Original Item: Only One Pair Available. A beautiful 100% genuine pair of large (43 cm approx size 10 US) German Officer Riding Jackboots in black leather. Offered in very good condition certainly solid enough to wear for historical impressions or to correctly complete a display, these are exceptional in the sense that they are GERMAN made and issued (not the Eastern European post war versions that currently flood the market).

These private purchase boots have rubber soles that are nicely maker marked SOLTERO and numbered. The inside of the boots are are maker marked KUEMROGEL along with serial number. There are also faint Totenkopf stamp in each boot with the letter S above. We do not know the significance of these markings.

These boots helped the German's complete an iconic silhouette to their officer's uniforms. Hard to find in such good condition today, these will be hard to find again.

The second meaning of the term is derived from the first, with reference to their toughness, but is unrelated in design and function, being a combat boot designed for marching, rising to at least mid-calf, with no laces, typically a leather sole with hobnails, and heel irons. The Germans call this boot "Marschstiefel", meaning "marching boot". This is the classic boot used by the German Infantry in World War I, though the Stormtroopers dispensed with them in favor of laced boots then used by Austro-Hungarian mountain troops. An etymological source not derived from the Cavalry Jackboot has been suggested as from the word jack, jacket or jerkin, as a common garment worn by the peasantry

Although hobnailed short jackboots date from before the Napoleonic era, they became popular with the Germanic armies in the mid to late 19th century because of their perceived durability over "lesser" boots. Worn out boots were considered a major problem for armies on the march and the high quality leather "jackboot" with its hobnails was deemed to be more durable than the alternatives available. As Prussia and the associated German minor powers relied on quickly defeating its opponents before they could fully mobilize and coordinate, their infantry's ability to march long distances was a major issue. The jackboot was replaced by lesser quality ankle boots in the German army when leather became scarce in World War II.