Description
As standard, the Mark V specification is:
Leather: Caramelo brown full grain
Collar: No collar, one-piece full height leather counter loop
Tongue/Overlay: Full bellows tongue for maximum resistance against water ingress
Thread: Tan
Eyelets: 4 Antique brass eyelets, 6 speed hooks and rivet detail at the quarter/vamp seam
Toe: Polycarbonate reinforced toe-box
Last: Army semi-sprung
Shank/Counter: Wooden shank, polycarbonate counter for extra rigidity at the heel
Sole finish: Leather to resin throughsole with heavy duty Vibram rubber unit, screwed at toe & heel
Laces: Brown leather
A Canadian Sapper –
I’m glad to say that the boots pictured here are ones that I had specifically made for myself. May very well be the ones I wear daily.
I wear these as an active duty Combat Engineer with the Corps or Royal Canadian Military Engineers. They’ve been through sand, swamp, lakes, rivers and snow. I have scuffed them, burned them, spilled bleaches and acids on them. I once wore them for 72 hours straight in the rain only stopping to change socks.
As a garrison boot they are unparalleled in fit comfort. Of course, following an arduous break in period of about 40-60 hours. Standard with any well tailored leather boot; It takes time to soften and contour to your feet. Everyone stops to ask me where I got them and how to get some and I always direct them here and to Libs. Four soldiers I work with have purchased them. Non-com and Officers. I own three pairs and plan for more.
As a field boot/marching boot: They are heavy. Modern combat boots weigh in at several hundred grams a pair. These weigh in at about double that. A boot.
What you give up in weight you gain in ankle support, comfort, sole, just-for-you luxury. These are Black(brown) Cadillacs. Are designed to take you somewhere in style and comfort at the cost of gas and maintenance. These aren’t for your Nijmegen March or your Iron Warrior race. They’re for dismounting in style.
While these are leather, that only gets you so far with water. Without a proper coat of oil and treatment, you have about 15 minutes of standing in calf deep water before they soak through. You’ll want to try them off properly and slowly after that or risk damaging them. That said, I have treated one pair with some thick Mink oil that has given these a fatty, matte and dark finish. Perfect for winter and the insole wore through to the screws before the vibram did. Though I think that has to do with my treatment of them rather than manufacture.
A friend of mine stacked on over 9000km of marching before badly needing a resole. Mine gave way at 5000km.
Solid boot, solid company with solid employees and workmanship. Really find your proper size and wear these in. Get them in a colour you like and care for them. The CAF gives me $380 a year to buy boots. I intend to make every pair purchased from William Lennon with that money last a lifetime with these.