MUSEUM QUALITY REPRODUCTION WWII Imperial Japanese Navy Aviation Pilot BOOTS

  

REPRODUCTION Pair Imperial Japanese WWII IJN Naval Aviation Black Flight Boots - Nakata. When I collected Japanese items years ago, a goal was to complete the flight uniform of a Japanese WW2 pilot. The most challenging item to find was a pair of naval issue flight boots. Original NAVAL flight boots are like the Holy Grail for Japanese WWII Naval aviation collections in that in that there may be a handful of original ones known today.

The rarity means that if a true original pair were found it would be many thousands of dollars. They were to be a place holder until that lucky day originals would turn up but after many years of collecting they of course never did. They are the only reproduction items in my Aviation collection but a must to complete a naval aviator.

The condition is very good with minor dirt and wear but the outside sound. The interior of the left boot has a tear in the linen seam, not noticeable as this is on the inside.

These exacting copies stand about 11 high and the rubber soles are about 11 long as well. The pale green cotton labels on the outside of the boots remain intact. The boots at a distance are almost indistinguishable from originals but they are reproductions. While the body of the boot is near identical to the few surviving examples, the soles of this Nakata copy differ a little from the hard rubber originals in one detail. When hard rubber was used the originals were of the same overall shape as these but on the surface they had a distinctive small diamond pattern design (only used by the Navy).

As the war went on and rubber became scarcer, some soles were simplified often being of plain leather instead of rubber. Of course the pattern on the bottoms would not be not visible when worn on a mannequin, but I wanted to point this out in the way these differ from the originals. WW2 samurai, bushido, Pearl Harbor, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, kamikaze, kaigun. World War Two, Pacific War. The item "MUSEUM QUALITY REPRODUCTION WWII Imperial Japanese Navy Aviation Pilot BOOTS" is in sale since Tuesday, January 21, 2020.

This item is in the category "Collectibles\Militaria\WW II (1939-45)\Original Period Items\Japan\Other Japanese WWII Orig Items". The seller is "federaleagle" and is located in Wagontown, Pennsylvania.

This item can be shipped to United States.

• Country/Region of Manufacture: Japan