STRATOSPHERE BOOTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 93, 19 August 1942, Page 5

STRATOSPHERE BOOTS

ARE BRITAIN'S LATEST FOOTWEAR "FASHION" The story is going the . rounds of the footwear factories here that a pair of airman's knee boots have t>een dropped over Berlin with the message, "for Adolf —he'll wear them out getting away from us!" These were the normal Air Force boots, with legs of calf leather and lined Avith natural lamb fleece. We are now majdng a special new ankle Ujoot for flying into the stratosphere, fitted with ingenious gadgets which warm the pilot's feet electrically. Britain's - footwear factories are turning out other lines in huge • quantities, among them magnificent • eight-inch high welted boots for women motor drivers in the A. T.S.: black-laced shoes for the W.A.A.F's: shoes for the Wrens; the boots and shoes for the Women's Auxiliary Fire Service and the land girls. The millions of pairs of boots and shoes demanded by the Services have swallowed up most ol' the standard kinds of leather and many new varieties are therefore being developed by the British tanning industry for the new "utility" footwear which from now onwards will supply about one-half of the boots and shoes needed by civilians. Among the new leathers we are to have one; from goat hide and grain leathers made from hides not required at the moment -by the makers of motor cars and furniture.