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Limited Edition, Made in USA

Lakeshore Jump Boot

Caramel Tan Naked Kudu

Lakeshore Jump Boot

Hand-Lasted Goodyear Welt Construction. C.F. Stead® Naked Kudu Leather. Heavy-Duty Midsole & Structured Cap Toe with Freehand Brogueing. Black Vibram® 705 Half Sole with Brass Tacks. Stacked Leather Heel with Deadstock Cat's Paw Twin-Grip Heel. Barbour® Storm Welt Stained and Finished by Hand. Full Calfskin Lining. Tone-On-Tone Stitching. Antique Brass Eyelets & Speedhooks. Round Waxed Cotton Laces.

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Lakeshore Last

The Lakeshore Last exhibits the versatility and character demanded of a professional shoe. Crafted to fit with precision, this last provides durability and distinction from morning commute to evening cocktail.

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Vibram® 705 Half Sole with Deadstock Cat's Paw Twin-Grip Heel

Vibram's oil-resistant workhorse half sole is fitted atop 14-iron leather and stabilized with a steel shank for durability and comfort without compromise. Each sole is then hand-fitted to a deadstock Cat's Paw Twin-Grip Rubber Heel which has been stored in a climate-controlled warehouse for roughly 50 years.

Vibram® 705 Half Sole with Cat's Paw

C.F. Stead® Naked Kudu

The Kudu is a populous antelope from Southern Africa, living wild in the bush. Its hide provides a striking combination of softness and strength. C.F. Stead's Naked Kudu uses a fully-aniline finish that features subtle, natural pull-up and an unrivaled depth of texture and color. The subtle shimmer results from the tannage alone and can readily be polished.

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More than Made in USA

We are 100% committed to manufacturing all our footwear and accessories in the United States.

Fully Recraftable

All our footwear is 100% recraftable, meaning it can be re-soled again and again.

Fit for Command

Bespoke Officer Boots of World Wars I & II

In WWI and WWII, American Field Officers (those of Major or greater rank) were required to have one pair of shoes or boots for their dress uniform and another for the field, but they were not required to procure footwear from the Quartermaster. All shoes and boots still had to meet certain standards defined by the uniform code and in accordance with their division. Officers may otherwise indulge their personal preferences, whether it be a fine calf or vachetta leather, a double-leather or half sole, or even a silhouette based on the boots worn by British or French officers. (This explains why dressy “Jump Boots” of our day have little in common with the knee-high boots worn by WWII Paratroopers—they are based on boots worn by their Airborne Division superiors—those who did more jumping out of Jeeps than an airplanes).

Most officers, being the prudent and practical sort, opted for a variation of their standard-issue footwear, but made-to-measure and hand-lasted from a heavy veg tan leather, a premium rubber half sole, and some subtle hand-finished details they could appreciate without making the wrong sort of statement to their men, most of whom would have been lucky to have any well-functioning boots within two sizes of their Brannock measurement.

Our Field Officer Boot and Lakeshore Jump Boot highlight this footnote in shoemaking history, retaining the form and function of boots assured to all who served—and remaining faithful to the hand-crafted charm of boots commissioned by those who most assuredly would refuse to ever compromise.

History of the Jump Boot

Solid Footing for Soft Landings

Lieutenant General William P. Yarborough developed the 'Paratrooper Boot' in 1941 for the 501st Parachute Test Battalion (now the 501st Infantry Regiment). It would soon find its way throughout the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. It would make its combat debut on D-Day, worn by all 13,100 Paratroopers for their drop into Normandy. The boot featured a structured toe with cap and a rigid outsole, and an upper with additional ankle support—all to help facilitate soft landings. Crafted primarily by the Corcoran Boot Company and issued only to Paratroopers, these boots quickly became a mark of prestige—and given their high-quality, they were authorized to be worn with Paratroopers’ dress uniforms.

Our Lakeshore Jump Boot shares the same design objectives as the original—an ergonomic design courtesy of our Lakeshore Last, a heavyweight midsole, and a structured toe (with or without cap). Each pair is crafted from a renown leather, hand-lasted for the perfect fit, and finished with handwork such as freehand brogueing and brush-stained midsoles. The rubber half soles are reinforced with hand-tapped brass tacks and paired with a rare or deadstock rubber heel. As with Lieutenant General Yarborough’s Paratrooper Boots, the Lakeshore Jump Boots’ function in the field is rivaled only by the presence of the one who wears them.

Caramel Tan Naked Kudu Lakeshore Jump Boot - Detail Image One

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