of ammos for about 18 years before I commissioned (officers wear brown brogue shoes in service dress rather than black shoes/boots so I had no need for them).

[@garywheble4534]

The Highland troops wear brogues but black with built up soles and heel so lots of mettle can be attached

[@jjrider6758]

The main reason for not studding the soles of Ammo boots issued to vehicle drivers/crews was that most military vehicles (including armoured vehicles) had plain steel cab floors and steel studded boot soles slip and skid dangerously on steel floors, whereas plain leather soles do have at least some grip. Until the relatively recent introduction of the triple or 'clover-leaf' stud as on your parade boots the British Army used only two types of boot studs, the 'Stud' and the 'Hob' or 'Hobnail' - The Stud was the standard all-round grip for the ammunition boot, it is a round flat headed nail with a cross-hatched grip pattern stamped onto the surface (when new at least) It is approximately 9mm across and 3 to 4mm deep. 'Hobs' were only used where troops would spend the vast majority of their time on very soft ground such as loose sand or boggy conditions to provide more grip than the standard issue 'Stud'. The Hob is also nail but with a conical tapered head around 8 to 10 mm deep. During WW2 the Ordnance Dept. reduced the regulation number of studs to 13 per boot and omitted one screw from the toe-plate to save metal. The boots you have here are modern parade specific boots, they have thicker soles all the way along to prevent the boot from flexing because this causes the layers of 'bulled' polish to flake off. The original pattern of this boot for general and field wear did not have thick soles, just normal double layer leather soles and as such were quite flexible once broken in, this was often forced by wearing the brand new untreated boots with two pairs of socks and standing in a bath of water for some time until the leather was thoroughly soaked, then going for a good long march. This 'broke' the boots to the wearer's foot shape and once thoroughly dried at room temperature they were given a coat of waterproof 'Dubbin' for field use boots or 'bulled' to a mirror shine with polish for 'best' or parade boots. Before the introduction of your specific parade boots, boots used for parades had their soles built up to double or even triple thickness, but only the front part of the sole, not the instep - This allowed some degree of flex to remain in the sole making the boots more comfortable to wear. The term 'Ammunition Boot' does not pertain only to this pattern of boot (which actually came into use only just before WW2) but to ALL patterns of standard British Army boots ever designed and issued by the Army Ordnance Department, in fact ANYTHING supplied to the Army by the Ordnance Dept. was classified as 'ammunition'.. From the start of the 20th century ALL leather equipment in the British Army (including boots) was regulation brown, right up until the introduction of this pattern of ammunition boot just prior to WW2, although Officers continued to wear brown boots (apart from those serving in Rifle Regiments who wore black boots throughout) Lastly, Ammunition Boots with studded leather soles were not worn by any British ground troops during the Falklands War, only the visually similar standard issue DMS (Direct Moulded Sole) Boots as introduced in the 1960s. Some Parachute Regiment troops did wear the far superior German Army paratroop boots of the time that they had 'obtained' by fair means or foul while stationed in Germany and a large proportion of the Royal Marines Commandos wore civilian pattern walking boots (mainly the 'Cairngorm' by the British maker 'Hawkins' in black leather with red laces) and of course the Special Air Service wore whatever they damn well pleased !...

[@harry9392]

They are still in use in the British Army by the Guards Regiments for parades some other were them also for parades Its bulling your boots, Beeswax is the secret, brush on the melted wax get the wax smooth and bull them until very shiny. I had mine thrown out the window by my sgt major, I cried, well maybe angry

[@LrngMn]

Have a pair of '52's. Had lug soles put on em before I learned about the Commando custom. Great boots!

[@maverickfoxbmsn]

I have the WW1 Reproduction variant with leather soles it had hob nails and steel toe & heel plates. I removed the hob nails and steel toe heel plates and added rubber under the leather soles.

[@Mick028]

I was issued with the pimply leather type in 1966, we had to burn the pimples down so they would polish up for parades. Great for drill but crap for exercises.

[@rogerhudson9732]

If broken in properly they are great with a gel insole and skived cuff top. To break them in soak upside down in a square plastic bucket using a mixture of alcohol, balistol and urine for about 4 days, put a plastic bag over your wool socked feet, lace tight and go for a 5 mile walk.

[@WWIIREBEL]

I have a pair of ammo boots, but they are reproductions of the types issued during WW2. They are actually quite tough as the actual issued boots too.

[@vincentperratore4395]

We were issued very similar work boots in the US Navy and referred to them as "Boondockers".

[@matthewdickson7838]

Hobb nailed boots ive worn them for 40 years you get tripple hobbs an tom thumb singles accompanied by heal and toe plates ..

[@desantos1234]

my mates got a pair of the pebbled ones that he uses as drill boots. I've just got the standard issue Alt Bergs

[@desantos1234]

right. anyone who's curious to know the Guardsmen "secret" about shining boots, it's simply heating up bee's wax to a very thin liquid then using a paint brush to throw it on. Then heat it so it hardens

[@DevinK]

Desantos123 UK very true

[@desantos1234]

Devin Krueger my mates a Grenadier Guard. he applied when he was 16 a year ago and left me with the ACF in the Royal Anglian Regiment :(. It's gonna be another 2 years until I can join the Infantry and do both phases

[@DevinK]

Desantos123 UK well good luck there mate don't know much about the British army most of my knowledge is in the Canadian and Russian military

[@jamesrawlings4471]

Desantos123 Cheers for the advice

[@seses3997]

@@desantos1234 what's happened did you join

[@redarmy1698]

"I think boot polishing needs to come back." "IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU THINK!" -ROCK

[@blueband8114]

Parade pair with the thicker sole. Combat types were 2 layers on leather thick in the sole( i think.)

[@DevinK]

Andy Uk yes both the world war 1 & 2 pots as well as the Korean War boots had double layer soles and usually round flat hobnails instead of cloverleaf hobnails

[@venanss5270]

can I buy new pairs of these boots somewhere, some website, without being military? I'm interested, because I think it's very beautiful!

[@DevinK]

Yeah just google it they are pretty hard to find

[@Phimaux]

There is also William Lennon which make an almost 1:1 copy of the WW2 ammo boots and you can even customize then

[@paulleigh7792]

Boots aren’t “bullied.” They’re bulled. Wore these in the Air Training Corps in the ‘60’s. Spent many hours bulling them. They were cheap. Hard wearing and uncomfortable by modern standards. They were treacherous to walk in on hard surfaces. Much skidding about and risk of physical injury. Made for good sound effects on the drill square. On route marches, the cause of much blistering to the feet. We were very hard in those days!

[@dodgydruid]

Old squaddie trick with hard unyielding boots, have a whizz in 'em as the man juice softens the leather like nothing else and I remember those wise words first day in as my first gen NATO's were ripping my feet up raw and the depot sergeant said to me about having a wee in both, stuff with newspaper and allow to soak for as long as possible then get a bottle of Brut or Old Spice after shave and negate the pong that ensued and he was abs right. Only recently have I acquired another set of the round flat hobnail types, that sound when walking on concrete the crunch crunch... nothing like it :D

[@DevinK]

The ammonia in urine breaks down leather fibers and the moisture stimulated bacteria growth which produces uric acid which also breaks down leather and drastically reduces the life of boots… when a cheap bottle of lotion accomplishes the same thing with none of the negatives. It is just an old story I hear a lot of people say but it’s just horrible for your boots and foot health to pee in them.

[@desmondwallace8462]

I would not mind having it, i love it!!!

[@Brucaleeffo]

These are Parade Ammo Boots, nothing compared to the old ones. These aren't meant to "break-in", but to make a lot of noise during parades and be bullied to shine, reason why they have the sole extremely thick. If you want original top-notch-quality boots you should check Lennon website, they build them from scratches using the original machines or smwholesale. These parade boots ARE NOT MEANT TO BE WORE A LOT, avoid PARADE surplus if you mean to use these, even for reenactment.

[@oml81mm]

Ammunition boots were so called as ammunition was a very old term for something that came out of the stores. The original boots were properly known as "Boots, ankle".

[@oml81mm]

Me again... I should point out that the 'stores' were controlled by the Ordnance Dept, and later by the RAOC.

[@sniper9786]

Where can I get the same pair from????

[@AlexanderVerbaas]

Hi I watched your review a few weeks ago and today they arrived. They fit me perfect size 43/ Uk size 9. I walked 2 miles without any problems. I was also looking who made them. It says John Land hancraft tradition but there is nothing to find about John Land. I think about a second pair and replace the hobnails with rubber/commando soles. Any experience with that? Kind regards Alex

[@garywheble4534]

Original Ammo boots had no metal fixtures on the sole but did have steep toe and heel protection and wee issued to both Army and Naval Gunners the Infantry got the Ammo boots in the twentys and added the metal to the soles like they had in there priveouse boots called Jacob boots they were used from around the middle 1800 s to the 1920s . My Grandfarther who served with the Canadian Lensters kept his after his demobilisation and used them again in the second World War when he served as an ARP Warden . And the most surprising thing is those Jacob boots he had were made in India by local cobblers who made them out of brown leather not black because with there new karki uniforms the black boots stuck out like a sore thumb he said most of the 1st Battalion had three sets og brown boots made before they returned to Irland where they were issued with one set of black boots and one set of black shoes to be worn in there No1 dress which was dark blue and the shoes to be worn with there walking out dress which was a copy of the No1 but made of a rougher wool which was called there No2 dress officerly with that they wore a dark blue pill box hat with a Royal Navy blue pom pom and a Royal Navy blue silk band around the hat for No1 dress they wore a blue Cork helmet with Regermental shield and had a spike on top with there karki uniform before the first world War they wore a karki Tamoshanta when the first world War started or just before they were issued with the karki service cap

[@wernerhaase2632]

Die boots sind Regen fest !!😊

[@freqeist]

got mine today

[@Pinzpilot101]

These boots you have.....seem very different to original Ammo Boots (mine are 1953) they look as if they have been ('Burned down') this mean taking a hot metal spoon to the leather with dimples and smoothing it so that it would take a polish better and look better on parade, you were always issued with 2 pairs one for General duty, one pair as parade boots....though in the field you were required to take both pairs. (many soldiers found themselves an extra pair so that their parade boots didn't get scratched. (Indeed in the later era of Boots High Leg, my RSM (Regimental Sergeant Major) couldn't work out why, no matter what time of day or night he called an NCO's conference I always turned up in shiny boots. One day he jumped in my truck to shelter from a burst of heavy rain and found my 4 extra pairs of very shiny boots sitting on the shelf. "Fucking Hell" he shouted "Even I only bring 3 pairs of boots on manouevres !!!!!! "

[@danmorgan3685]

So these boots will hurt you more than the dentist from the Marathon Man.

[@DevinK]

Dan Morgan they can hurt your feet fairly easily and do have a rather long break in time I usually say just wear multiple pairs of socks

[@keithorbell8946]

Just a slight correction, you are correct that they are called “ammunition” boots because they came through the Board of Ordnance, which also administered the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers until 1855. I think you have modern Drill boots, mid 20th century Ammo boots had a pebbled surface which you had to “burn” down as part of the bulling (not bully), actually using beeswax and a lighter. From the introduction of Service Dress in 1900 to the 1920’s issued boots in the field were brown (check out William Lennon’s website). Ammo boots weren’t worn in the Falklands War, they were Boots, DMS (Direct Molded Sole), similar to ammo boots but with a rubber sole.

[@flatmoon6359]

Some guys wore civvy hiking boots,during Falklands War,but lots wore crappy DMS and putties.If you could ,you wore something else ,Swedish surplus boots were popular,as were Bundeswehr para boots.Sad and stupid, Procurement of British Army never got decent boots ,not even better till 2005ish.Nearly 40 years got good boots.

[@sputumtube]

It'd be interesting to see someone walking round a shopping mall wearing these things. They'd be sliding and skidding all over the place.

[@thexprtgamer5946]

paul greenwood Wen I first tried these on at home I kept slipping lmao

[@sputumtube]

I bet they're great for improving a person's balance...;)

[@andyrae1971]

Only ever used on military parades. It's fun coming to a halt. Can be very slippery. Also polished to a mirror like finish all over

[@harryb8945]

Did it a few months ago. Would have felt safer on an ice ring.

[@flatmoon6359]

These like yoga ammo boots,can't stop on slippery surface,sliding all over place.

[@tuffymchardass]

they are foot killers, i've worn them. those boots will outlive us all

[@DevinK]

tuffymchardass they have certainly outlived many being implemented way back in the 1800’s

[@ivanhowe]

I bought a pair at Silverman's maybe year 2000. I don't know if they are still in business. I'm in Boston and would be willing to help you get them to radiance.

[@DevinK]

Ivan Howe thanks for the offer but I think I have it down pretty well the pair in that video was just reserve pair I hadn’t shined yet.

[@tuffymchardass]

silverman's is alive and well

[@sharifrahman6993]

Which one is the most comfortable Drill Boot? How to prepare it.

[@DevinK]

These are not comfortable

[@fredericbaudry7783]

I got a pair of ammo boots 10 L, I use beeswax for the shine.

[@DevinK]

frederic baudry I do as well

[@АндрейШмырев-ж3з]

Прекрасные боты...сейчас так не делают...

[@raider-bricks7130]

Nice

[@ianstorey8119]

“Bully your boots”.....😂......... you mean Bull!!!

[@ontherunplmr1218]

Good Video, the pre WW11 Boots had 25 hobnails and apparently for wartime economy reasons these were reduced in early 1942 to 15 and then again to 13 ! As a Brit it shows how difficult times these were for materials if we has to worry about the amount of metal in hobnails !!

[@dannythorne9761]

Wher did you buy them i fownd them in size 4 and 5 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 but i nead size 6

[@DevinK]

Size 6 might be kinda hard to find and I bought mine from a friend in the United Kingdom. So not really a place and I don’t k ow where he got them from.

[@dannythorne9761]

@@DevinK Ok thanks Oh and sorry for the late reply

[@dannythorne9761]

I managed to get my self a brand new pair from british military surplus online

[@Cj-nj6cv]

Where can I find these boots? How did you get them yourself?

[@DevinK]

Cj Fairbrother I found them on a site from a store in England that sells them all I did was type British ammo boots size 10 in google and shop around, but that was about a year ago

[@Cj-nj6cv]

+Devin Krueger Thanks!

[@lucassmall]

Devin Krueger do you have the url?

[@dfcvda]

i have 9 pairs of Ammo boots.

[@bdeleon1588]

I want a pair!! Where can I get them? Please let me know, thank you

[@DevinK]

BODEL NEO ebay is going to be your best bet or guardsgear in the UK

[@ГеоргийНастенко-н1з]

@@DevinK very nice pair. Did you attach steel taps on toes and heels for effective kicking and trampling during street fights? Or they are original?

[@DevinK]

Георгий Настенко they come standard on most pairs to prolong to life of the boots through wear and tear

[@ГеоргийНастенко-н1з]

@@DevinK Some football fans wore such boots to matches. But when metal detectors were installed at the entrances to stadiums, they stopped letting guy wearing with such boots. According to police statistics, after that there were fewer severe characteristic bruises and injuries after fights

[@maxstratton5233]

Anyone know where I can get a pair? Size 8 For RAF

[@DevinK]

MaximumStrats guards gear sells them online they aren't cheap though

[@maxstratton5233]

Yeah, just I'm looking to buy some as I am the most senior cadet of my CCF (RAF) and I have Number 1s and I am just seeing whether any options for a decent amount of money come up.

[@maxstratton5233]

Good video though mate

[@DevinK]

MaximumStrats well these have an ungodly long break in time and tons of prep before you should wear them and you can slip easy on concrete or really any indoor surface

[@bdeleon1588]

I want a pair where can I buy them?

[@michaelgoulding6609]

you can buy hobnail boots same as these on ebay,brand new one,s are about £100,money well spent

[@willemventer3935]

the zulu wars was 1879

[@seanmwalsh6440]

We still us them

[@harry9392]

The boots you are showing are not used in the war as the Philips screws weren't invented then

[@DevinK]

Harry Williamson duh

[@lordracula2461]

Bull, not bully.

[@monobgantonina5577]

These are the absolute shit version of the ammo boots. Absolutely NO comparison with the originals that were produced until the 60s. These have horrible last, horrible shape and leathers.