British Gulf War Private Purchase Desert Boots - Part I

[@nickgreaves3355]

During the eighties we were wearing these boots as part of our uniform it consisted of para sweatshirt faded jeans and not forgetting our ubiquitous dessert boots! This was our off duty uniform in para reg.

[@thebelfastvikingmartinbrow3603]

I was running around Aldershot ACC in a pair lol brought from the ACC shop My big cousin David up the road a para got me into them

[@steveforster9764]

JPC 1980 Dessert Wellies M1-A flight jacket must haves

[@davidsayer3325]

I wore a pair of jungle boots with the green canvas sides blackened with boot polish. Great boots only had to block the air vents with tape on the inside to stop sand getting in.

[@davidsayer3325]

Can't remember seeing the particular pair you are discussing Simon in my unit.

[@mh53j]

I've been wearing jungle boots since I was 16 (48years): first the Korean made surplus Vietnam issue, then the newer Panama sole issue. I used to tape the inside of the drainage holes in winter to keep snow/slush out. Issue black-sided jungle boots came out in the summer of '90; I got a pair of privately purchased ones before I went on active duty in August that year, nobody even knew they were available.

[@SafetyProMalta]

Got a pair of US Boots off a US Staff Sgt, cost a smock and a beret. Our unit never got dessie boots at all by the time it was over. The BCH were awful in the sand, plus we all looked like knobs.

[@keithorbell8946]

On the subject of private purchase, one British Cavalry (tank) regiment arranged for enough sand coloured Guernsey-style jumpers to be sent over to kit out the whole regiment.

[@mikewinston8709]

I think the QRIH?

[@keithorbell8946]

@@mikewinston8709 might well have been. The company they went to used to use it as part of their advertising.

[@Drownedinblood]

Not having a gusseted tongue is a fatal flaw. Sand definitely got in there more than it should. Its more important than a tall height.

[@tommyatkins1914]

I used to wear these during the 90s for normal civilian use as they were available from Army & Navy stores for £15 a pair. They last about 2 to 3 years just with normal day-to-day use on the street.

[@adrianparker-e9f]

I had a pair in 1990 (wore them at the poll tax riot where I was taking photos !) I'm sure the label said 'made in Poland' ?

[@SunburntHands]

​@user-xs1yx9tc9m I had a pair in the early 90s from our local market in a Midlands town. The brand was 'Pays Bas' but identical to these.

[@ianmcclellan7695]

This is really interesting, the style and ankle height of the boots is reminiscent of the old desert boot we got issued with for wearing with KD service dress. Be interested to hear from Army veterans who wore boots like this in the Gulf.

[@shawnflynn1713]

Very cool video. I look forward to seeing more about boots. These look very comfortable,and mostly seem very casual. I love learning about boots.

[@keithorbell8946]

Comfortable, hard wearing and cheap desert boots. Roamer is a Polish company.

[@happyhowey]

Fantastic you're still making videos! Just had the little corner piece of an MTP smock I picked up snap, was worried you weren't making anything else since your artic jacket hood wire replacement video was six years old. Thanks so much for all the content mate. Super useful. Would you still recommend using copper wire to replace the hood wire when it snaps?

[@smeb8477]

I wore those and as a medic in I Stafford regiment where all your photos come from they gave everyone ingrowing toe nails on the big toe not that comfy as I remember we got them half way through our deployment and before then I wore my Scarpa attack boots and was a whole lot more comfortable... sand got in the boots and the trousers ties couldnt stop it

[@misolgit69]

at the times used to see photos in articles about uniforms of green jungle boots with superglue covered air vents

[@mattvye9228]

I remember these when i was posted in Dover in 1990 they were sold in the usual high street shops and to me where a bad replacement for the earlier " DBs " that soldiers used to wear down town on the pi%s with the crepe sole,i did notice that the troops in the gulf had them and thought now that is desperation as they are clearly not robust enough, sign of the times at the time when the Army was held together with green string & black nasty (tape) 😂

[@mikel6517]

Can’t wait till I see the design I wore, my old slippers. We all wore them in Kenya or off duty.

[@johnshanahan8477]

must pic up a set

[@YoYoYoman45]

You'd have to empty the sand out every couple of hours by the look of them.......too low cut

[@Drownedinblood]

Boot height doesnt mean much in the desert. No holes or points of entry in the lower are more important.

[@israsantaritanieto3380]

Where did you find these boots and how much did they cost you?

[@JimTimber]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄