Original Item: Only One Lot Available. Now this is one nice service used pair of M1917 Trench Boots! Though this pair of boots have seen extensive service, finding an intact pair of these Pershing Boots in any condition is extremely rare, making this an excellent offering. There is tearing and wear in the leather as well as the laces, but they are still in excellent display condition if you are looking for that “salty doughboy” display!

The trench boot, sometimes known as the "Pershing boot," was an American combat boot used in the latter stages of World War I, made for the cold mud of trench warfare. The 1917 Trench Boot was an adaptation of the boots American manufacturers were selling to the French and Belgian armies at the beginning of World War I. In American service, it replaced the 1912 Russet Marching Shoe. The boot was made of tanned cowhide with a half middle sole covered by a full sole, studded with five rows of hobnails. Iron plates were fixed to the heel. Although it was a great improvement, it lacked waterproofing, leading to trench foot.

In January 1918, Harry Lovejoy Rogers, Quartermaster General of the United States Army, met with a board of officers at American Expeditionary Forces Headquarters to make recommendations in order to improve the footwear of soldiers. The findings of the board were sent to General of the Armies John J. Pershing, who approved the
proposed changes. He cabled the study to the War Department for action. Shortly thereafter, the improved 1918 trench boot, also called the "Pershing boot", was first issued to personnel. It used heavier leather in its construction and had several minor changes from the 1917 Boot, including a thicker sole and improved waterproofing. Due to the boots' greater size, they were known as "little tanks" by the soldiers who received them.

An incredible pair of boots that you do not want to pass up the opportunity on! Comes more than ready for further research and display.