Reenactors and the UK scene - weblinks

[Justin Swanton]

This reminds me of this Battle of the Bulge video. German leather boots were simpler in design than American ones, and had the rough side of the leather on the inside. The US boots were more sophisticated in design with the rough side outwards so the waterproofing wax could be absorbed by the leather -  but they didn't work. Result: thousands of American troops were put out of action by trench foot in the cold damp conditions of the Ardennes. The Germans were fine.

[Imperial Dave]

Interestingly, if you completely waterproof a boot, you can also increase the chance of trenchfoot because the boots cannot "breathe" ie your feet stew in their own sweat. This can be offset by having good socks (wool) and regular "airing" of feet

Lessons learnt very early on when I first took up hill walking. Interestingly and completely off topic but I now walk in trail shoes with wool socks in all but the worst of weather conditions when out walking in the hills. 

[Jim Webster]

Ironically, I tend to walk in wellington boots, partially because I spend so much of my life in them.

Because of the 'open' nature of wellingtons you get more air movement round your feet than you do with laced boots.
Also perhaps more importantly, stop for a brew and in twenty seconds you can have your feet out of the wellingtons and into a stream. I can be poisoning fish 100 yards downstream of me before other people even have their boots unlaced :-)

Jim

[Imperial Dave]

fair point Jim, thats another way of doing it....quick release boots 

[Jim Webster]

I don't recommend it for others, but it's just that I'm so used to wellingtons that they work for me. Expensive snug fitting ones would probably be worse.

Also they're handy in this side of the country because things can get wet underfoot 

Jim

[Mark G]

New Zealand farmers always were wellies at lest one size too big so they can step out of them when they get to the farmhouse / pub.

Its a mark of a townie to have to stop and take them off one by one

[Jim Webster]

Winter wellies should be a size bigger than summer wellies as well 

Jim

[Erpingham]

New Zealand farmers always were wellies at lest one size too big so they can step out of them when they get to the farmhouse / pub.

Its a mark of a townie to have to stop and take them off one by one

Seems pretty universal - I was always brought up to have wellies one size too big to fit the thick socks in.  Jim is a brave man to walk any distance in them though. 

Re-enactor footwear has improved considerably since my day.  Then it was a variety of shoes and boots - I remember people in Docs, cowbow boots and even steel-capped work boots.  Very few people had period footwear.

[Imperial Dave]

New Zealand farmers always were wellies at lest one size too big so they can step out of them when they get to the farmhouse / pub.

Its a mark of a townie to have to stop and take them off one by one

Seems pretty universal - I was always brought up to have wellies one size too big to fit the thick socks in.  Jim is a brave man to walk any distance in them though. 

Re-enactor footwear has improved considerably since my day.  Then it was a variety of shoes and boots - I remember people in Docs, cowbow boots and even steel-capped work boots.  Very few people had period footwear.

A very good point Anthony. My very first reenactment show involved me wearing "normal" suede leather shoes that to be fair didnt look too bad from a distance. After that I got a pair of handmade shoes from a guy called Kevin Garlick who still makes period authentic shoes to this day!