all of you airborne guys... how comfortable are these boots for long term wear and distance hiking?
- Thread starter hunter1959
- Start date
We never wore Corcoran boots in the field. The biggest issues in the field would be keeping your pants bloused and the boots spit-shined...
I wear them April 15 to October 15 every day at work.
The Corcoran IIs in my estimation are shit but they are probably more comfortable than the Is.
I have raped supply for every pair of 1s They could find that are within a 1 size of my size. Yes I am that cheap.
No one likes the 1s because "Ew they have to break in. Ew you have to shine the whole boot"
Pussys.
Virgins. First day of wear will be tommorow....
1960s overstock from when they were made in the original factory in Stoughton MA.....
I consider Corcoran "service shoes".
They did March from Normandy to Berchestgarden in the day but there is much better field boot tech today.
The Corcoran IIs in my estimation are shit but they are probably more comfortable than the Is.
I have raped supply for every pair of 1s They could find that are within a 1 size of my size. Yes I am that cheap.
No one likes the 1s because "Ew they have to break in. Ew you have to shine the whole boot"
Pussys.
Virgins. First day of wear will be tommorow....
1960s overstock from when they were made in the original factory in Stoughton MA.....
I consider Corcoran "service shoes".
They did March from Normandy to Berchestgarden in the day but there is much better field boot tech today.
Lol absolute trash. Just for dress uniform. Only weirdos would wear them as actual footwear.
Yes they were status and rightly so!
Granted they had no arch support (no boot did back then) and you had to buy them, but no self respecting Airborne trooper wore issue boots.
But you shined them, resoled them and some even put Plasti-lux on the toe and heels.
And you probably owned more than one pair.
In my 26 years, they managed to get me through several Infantry schools and specialty courses, flight school, combat, field duty and even parades.
I broke starch in my tailored fatigue and BDUs because that is what you did.
Today is a different environment. Lots of choices. Because of that Corcoran wouldn't survive.
I will wear my mine one last time enroute to Arlington.
Granted they had no arch support (no boot did back then) and you had to buy them, but no self respecting Airborne trooper wore issue boots.
But you shined them, resoled them and some even put Plasti-lux on the toe and heels.
And you probably owned more than one pair.
In my 26 years, they managed to get me through several Infantry schools and specialty courses, flight school, combat, field duty and even parades.
I broke starch in my tailored fatigue and BDUs because that is what you did.
Today is a different environment. Lots of choices. Because of that Corcoran wouldn't survive.
I will wear my mine one last time enroute to Arlington.
Comfortable enough to stand in a formation or in front of a promotion board. That is the only reason to be wearing jump boots.
Airborne here, or at least was when I was in. I wore Corcoran jump boots with class A and in garrison. In the field or for ruck marches, I wore jungle boots 99% of the time that had been resoled with the ripple or Sawtooth soles
No joy with my NOS Corcorans.
Found out "B" width indicates a women's shoe.
I have expandable feet in Men's boots but I can't fit my flippers in a Women's width boot.
Moved them on to two recently graduated female co-workers in hopes they can appreciate the history.......bet they end up bitching that they are not as comfortable as the type II version the job issues.
We move to these mid October......
Another set of problems to overcome altogether.
Neither shoe style is "practical" but sometimes practical is dependent upon not what the wearer thinks but what the observer thinks.
Marine dress blues are about the worst thing for the wearer. Removing the blouse is akin to removing ski boots at the end of a good day of skiing.
Doesn't matter what the wearer suffers though, it's about what the observer is messaged by that "uniform".
My work is considering a "softer" uniform. Velcro sneaker style shoes, a washable uniform pant to replace wool, and a vest carrier over some sort of polo shirt. 80 plus years of esprit/tradition on the edge of extinction
While perhaps kinder and gentler I'd prefer the good people thinking "Wow, my tax money is paying some sharp looking people that wear their shit with pride" and bad people thinking " Fuck, this guy looks like he might be able to fight his way out of a paper bag, better to go with and let my lawyer handle it".
Never would Corcorans be my choice of field boots. In the service I usually wore jungles (talk about a bitch to break in) and our garrison black cadillacs were of even cheaper design than Corcorans - I disdained that bullshit mud release field boot for older z pattern soles as they spit shined pretty fine.
OP if you need boots for a "look" Corcs can look pretty sharp - somehow our guys can run good enough in them also to catch most people needing catching - but if you need field boots look at Merril Moab's for three out of four seasons and Limmer boots for winter or heavy duty walking.
Found out "B" width indicates a women's shoe.
I have expandable feet in Men's boots but I can't fit my flippers in a Women's width boot.
Moved them on to two recently graduated female co-workers in hopes they can appreciate the history.......bet they end up bitching that they are not as comfortable as the type II version the job issues.
We move to these mid October......
Another set of problems to overcome altogether.
Neither shoe style is "practical" but sometimes practical is dependent upon not what the wearer thinks but what the observer thinks.
Marine dress blues are about the worst thing for the wearer. Removing the blouse is akin to removing ski boots at the end of a good day of skiing.
Doesn't matter what the wearer suffers though, it's about what the observer is messaged by that "uniform".
My work is considering a "softer" uniform. Velcro sneaker style shoes, a washable uniform pant to replace wool, and a vest carrier over some sort of polo shirt. 80 plus years of esprit/tradition on the edge of extinction
While perhaps kinder and gentler I'd prefer the good people thinking "Wow, my tax money is paying some sharp looking people that wear their shit with pride" and bad people thinking " Fuck, this guy looks like he might be able to fight his way out of a paper bag, better to go with and let my lawyer handle it".
Never would Corcorans be my choice of field boots. In the service I usually wore jungles (talk about a bitch to break in) and our garrison black cadillacs were of even cheaper design than Corcorans - I disdained that bullshit mud release field boot for older z pattern soles as they spit shined pretty fine.
OP if you need boots for a "look" Corcs can look pretty sharp - somehow our guys can run good enough in them also to catch most people needing catching - but if you need field boots look at Merril Moab's for three out of four seasons and Limmer boots for winter or heavy duty walking.
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Kept this flier from inside one of the Corcoran boxes.....
Corcoran was not the only boot supplier. I think Firestone, Goodyear and HH Brown may have been supplying the mil boots in WWII.
Corcoran was not the only boot supplier. I think Firestone, Goodyear and HH Brown may have been supplying the mil boots in WWII.
Good God, no!!
Garrison use only.
Shudder to think of troops actually using them like a real boot
Danner, soloman for these times.
Ymmv, but if it does, wow!!! You are a tough dude!!??
Garrison use only.
Shudder to think of troops actually using them like a real boot
Danner, soloman for these times.
Ymmv, but if it does, wow!!! You are a tough dude!!??
Gunny Sgt minuteman
Ater jump school I was shipped to the 82nd ABN at Ft. Bragg. My very first payday I went to the Division PX and bought my first pair of Jump boots! That was in Feb. 1963. I don't remember the brand. I also bought a second pair a couple of months later for my inspection boots. I wore those boots to Rigger School at Ft. Lee, made several jumps in them, later as personal parachute pack rigger where I ran up and down a pack table in them as well as many army jumps. I also belonged to the XVIII Airborne Sport Parachute Club and made a bunch of jumps wearing them. Later I was transferred the 2/325 and was sent to the Dominican Republican in late April 1965 and wore them there until I returned at the end of October 1965. When I was sent to Viet Nam in Jan 1966 I wore them for about a month when they gave out from the wet and heat, were hot as hell on my feet and I had to cut holes in the side to drain the water. Finally, we were issued a pair of jungle boots straight off the feet of some rear area clerk. All my uniforms were stolen as were my jump boots I wore with my dress greens. I just bought a pair of Cocorans 1500 jump boots for nostalgia reasons and have started wearing them since XMAS. You said the Cocoran's 1's have better quality than the Cocoran 2's? could you explain the difference, please.
Different world when this thread was live.
I haven't worn Corcorans since being fired, save for the pair I cut the grass with.
One of the Troopers I gave the set of old school womens boots to was killed last March when her cruiser got rear ended by a TT.
Oh well.
I haven't worn Corcorans since being fired, save for the pair I cut the grass with.
One of the Troopers I gave the set of old school womens boots to was killed last March when her cruiser got rear ended by a TT.
Oh well.
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Corcoran 1s are similar to what you wore in the 60s. The leather is completely "polishable", its stiff, and you have the two part sole/heel bottom with a Goodyear welt.
Corcoran 2 only have the stiff "polishable" leather at the toe and heel. The rest is a softer silicone impregnated leather. The soles are some "field" pattern one piece rubber construction.
So thats why the sides were so miserable to polish. We still had to get ours to mirror finish though...
I never thought they were comfortable...of course we always wore them in class A's in July in Savannah, GA; standing outside for 2 hours while Lt. Col. dipshit talked about not getting arrested or something.
