Boots...custom made or exsisting boot?

Just what the title says. Has there been any evidence for either argument...boots custom built or based off an exsisting boot. I.e. The strips were added and the color was changed, but the boot essentially remained the same.

While I don't know, I would suggest emailing Mark Cheng. I know his are manufactured, but I would think that if anyone knows or has researched them, he might have.

Phil

Somebody here recently said something about finding a "Goodyear" boot at a yard sale that looked very similar. They never did elaborate on it or post any pictures. I'll look to see who it was.

Yeah, I remember that. Something about a firefighter boot w/ goodyear soles, wasn't it?

Hmmmm...I must have missed that post. The soles do look very familiar to me. The style of boot is quite common, but the details are unique. I'd really like to get whatever info we can muster on them.

Edit- while looking through boots I came across these:



There is a larger version on their website:

http://www.currinboots.com/leatherbt...slippersHP.htm



While this absolutely no where near the correct boot, I wonder if it is a step in the right direction in determining what style of boot the originals are. After all these are all new boots, and we are in search of a vintage boot.

Wait a minute. Memory is kicking in. The "Goodyear" boots were referring to Jango style boots I believe...

I found a pair that looks like the base boot on that Prop Palace uses. You can buy them at walmart for $17. The brand name is george, but i cant remember what model they are. I painted mine (and they held the paint really well)but i plan on getting another pair and adding leather to them. Also, while I'm on the subject of feet, I found spikes like what we used in bracelets and collars in the 80' (im showing my age)at Hottopic for $6. I figure I can screw them into a brace and screw the brace into the shoe. Voila... Fett boots for under $25.

When I took my Fett pictures to a local seamstress to see about doing a custom softsuit, she said she used to work a lot with the Navy overseas and she said she thought the boots looked a lot like a British Neoprene boot. Now, I have no idea when this "Neoprene" stuff was invented, but she said to check out dive boots of different kinds. I admit I didn't put much stock in this assessment, but maybe it's worth checking out-- she was right about the little blousing strap with hook and loop at the bottom of the softsuit-- also used in these military duds overseas, according to her.

Just a thought.

Definitely worth looking into, Chris! Stormtrooper boots are very similar to Navy welding boots...lots of military related items used in SW, so it's source definitely fits the SW pattern of "found" items.

I'll have to do some research and see if anything pops up.

Thanks for the info.

I came accross a couple pairs of boots that were very close to the pattern of the fett boots ( the elastic inlay ). The technical SHOE MAKER term for the boots is a "ROMEO" style boot.

it'd make sense if the boots are a British military origin, considering that's where a lot of the props for costumes came from. But I think the seamstress might be right on with the diving boot idea. When I was watching junkyard wars, they were doing the diving episode and the iron diving boots the host wore were square toed. So maybe Boba's boots are neoprene inserts for diving suit boots?

Mannie Bothans wrote:
...she thought the boots looked a lot like a British Neoprene boot. ...but she said to check out dive boots of different kinds.

Based on the "Dive Boots" recommendation above, I went looking and may have found some that could work as a good, cheap base boot for about $35. It would require some painting/coloring. (How would you paint neoprene anyway?) The piping could be easily stitched on. Maybe paint the sole with white latex paint?
What do you guys think?

ResqTek.com | Island-Scuba.com

Here in Manila, there is a town that specializes with shoes/custom made shoes.
I've printed out the pics Rex sent me & I'll be visiting those shoe places by next week.

I've showed the pics to some of my friends & they say that our shoe makers here could replicate it.
Wish me luck!

Mardon

Ooh! keep us posted!

As for the dive boots, you'd be better off gluing material (ideally canvas) to them and then painting them and add the piping. If you decided to go with these, try and get a pair with a white/off-white sole.

The dive boots look good. Have any of you guys ever dove before? Your feet will sweat at an unbelievable rate in neoprene as it designed to maintain heat, not breath. The neoprene itself has thousands of tiny air bubbles in it to act as dead space which is an excellent insulator. Ive seen some post about their pits going hyperactive with the suit on on. You can't imagine what your feet will do. Neoprene is washable (Id say hand washable in mild detergent) but you'll be washing/repainting after every outing. As far as painting goes it would probably work as they typically put a cloth covering over it for durability. You'll have to check this one as I never painted mine.

I think that is very possible the idea that the boots we are looking for are british diving boots from the 70's. In the link below there is a picture of a pair of british diving boots from WWII. They have certain similarities in the squeare tipe toe and the back of the boot used for fitting.
It is very possible that Boba,s boots are a newer version of these.

http://www.antiquesofthesea.com/0016lead_sole.html

I feel sorry for the guy that had to were those ciderblock slippers.

tteF aboB wrote:
... Your feet will sweat at an unbelievable rate in neoprene as it designed to maintain heat, not breathe.

I hadn't thought of that - I'll keep looking...

Check out this other pair of deep see diving boots. specially the sole.
http://www.antiquesofthesea.com/0432desco_shoes.html

Just hold on about another month or two folks the tides will change.

Lee

Rogue Studios wrote:
Just hold on about another month or two folks the tides will change.

Lee

True enough

I went yesterday to the local Walmart, and I bought a pair of tennis shoes as the base boot that resembles a lot to the "Adidas" from the '80s (does "RUN DMC" comes to your mind??? ). It has a flat white sole. The walmart version is called "Joe", but it has the shape and even the 3 stipes in the sides as the Adidas does, but this ones are silver (the stripes). I'm planning to buy canvas and dye them with RIT dye, sewing on the black piping or buying some stuff that comes like a toothpaste that's exclusively for shoes. Let's see what happens form there.

By the way...I'm not into RAP or anything like that, just a base for the boot!

Robert

Can't wait to see what surprise has Lee waiting for us.

sith_camaro wrote:

sith_camaro...What did you use as a base and the outside?

Robert

Those are a pair of slip on Nautica shoes that I picked up at Marshal's. For the outside, I simply stitched the different pieces of colored fabric together, and glued black string for the stripes. Most of the base of the cover was glued onto the very top of the sole. I left the rear portion unglued, and the cover velcros together in the middle rear.

Weren't the original shoes white? Or were they just painted white first, then painted gray/black/etc. later?

Dive boots = hot, sweaty, sore feet (no arch support as they're meant to be used under fins, after all)

Yeah, very interested to find out what's behind Lee's cryptic comment.

Also very intersted to find out if Mlcallanta can find a manufacturer in the Phillipines.

Exciting times, dudes!

Si

Han Hunter wrote:
Yeah, very interested to find out what's behind Lee's cryptic comment.

Also very intersted to find out if Mlcallanta can find a manufacturer in the Phillipines.

Exciting times, dudes!

Si

Really interested here too... Now I wonder what it is

Robert

Lisa,

I believe the original boot fabric and soles were white. And they painted the boots for the film.

LisaFett wrote:
Weren't the original shoes white? Or were they just painted white first, then painted gray/black/etc. later?

Dive boots = hot, sweaty, sore feet (no arch support as they're meant to be used under fins, after all)

Closer and closer we come to Fett boots...

It seems like it would make a lot of sense for the actual boots to be divers boots. So far, it's almost certain that at least 2 of the other pieces of the suit are diving equipment: the jet pack buckle/harness and the spear gun. They may have just had an excess of scuba gear and decided it'd look rustic space age.

I think it's a combination of existing/found item modified to look different. When I finally get what I have being worked on we'll(all of us will know) see if that proves true. But the pack also appears to be a moderately modified exisiting piece as well(the pack is actually a cut up modified exisiting piece looking not too much like what it started out as). So trying to find something that looks the same except they added a little bit here and there is going to lead to a dead end that's why nobody has been able to find a lot of this stuff.

I hate to say it but don't go down the diving boot route that is definitely going to lead to frustration and no answers.

Lee

Rogue Studios wrote:
...I think it's a combination of existing/found item modified to look different. When I finally get what I have being worked on we'll(all of us will know) see if that proves true. But the pack also appears to be a moderately modified exisiting piece as well(the pack is actually a cut up modified exisiting piece looking not too much like what it started out as)...

Robert

Exactly

Here's an example of how nobody will find this if they are looking for something exactly like it because you won't find it it has to be modified just like the boots were. I'll post pics of those when I get them. What I am saying is the boots are an exisiting boot and only a few parts are correct and the rest was modified. Still some work to be done on this pack to get it up to speed the waist belt needs attaching and the stabilizer bar on the bottom needs to be welded on.

Sorry about the off topic pic.

Take Care