Bundesmarine deck shoes, surplus

German navy low service shoes - unlike in the army, the shaft length matters only under the deck. Leather & cordura uppers, rubber sole. The grip should be pretty good on slippery surfaces, these being meant to be used onboard ships.

The cap and back are leather, the shaft is textile. No shock absorption properties, so you should adopt a fairly rolling step with these. The tongue and top are padded for comfort. The sole is antistatic and oil resistant.

The build is most likely Blake construction. The leather footbed, the upper and the leather midsole are all sewn together and the rubber traction sole is glued on top of the midsole. Apart from looking much better than injection molded shoes, the sole can be more easily repaired and even replaced - provided there's a Blake resoling machine available.

On a small note concerning wet weather and puddles, these have small ventilation holes on the instep. While these undeniably keep your feet cool in hot weather, they also let water in (but out too). However they're sitting quite high so in casual use you'll have to step in a very deep puddle to enjoy the watery sensation.

Condition

Used. These have sometimes seen some miles but are still in serviceable condition.