This A-2 Flight Jacket is complete with the ornate insignia of the famous 23rd Fighter Group. The 23rd Fighter Group was formed in July 1942 as part of the China Air Task Force (CATF), marking the first such activation of a fighter group on a field of battle in WWII. The 23rd was comprised of three fighter squadrons: 74th, 75th and 76th.  Previously, some of the pilots of the 23^rd had served in that small volunteer unit known as The American Volunteer Group (AVG - also known as the FLYING TIGERS), the personnel of which had been hired by the Chinese government in their war against the Japanese.  Commanded by the tenacious Brigadier General Claire Lee Chennault, the AVG had gained notoriety as a force to be taken seriously.

After the USA entered the war, the AVG was amalgamated into the 23rd Ftr. Grp. and the tradition of marking the unit’s P-40 fighter planes with the distinctive-and-fearsome shark mouth carried on, along with the use of their mascot - the Flying Tiger. The combat record of the 23rd goes down in history as being one of the most illustrious in the US Army Force, creating notable aces such as the great Don Lopez and David 'Tex' Hill.

Before returning to the United States in December 1945, the 23rd had flown 24,000 combat sorties requiring more than 53,000 flying hours, and at a cost of 110 aircraft lost in aerial combat, with 90 shot down by surface defenses, and 28 bombed while on the ground.  The 23^rd was credited with destroying many more than their number lost: - 621 enemy planes destroyed in air combat - 320 enemy planes destroyed on the ground - sinking more than 131,000 tons of enemy shipping and damaging 250,000 tons more - enemy troop losses of more than 20,000.

This representation of a 23rd Ftr. Grp. A-2 Jacket is based upon our Rough Wear Clothing Company 1401-P A-2 Flying Jacket. The RW 1401 is a suitable candidate for this unit, having been produced in the last quarter of 1941, thus being available from when the 23rd was first activated.  For more information and details of authenticity about this A-2 model, please refer to this specific product found among Eastman’s Original-Maker A-2 Jackets.

This A-2 Jacket has been embellished with the appropriate insignia and markings of the unit in exquisitely hand-made, layered-leather patches to include the following: - 23rd Ftr. Grp. insignia applied to left breast - CBI shield to left shoulder - AAF roundel to right shoulder - 23rd Ftr. Grp. stencil to lining We cannot emphasize enough the degree of detailing and quality in these jaw-dropping patches. Each piece is hand-cut and then sewn using minute-but-accurate stitching - the 23rd insignia alone comprises no less than 40 pieces of leather in its construction! Finally, it's given Eastman’s TimeWorn® process with even greater detailing than that of their regular finish, which renders the garment with a stunning vintage patina that is unbelievably uncontrived in appearance, making for a first-rate vintage look directly out of the box. The final product is delivered to you in a custom-made, metal-edge, hard-card box to treasure forever, and eventually hand-down to your next generation - just like a vintage A-2 Jacket heirloom.  

This A-2 Jacket is custom order only.  Sizes available: 36-48 regular. Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on special order only.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.   Imported from England

This A-2 Flight Jacket represents and example from the famous 303rd Bombardment Group.  The 303rd Bombardment Group was formed on 28 January 1942 and the official unit motto was “Might in Flight.”  Their wartime exploits would go down in history, relegating the 303rd as one of the most famous heavy bombardment units of WWII, where they achieved legendary status as the “Hell's Angels” group.

Arriving at Molesworth, England on 9 September 1942, the 303rd was assigned to the 8th Air Force, being one of the very first American heavy bombardment groups to arrive in England to join the British in the bombing campaign against Germany. The 303rd went on to fly more combat missions than any other bombardment group in the USAAF, 364 missions in total, and taking part in some of the bloodiest sorties of the war; targets that included:  The ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt, shipbuilding yards at Bremen, synthetic-rubber plant at Huls, the aircraft engine factories of Hamburg, the industrial quarter of Frankfurt, and the marshaling yards at Le Mans.  These infamous names were among the destinations where they flew to hell and back, and which earned them a well-deserved Distinguished Unit Citation.

Proud of their group's reputation, some airmen had their jackets painted on the back with various motifs and slogans; in the case of the 303rd, if it wasn’t the plane’s name you flew on, chances are it was “Hell's Angels” that adorned the back of your A-2 Jacket.  Quite often the painting of “Hell’s Angels” would be accompanied by a series of bombs which depicted the number of missions flown.

We are extremely proud to offer an incredible recreation of an original “Hell's Angels” back-painted A-2 Jacket of the famous 303rd Bombardment Group. 1st Lt Constantine J. Duros was a Bombardier in the 360th Bombardment Squadron who completed a tour, flying 29 missions in total, and he had his Rough Wear Clothing Co. contract 27752 A-2 Jacket painted in such a way that typified many of the back-painted A-2 Jackets from the 303rd Group.

Utilizing their reproduction of this very same Rough Wear Clo. Co. 27752 A-2 Jacket (for more information and details of authenticity about this A-2 model, please refer to Rough Wear 27752 A-2 found among Eastman’s Original-Maker A-2 Jackets), Eastman has recreated an exact replica of the Duros A-2 Jacket.  As you will see from the images in the photo gallery, the back painting is superbly executed, and it has been hand worked in order to capture the essence of a time-aged original. To the front left breast is sewn a superb hand-embroidered “Hell's Angels” insignia (360th B.Sqdn.), which is a perfect recreation of a theatre-made original example.

This A-2 Jacket is finally given Eastman’s TimeWorn® process with even greater detailing than that of their regular finish, which renders the garment with a stunning vintage patina that is unbelievably uncontrived in appearance, making for a first-rate vintage look directly out of the box.  And both the painting and the patch meld into the leather as though they have been seated there for decades, giving you the ultimate in a recreation of a true vintage icon.

Attached to the right collar clasp is a perfect reproduction of an Acme Thunderer Air Ministry whistle - a detail which is often found on original USAAF flight jackets which were used by airmen who were based in England.  These whistles are made of nickel-plated solid brass and then also TimeWorn® to convincingly match the patina of the jacket.

This product is delivered to you in a custom-made, metal-edge, hard-card box to treasure forever, and eventually hand-down to your next generation - just like a vintage A-2 Jacket heirloom.

This A-2 Jacket is custom order only.  Due to the extremely specialist nature of this product only a very few pieces can be made on a yearly basis, so we ask for your kind understanding if delivery times are particularly extended when ordering this item.

Disclaimer:  “Hells Angels” is a registered trademark of the “Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.”  The use of the term “Hell's Angels” with regard to the product advertised here is used purely and entirely in historical context to describe that which it is a reproduction of - a jacket of the 303rd Bombardment Group known and historically documented as “Hell's Angels” of the U. S. Army Air Forces of World War II.  This product is not affiliated with or endorsed by the “Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.”

Sizes available: 36-48 regular. Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on special order only.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from England

This A-2 Flight Jacket comes complete with authentic back art copied from a vintage example that saw action with the Mighty 8th Air Force.  During WWII it was very common for bomber crews of the USAAF to nickname their aircraft and adorn the plane’s fuselage with a painting of the name. Other graphics, such as cartoon characters, pin-up girls, and bombs for missions flown, were also sometimes added to further embellish their plane with an identity.

One such aircraft was a B-24 Liberator bomber known as “UMBRIAGO” of the 489th Bombardment Group. “Umbriago” was a word of the early 1940s, having been made famous by comedian/entertainer Jimmy Durante, who had a hit song of the same name; Umbriago was Jimmy's jovial, fictitious side-kick.  It was from this good-luck character that inspiration was taken for the naming of this aircraft.

Assigned to the 8th Air Force in the Spring of 1944 and stationed at RAF Halesworth, England, the 489th arrived at the very height of the air offensive against Germany, and the “UMBRIAGO” was right there in the thick of it.

Taking part in a multitude of bombing missions throughout most of 1944 (which included several just prior to and during D-Day, and with one crewman collecting a Medal of Honor on the way), the 489th was finally relieved of assignment on the 29th of November 1944.  However, the “UMBRIAGO” was re-assigned to the 446th Bombardment Group, where she continued to deliver her payloads to the enemy until the 27th December 1944.  Misfortune befell her at this point when she crashed in fog while taking off at Bungay-Flixton airfield, bringing her remarkable wartime career to an end, which unfortunately included the pilot; fortuitously, the rest of the crew survived.

Just prior to leaving the 489th, the entire crew of the “UMBRIAGO” did what many crews of the USAAF did when completing a tour - they had the backs of their A-2 Flying Jackets decorated with a painting of the name of their aircraft to celebrate their achievement.  In this case, the design incorporated a yellow '8' (for 8th Air Force) centered within the U. S. white star that, in turn, is mounted upon a blue disc.  One bomb for each mission flown was painted in white and fanned around the disc in a symmetrical fashion with the word “UMBRIAGO” above.  That was nearly 70 years ago - incredibly, one of those eight jackets, that of Navigator Lt. Milton R. Johnson, has survived.  Johnson’s original Star Sportswear, back-painted A-2 Jacket has made it through the years to still tell the tale of the famous “UMBRIAGO.”

It is Lt. Johnson's back-painted A-2 Jacket that is illustrated and recreated here as part of the Elite Units series.  Utilizing Eastman’s original-maker Star Sportswear A-2 Jacket (the same maker as Johnson’s A-2 Jacket), the “UMBRIAGO” artwork is meticulously hand painted matching the dimensions, colors, and texture of the original artwork to absolute perfection.  This A-2 Jacket, in turn, has been hand worked to capture the essence of a time-aged original jacket, offering one of the most striking back-painted A-2s of that era. The painted Navigator wings, which were also a feature of Johnson’s   A-2 Jacket, are accurately depicted on the front left breast.

For more information and details of authenticity about this Star Sportswear A-2 model, please refer to this specific product found among Eastman’s Original-Maker A-2 Jackets.

This A-2 Jacket is finally given Eastman’s TimeWorn® process with even greater detailing than that of their regular finish, which renders the garment with a stunning vintage patina that is unbelievably uncontrived in appearance, making for a first-rate vintage look directly out of the box.

Attached to the right collar clasp is a perfect reproduction of an Acme Thunderer Air Ministry whistle - a detail which is often found on original USAAF flight jackets which were used by airmen who were based in England.  These whistles are made of nickel-plated solid brass and then also TimeWorn® to convincingly match the patina of the jacket.

This product is delivered to you in a custom-made, metal-edge, hard-card box to treasure forever, and eventually hand-down to your next generation - just like a vintage A-2 Jacket heirloom.

This A-2 Jacket is custom order only.  Due to the extremely specialist nature of this product only a very few pieces can be made on a yearly basis, so we ask for your kind understanding if delivery times are particularly extended when ordering this item.

Sizes available: 36-48 regular. Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on special order only.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from England

Unlike most of Eastman’s other flight jacket styles, this is not a true military-spec. flight jacket, but we’re sure it would have been if the flyboys of WWII had ever dreamed such a design could have been adopted.

In the post-war years of the late 1940's and early 1950's, American clothing manufacturers were not slow to take advantage of the glamorous flyboy image; the war was won, and images of the returning heroes of the armed forces gave the nation a feeling of pride and optimism.  The U. S. Army Air Corps pilot, clad in his leather A-2 Flight Jacket, projected the quintessential image of the romanticized American war hero, and so the fashion industry rose to the occasion by emulating this jacket style that every man, young or old, would be proud to wear. Unlike the WWII issue A-2 Flight Jacket that is still, of course, an unbeatable classic even in its simple design, these new commercial offerings were designed with certain additional features and “improvements.”  These improved details included such features as a fur collar, warmer lining, inside pockets (a feature the original WWII design desperately needed), and even outside hand-warmer pockets were incorporated to various degrees into these new, hybrid flying jackets. This type of garment very quickly and aptly became generically referred to as a “Bomber Jacket," a term which most people are familiar with to this very day.

Big manufacturer names from the 1940's and 1950's come to mind when reminiscing about these vintage “Bomber Jackets,” such as: Sears & Roebuck, Montgomery Ward, The Goodgal Clothing Co., and even some of the original wartime companies that officially contracted to make flying jackets for the Army Air Force went on to make their own commercial versions of the “Bomber Jacket.” Today, the Eastman offering of this classic genre is “The Air Comfort.” They have spared no expense in the manufacture of this superb garment, incorporating many of the best features that can be found on the original commercial examples from the good old days of those golden postwar years.

“The Air Comfort” captures the classic post-war “Bomber Jacket” appearance that is so appealing to all those who appreciate a good-looking vintage leather jacket. Hang one of these in your wardrobe and you wont be sorry you did! Take note of these authentic and practical features:  

• Copy of vintage-style maker’s label design produced on a vintage shuttle loom

• All-cotton, seal brown-thread construction as found on flying jackets originally produced in the 1940s and 1950s

• Dark seal brown, aniline-dyed, 3-ounce weight, vegetable-tanned (WarHorse®) horsehide leather outer shell that will burnish and age to look like a true vintage original with wear

• Single-piece back • Genuine mouton fur collar with reinforced trapunto stitching on the reverse side to maintain collar shape and help keep collar up when the need arises

• Mouton fur-covered throat latch enables the sumptuous collar to be securely fastened when turned up, holding the genuine fur close to the wearer's neck and sealing out any cold drafts that threaten to chill • Fully lined throughout with an extremely high-quality quilted lining made from Ruby-Red Satin Rayon Acetate, and quilted using a tight (3/4”) diamond pattern fabric to precisely match that found on the majority of vintage commercial “Bomber Jackets”

• Two hand-warmer exterior pockets lined with high-quality, brushed-cotton moleskin for warmth and comfort

• Two side-entry inside pockets for ample and secure stowage for all your personal items

• Custom manufacturing of the correct two-ply, worsted-wool cuffs and waist skirt in medium brown, with cuffs correctly graduating from a wider weave into a more narrow weave, exactly matching those found on vintage commercial “Bomber Jackets” of the era.

Sizes available: 36-48 regular. Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on custom order only.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.   Imported from England    

An ideal, practical and very durable accessory hand made in classic, traditional styling from Eastman’s rugged flying jacket hides in military colors to match any Eastman jacket. Wallets come complete with matching key ring and change purse. Inside the wallet are two credit card compartments, along with storage for currency. Sets are made to match the non-sheepskin Eastman jackets, such as the various A-2s, G-1 and  M-422A, etc.  All wallets will match the leather and thread color and type employed in the manufacture of our jackets, thus a Rough Wear 1401 wallet is made from Russet Brown Warhorse with medium brown thread and no AAF decal. Please note: there can be no deviation from jacket spec. or customization of any kind. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding leather colors, etc. Simply the most rugged leather wallet set you can buy. Any of our sets make excellent gift ideas! Imported from England These wallet sets are available in the following color/thread combinations that match Eastman flight jackets.  Please select your choice from the ordering menu:  

Not since the grand days of Gamages of London have such fine examples of vintage motoring/flying apparel been made available. These barnstormer-style coats have been received by both the vintage motoring and flying fraternity as the epitome of fine vintage motoring/flying apparel. If you are looking for the last word in quality, check this out! Made from the finest-quality Italian Horsehide with wool lining, its stunning good looks are taken from period styling. At home not only in the vintage motoring environment but in any walk of contemporary life; the design subtly combines utility with sophistication.  

Sizes available: 36-48 regular.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.  

Imported from England  

Reservations are being accepted for future production.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a work relief program developed as part of FDR’s “New Deal” and established in 1933 under the Emergency Conservation Work Act.  The CCC was largely responsible for working on government outdoor projects, such as creating and maintaining national parks; many of the sites and trails we enjoy in the USA to this day in our national parks are directly attributed to the workers of the CCC. 

Although a civilian organization, CCC clothing was under direct responsibility of the U. S. Army Quartermaster, hence all contracts for clothing were procured and developed via the U. S. Army QM.  Buzz Rickson’s masterfully recreated this extraordinarily rare work coat from the days of The Great Depression (only a few examples of this coat are known to exist today in private collections and not even the U. S. Army Quartermaster museum owns such a coat).  It is noteworthy that a well-worn vintage example of this coat was outfitted on legendary actor James Stewart in the 1953 western film "The Naked Spur," where this classic style easily can be passed off as a style of the 1870's.  Buzz Rickson's is introducing again this classic design that is as handsome and durable as it was over 80 years ago. 

No expense was spared in re-creating this gem from the days of extreme hardship and challenge in American history. Buzz Rickson’s deftly recreated a heavy worsted-wool blanket-like fabric using vintage machinery to both loom and assemble this fabulous work coat, then the waistband, a style common in the 1930’s, was custom made of singe-ply cotton and elastic using special looms indigenous to the era, resulting in amazing clone-like authenticity that is further complemented by the authentic cat’s-eye urea buttons.

Warm and durable enough for most fall and winter outdoor activities, and uniquely styled with a shawl collar once so typical in outerwear of the “good old days,” this Buzz Rickson’s masterpiece is sure to serve you as well as it did those poor-yet-hardworking men of the CCC.  Please note these authentic features found only on a Buzz Rickson’s coat of this pedigree:

• Button-front closure
• Vintage-style shawl collar that can be extended well high onto the lower jaw and ear areas
• Custom manufacturing of vintage-style black urea cat’s-eye buttons
• Custom manufacturing of the correct heavy worsted-wool blanket-like fabric using vintage machinery
• The waistband is typical in design and construction to a style common in the 1930’s. These are woven of singe-ply cotton and elastic using special looms indigenous to the era and our reproduction has spared no expense in recreating this intricately unique waistband style, which includes utilizing the exact vintage looms that can generate this fabric to clone-like authenticity today
• Coat assembly using vintage sewing machinery
• Heavy bar tacks at upper pocket corners for extra strength at these key stress points
• Pocket flaps and interior cuffs on sleeve ends are backed with all-cotton black twill exactly as found on the original jacket style
• Exact copy of the original-style label found on the vintage coat now retained in the archives of Buzz Rickson’s. The label is woven with nomenclature printed in typical U. S. Army fashion. The contract is dated 1935 and clearly indicates the fact that the CCC was outfitted via the U. S. Army, as evidenced by the contract number beginning with “W-669-QM” (War Dept. Phila. Quartermaster), followed by “ECW-231” (Emergency Conservation Work contract 231).
• True vintage fit for flattering appearance, not a sloppy, relaxed fit with droopy shoulder seams
• DRY CLEAN ONLY

Even sizes 36-44 Regular (these run large).   Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Buzz Rickson goods are imported from Japan

Last FEW Left!

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a work-relief program developed as part of FDR’s “New Deal,” and established in 1933 under the Emergency Conservation Work Act.  The CCC was largely responsible for working on government outdoor projects, such as creating and maintaining national parks; many of the sites and trails we enjoy in the USA to this day in our national parks are directly attributed to the workers of the CCC.  Although a civilian organization, CCC clothing was under direct responsibility of the U. S. Army Quartermaster Corps, hence all contracts for clothing were procured and developed via the U. S. Army QMC.  

Original coats of this style were typically produced in U. S. Army Olive Drab wool, but a rare few were produced in navy blue, and so Buzz Rickson’s has elected to offer the rarest color on an extremely rare design.  This coat's design was one of noted popularity at the time, often called a double-Mackinaw due to the double layers of wool that cover the front chest and rear yoke and back, making this extra warm and extra durable in these areas.  Quality lives on in re-creating this gem from the days of extreme hardship and challenge in American history, and Buzz Rickson’s deftly recreated a beefy, 36-ounce melton-wool fabric using vintage machinery to both loom and assemble this fabulous work coat.  

Warm and durable enough for most fall and winter outdoor activities, and uniquely styled from the “good old days,” this Buzz Rickson’s masterpiece is sure to serve you as well as it did those poor-yet-hardworking men of the CCC.  Please note these authentic features found only on a Buzz Rickson’s coat of this pedigree:

• Button-front closure

• Unlined interior with cotton-twill binding tape on all exposed seams

• Custom manufacturing of vintage-style black urea buttons, not cheap plastic

• Custom manufacturing of the correct 36-ounce melton-wool fabric using vintage machinery, not modern projectile looms

• Coat assembly using vintage sewing machinery

• Exact copy of the original-style label found on the vintage coat now retained in the archives of Buzz Rickson’s. The label is woven with nomenclature printed in typical U. S. Army fashion. The contract is dated 1938, and clearly indicates the fact that the CCC was outfitted via the U. S. Army, as evidenced by the contract number beginning with “W-669-QM” (War Dept. Phila. Quartermaster)

• DRY CLEAN ONLY

Even sizes 36-44 Regular.   Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Buzz Rickson goods are imported from Japan

This product is presently no longer in production.

The U. S. Army Type III Service Shoe was accepted by the Quartermaster Corps in June 1943 under Boston Quartermaster Depot Specification 110.  This new shoe was manufactured from leather uppers with the flesh side of the animal, in this case cowhide, reversed, hence one of the nicknames for these shoes being “roughouts” since the rough, fleshy portion of the leather skin was on the outside, and the smooth, finished portion was on the inside (not to be confused with the similar shoes already on issue to the USN and USMC prior to 1943).  Authorized and intended strictly for use in the field to be worn in conjunction with the M-38 Dismounted Troops canvas lace-up leggings; the reversed flesh-out leather required no polishing and would not look all that unsoldierly if scuffed and soiled vs. the Types I & II Service Shoes made of smooth finished leather that had been in use for field, garrison and service dress use up until the point when combat troops began receiving the first Type III Service Shoes in 1943. 

Once the Type III Service Shoes materialized in sufficient quantities, which wasn’t until 1944, the older Types I and II Service Shoes were rarely worn in the field and were relegated then for garrison or service dress only.  The Type III Service Shoes featured a heel and full sole manufactured from composite or reclaimed rubber (recycled from auto/truck tires, etc., due to the shortage of rubber during the war), steel shank for strong arch support and better retention of shoe shape, leather uppers made from hides that were chrome tanned with a heavy vegetable re-tanning, no toe box or toe cap as found on Types I and II Service Shoes, and the quarter was attached to the vamp with a reinforcing rivet in addition to four rows of heavy stitching; the rivet was deleted from all subsequent Type III Service Shoe production in the summer of 1944.  The heels were hand nailed to the rubber soles and the soles were sewn and also hand nailed at key stress areas.  Welting leather was specified to be of an extremely high quality that would join the shoe to the sole via the famous Goodyear welting system, which is considered the finest welting system ever devised.  The Type III Service Shoes were, upon issue to the troops, usually dubbed or rubbed down with a waterproofing grease that darkened them substantially. 

Type III's had a relatively short production life, lasting approximately 18 months before they were fully phased out in favor of the Combat Boots that were produced simultaneously with the Type III's for quite some time.  During the period of issue of the Type III's, it was not at all uncommon to see them worn without the M-38 Dismounted Troops Canvas Leggings; this was particularly a practice in the Pacific theater and among personnel of the USAAF whose duties did not require the wearing of leggings.

Due to the rugged construction, great comfort, overall smart looks and relatively cheap and ready supply, Type III Service Shoes were part of a substantial post-war consumer market where the shoes were widely sold for work wear, hunting, fishing, and other casual outdoor activities.  However, the shoes achieved iconic status largely via their appearance in the all-time-classic WWII PoW adventure film drama made in 1963, "The Great Escape," as worn by the "King of Cool" himself, legendary actor Steve Mc Queen in his leading role as the charismatic, wisecracking, cocky USAAF fighter pilot Virgil Hilts.  Hilts sported Army khaki trousers worn with a cut-down sweatshirt and vintage A-2 leather aviator's jacket all the while therapeutically bouncing a baseball off the concrete walls of the "cooler" into his baseball-mitted hand in between persistent schemes to break out of the prison camp, only to repeat the process again upon recapture. It was this film and Mc Queen’s “Hilts” character that fueled enormous interest again in the Type III Service Shoes that reached fanatical proportions in Japan. 

This fanatical interest is what largely instigated Buzz Rickson’s to begin production of the Type III Service Shoes to the same pedigree of quality and depth of detail encountered on the vintage shoes from WWII.  Years later, the Type III Service Shoes began to be reproduced by a variety of companies in the USA, the manufacture of which was almost entirely farmed out to low-end factories in developing nations and the market for which these shoes were made remains almost exclusively dominated by those performing various forms of WWII historical presentations, performances and/or re-enactments.  Such shoes produced and sold at far lower price points than those made in Japan are intended to merely resemble the original Type III Service Shoves, whereas the Buzz Rickson’s Japanese-made examples are stitch-for-stitch masterful works of beauty and quality intended to perform to the same rugged standards as did the vintage shoes that won WWII, thus the premium-grade leather uppers can soldier on for years and years with new Lite Tread rubber hitting the ground, thanks to the complete re-soling services available from the factory.  This is how quality footwear used to be in the USA back before the era of cheap disposability permeated society.  All Buzz Rickson’s Type III Service Shoe production follows the same concept as employed by the U. S. Army Quartermaster Corps in the 1940's – make ‘em to last, make ‘em to be repaired, make ‘em for the duration!

Just as featured in Esquire magazine, Buzz Rickson’s Type III Service Shoes are produced exactly as the GI shoes were produced by legendary footwear manufacturers in the USA that have long since vanished:    The uppers are manufactured from a beefy, chrome-tanned cowhide leather that is then vegetable tanned for no less than 12 weeks, after which the leather is sewn and hand lasted over a period of days to ensure maximum stretch and flexibility to the finished shoe, and finally the lasted uppers are sewn using the famous Goodyear storm welt to premium-grade welting leather - NEVER are soles vulcanized to the uppers or sewn in some cheap manner to duplicate the appearance of a true Goodyear welt at a sacrifice to comfort, quality and durability.  The Buzz Rickson’s Type IIIs also feature precise custom-made copies of the famous 1940's Lite Tread rubber heels and soles, with the soles having the rare “chain” pattern that was produced but for short time during WWII and is the rarest tread pattern employed in the production of rubber soles for the military at that time. Today, no other Type III Service Shoes available in the USA offer the Lite Tread soles and heels. 

These are classic pieces of rugged, smart-looking, comfortable footwear that never go out of style, whether worn with jeans, khaki’s or hiking shorts.  Please take note of these high-quality features found on Buzz Rickson’s Type III Service Shoes:  

• Size and U. S. Army inspector markings embossed in the leather foot bed as per the vintage exam

• Authentic U. S. Army BQD contract and spec. markings ink stamped onto the inside quarters of each shoe precisely matching the style and placement as found on the vintage examplle

• Authentic size marking ink stamped to the rubber soles as was often done during WWII to better enable easier, rapid identification of shoe size when storing or issuing the shoes by the quartermaster • Uppers sewn with authentic off-white thread

• Premium-grade, flesh-out leather uppers, chrome tanned, then vegetable tanned for greater durability and better fit when lasted and worn

• Premium-grade, veg-tanned leather welting attached using the Goodyear welting system with heavy-duty corded thread

• Quadruple-stitched quarters for durability as per the original spec. then bolstered by a reinforcing rivet as found on the early Type IIIs

• Custom-made all-cotton shoe laces that are heavily waxed for greater service life and moisture repellence, as per many of the WWII military shoe laces

• Hand-lasted uppers for better fit and comfort • Heavy, non-corrosive steel shank for heavy-duty support and longer shoe life and shape maintenance

• Custom-made precision copies of the famous Lite Tread rubber soles and heels from WWII; soles are sewn via the Goodyear welting system employed to make the shoes during WWII, then heels are nailed in place by hand and soles are reinforced with nails at key stress points, precisely matching the original spec.

• Premium-grade, veg-tanned leather insoles for better breathing of feet and moisture absorption.   Current fittings available as measured on a Brannock device (this is the sizing instrument used to determine shoe size found in all true shoe stores):  U. S. A. men’s sizes 8, 8 1/2, 9, 9 1/2, 10 & 10 1/2.  If you plan on wearing a heavy rubber insole or prefer a looser fit, then the available size range will be smaller than indicated here.

Buzz Rickson’s goods are imported from Japan