The US Military was poorly equipped for jungle warfare in Vietnam.  Standard issue stuff that was acceptable in garrison duty stateside or in Europe was quickly found insufficient in the unforgiving jungles.  Many troops had to make do with commercial items brought in from home or locally produced items.  Eventually, as more American servicemembers entered Vietnam, their practical experiences led to more specialized equipment that was better suited to their needs.  The Jungle Boots were one of the first improved items that trickled through the military supply system.  The standard issue, full leather boots in use at this time were hot and heavy, not to mention rotted quickly, in the humid, tropical climate of Vietnam.  Unlike those boots, jungle boots were mostly made of (relatively) quick-drying canvas with minimal leather and nylon webbing reinforcement strictly where necessary.  They also included spike-protective soles, useful against the punji stick traps US forces encountered in their roiling counter-insurgency campaign, and mesh inserts that made air circulate with every step.  After Vietnam, jungle boots continued to be worn into the modern War on Terror period, when new designs made from modern materials finally replaced this classic. 

The jungle boots in this listing are in MINT condition, in the rare 12R size, and dated to 1968, with only minor storage wear.  I can’t say they’re NOS since they’re missing the laces (fortunately still easy to obtain in the present) and the instruction paper, but it would be very hard to upgrade from them.  The only minor faults are some small droplets that appear to have been from the factory production line; really, they would have probably been issued anyways. 

The Vietnam War is now 50 years in the past and is being increasingly re-examined because of how fundamentally it changed American history.  Scarce items like this are not going to become any easier to find.  Buy now to own a piece of history!

If you buy or win multiple items from me, please message me about combined shipping.  Please see my other listings for more awesome militaria items from all modern eras,