Jackboots

The Jackboot is a sturdy black-leather military combat boot with no laces approximately 12" high.

The boot is often associated with totalitarian regimes - particularly Nazism - as they were issued to the German infantry by the Wehrmacht and SS during World War II, but the term 'Jackboot' originally applied to 17th Century cavalry boots which had been 'jacked' (reinforced) with armor to resist sword blows.

The classic German infantry version of the boot had a leather sole that was reinforced with heel irons fashioned from horseshoes and 'hobnails'  (short nails with thick heads) which helped extend the life of the sole during long marches.

 

The Germans sometimes called these boots 'Marschstiefel' (marching boots) or 'Knobelbecher' (dice cups) – the nickname derived from the cup-like dimple that forms near the ankle as the boots get broken in.

Officers wore finer versions of the jackboot which looked much more like riding boots.

Jackboots are still a part of the modern parade and service attire of the army of Russia.