Specs
- Hook Grommets
- 2mm thick leather, full grain cowhide
- Double layered leather foot liner and ankle support pads
- Full gusseted tongue
- 10”-11” tall covering and supporting the entire ankle
- Reinforced toe cap
- Square toe may have metal rail supports for use with old-school cross country skis.
- 12 rows of hook style speed lacing grommets
Recommended Aesthetic and Functional Practices
Breaking In Your Boots
Generally speaking, these Austrian boots have already seen some use. This does mean that the leather is not as stiff as new boots, but a breaking in period is still recommended.
To break in your boots, wear them as often as possible over a one to two week period of regular activity (think grocery store trips, not hiking trips or guerrilla warfare). Use good, full length wool socks, and take note if you feel any ""hot spots"" while walking around. Friction between your foot and the boot causes blisters, and breaking in your boots should help with this.
If hot spots persist, silk or synthetic ""liner socks"" (worn under your wool ones) are a cheap and easy way to protect your feet. They are freely available at most outdoors stores.
Blousing and Tucking Your Trousers
If you are not going to tuck in your trousers when you tie your boots and you are wearing baggy pants, we recommend investing in elastic blousing garters / ""boot bands"".
It will look cleaner and keep your trouser cuffs out of the way.
Sizing
Walk into any store that sells shoes and ask to have both your feet measured. If you plan to wear your boots with a thick insole and medium/thick socks, buy one size bigger.
For those with wide feet, you should follow your general style of fitting into normal shoes.
Exchanges & Warranty
If your size doesn't fit you correctly, please contact us within 30 days. The entire cost of your first exchange will be covered by KommandoStore, including postage to and from your CONUS address.
Condition Guide
Like-New
- The item has been used, but remains in like-new condition. Suitable for discerning collectors and for use as a high quality master reference.
Excellent
- Some small decernable signs of being used that would rule out "like new" condition. Otherwise perfect functional and aesthetic condition.
- Signs of use may include subtle internal/external markings, such as rank, unit, or soldier serial number.
Great
- Perfect functional condition with only minor cosmetic blemishes, abrasions, or other signs of use---lightly used and well cared for.
- The item may show more noticeable internal/external writing, such as rank, serial numbers, etc.
Good
- Clear cosmetic blemishes, abrasions, or other signs of use that have not compromised functionality. Essentially, normal equipment used within normal parameters.
- The item may exhibit clear internal/external writing. This may include rank, serial numbers, etc.
Serviceable
- More significant cosmetic blemishes, abrasions, or other signs of use that have not compromised functionality. Serviceable items have a rougher aesthetic condition but are unequivocally field-ready.
- The item may exhibit clear internal/external writing. This may include rank, serial numbers, etc.
Battle-Damaged
- Significant cosmetic blemishes, abrasion, or other signs of use that have compromised functionality in some way. We have higher standards here---most battle-damaged items can be easily repaired with a new buckle, minor sewing, etc.
- The item may exhibit clear internal/external writing. This may include rank, serial numbers, etc.
Specs
- Hook Grommets
- 2mm thick leather, full grain cowhide
- Double layered leather foot liner and ankle support pads
- Full gusseted tongue
- 10”-11” tall covering and supporting the entire ankle
- Reinforced toe cap
- Square toe may have metal rail supports for use with old-school cross country skis.
- 12 rows of hook style speed lacing grommets
Recommended Aesthetic and Functional Practices
Breaking In Your Boots
Generally speaking, these Austrian boots have already seen some use. This does mean that the leather is not as stiff as new boots, but a breaking in period is still recommended.
To break in your boots, wear them as often as possible over a one to two week period of regular activity (think grocery store trips, not hiking trips or guerrilla warfare). Use good, full length wool socks, and take note if you feel any ""hot spots"" while walking around. Friction between your foot and the boot causes blisters, and breaking in your boots should help with this.
If hot spots persist, silk or synthetic ""liner socks"" (worn under your wool ones) are a cheap and easy way to protect your feet. They are freely available at most outdoors stores.
Blousing and Tucking Your Trousers
If you are not going to tuck in your trousers when you tie your boots and you are wearing baggy pants, we recommend investing in elastic blousing garters / ""boot bands"".
It will look cleaner and keep your trouser cuffs out of the way.
Sizing
Walk into any store that sells shoes and ask to have both your feet measured. If you plan to wear your boots with a thick insole and medium/thick socks, buy one size bigger.
For those with wide feet, you should follow your general style of fitting into normal shoes.
Exchanges & Warranty
If your size doesn't fit you correctly, please contact us within 30 days. The entire cost of your first exchange will be covered by KommandoStore, including postage to and from your CONUS address.
Condition Guide
Like-New
- The item has been used, but remains in like-new condition. Suitable for discerning collectors and for use as a high quality master reference.
Excellent
- Some small decernable signs of being used that would rule out "like new" condition. Otherwise perfect functional and aesthetic condition.
- Signs of use may include subtle internal/external markings, such as rank, unit, or soldier serial number.
Great
- Perfect functional condition with only minor cosmetic blemishes, abrasions, or other signs of use---lightly used and well cared for.
- The item may show more noticeable internal/external writing, such as rank, serial numbers, etc.
Good
- Clear cosmetic blemishes, abrasions, or other signs of use that have not compromised functionality. Essentially, normal equipment used within normal parameters.
- The item may exhibit clear internal/external writing. This may include rank, serial numbers, etc.
Serviceable
- More significant cosmetic blemishes, abrasions, or other signs of use that have not compromised functionality. Serviceable items have a rougher aesthetic condition but are unequivocally field-ready.
- The item may exhibit clear internal/external writing. This may include rank, serial numbers, etc.
Battle-Damaged
- Significant cosmetic blemishes, abrasion, or other signs of use that have compromised functionality in some way. We have higher standards here---most battle-damaged items can be easily repaired with a new buckle, minor sewing, etc.
- The item may exhibit clear internal/external writing. This may include rank, serial numbers, etc.
| Sizing |
Rated 0 on a scale of minus 2 to 2, where minus 2 is Runs Small, 0 is True to Size and 2 is Runs Big
|
| Performance |
Rated 4 out of 5
|
Very Nice
Works well trekking through all sorts of shit: mountain ranges, rooftops, alleyways, the NYC subway system. Pretty durable, they resist water, sludge and sharp metal objects. Recommended highly for Appalachian and urban use.
| Sizing |
Rated 0 on a scale of minus 2 to 2, where minus 2 is Runs Small, 0 is True to Size and 2 is Runs Big
|
|---|---|
| Performance |
Rated 4 out of 5
|
Sturdy, Good-Looking Boots
These boots are pretty chunky compared to other boots I've worn. The liner on the lower half of the boot means you get useful ankle padding and support. The thick leather throughout the construction of the boot is plenty, and I don't find I miss the full liner because of it. Bear in mind that the triple layer sole is tall and you'll be at least an inch taller wearing these.
Insoles are recommended, as the included leather insole doesn't provide adequate cushioning.
New laces are advised, as I find the included laces to be short for speed lacing.
Since these are upgrades that should be made to every pair of boots you buy, I don't consider these significant shortfalls anyway.
I purchased them in "Great" condition, and they arrived with some superficial scuffs, not to be unexpected from an old boot, and are otherwise perfectly serviceable. You're getting your money's worth.
I normally wear size US 10, and I ordered a pair in EUR 43. They fit to size and so if you want to be able to wear thick socks comfortably you would do well to size up.
Note: Like the other reviewer, my boots have a grommet hole on the interior side of both boots located roughly an inch from the top. This discrepancy leads me to believe that the hole's purpose is to mark boots for surplus. Not sure if all boots sold here have that marking though, so your mileage may vary.
| Sizing |
Rated 0 on a scale of minus 2 to 2, where minus 2 is Runs Small, 0 is True to Size and 2 is Runs Big
|
|---|---|
| Performance |
Rated 4 out of 5
|
My gateway drug into the world of Austrian boots.
These are beefy boots for beefy bois and gals. The pair I ordered had some superficial scuffs and scratches and there's X markings on the toe box, which I assume is Austria's way of designating stock to sell off as surplus. My pair also has a square sole which makes it look a bit more thicker than it actually is.
Here's a few of things you should know before you order a pair:
- Give these boots a good old oil-up. Mine were stiff at first, but breaking them in and oiling them up helped.
- You might need new laces. I ending up buying laces that are long enough for proper speed-lacing (however in the photo I tied them in a bow-knot and tucked them in like a noob. I got gud at speed-lacing since then),
- GET AN INSOLE! The footbed of these things are rock-solid and not very comfortable.
I tested these boots over the course of casual wildlife photography outings (birdwatching is serious business and I don't want my sneakers to get beat up. I'm weird like that) and a trip to the local zoo before the COVID-19 pandemic ruined everything and they help up well. The turtles at my university seem to like them, but maybe that's because I spoil them with carrots, fruit and chicken. I miss my little reptile friends.
Now contemplating on getting the ranger boots or wait for the paratrooper boots to get back in stock.
| Sizing |
Rated 0 on a scale of minus 2 to 2, where minus 2 is Runs Small, 0 is True to Size and 2 is Runs Big
|
|---|---|
| Performance |
Rated 5 out of 5
|
Is good boots
Fantastic quality for the price they should hold up to plenty of abuse inna mountains. I ordered the "great" quality and the only thing I felt they needed before wearing them out on a hike was to replace the worn out boot laces.
| Sizing |
Rated 0 on a scale of minus 2 to 2, where minus 2 is Runs Small, 0 is True to Size and 2 is Runs Big
|
|---|---|
| Performance |
Rated 4 out of 5
|
Hard to beat for the price.
For context: I work on a conservation field crew.
I bought when the "good" condition were sold out and opted for "excellent." First off: They are beautiful boots. You just won't find anything so distinctly European in the US. The speed lacing loops are made of some strong steel and you don't have to worry about shearing any off.
It's good to remember that these boots probably haven't been greased in decades and are VERY thirsty. I would recommend greasing with several layers and reapplying throughout the course of a week before wearing. That said: mine are not fully water-proof. They have numerous small hairline cracks in the natural bends of the leather that will slowly seep water throughout a particularly wet day. I gave ample prep and break-in before taking to a jobsite, so this is somewhat disappointing, especially considering I bought them mostly for that reason. Also should be noted that although the tongue is stitched in all the way up to the top; there is a grommet hole about 2 inches from the top of the boot on the inside of the leg. They must be a slightly different variation to the ones in the photos as this is not shown or noted in the photos. So instead of being 10-11" waterproof boots, they're realistically more like 8-9".
They're still good boots for stomping through blackberry or doing trail work. The treads are still strong and can give you a good purchase on most terrains. I would recommend if you don't work or play in especially wet environments…
| Sizing |
Rated -1 on a scale of minus 2 to 2, where minus 2 is Runs Small, 0 is True to Size and 2 is Runs Big
|
|---|---|
| Performance |
Rated 3 out of 5
|