












Särmä Ankle Boots
Bullshit-free ankle boots made in Estonia to our specs. Apart from the sole, these are much like the US Army garrison boots from the Second World War. Very nice quality, these aren't just for show, they are made for real use.
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Bullshit-free ankle boots made in Estonia to our specs. Apart from the sole, these are much like the US Army garrison boots from the Second World War. Very nice quality, these aren't just for show, they are made for real use.
Product update for 2020: the soles are now hard-wearing for extended service life on pavement.
No need to try to reinvent the wheel when you already have something as cool as this, taken straight from the books of history. What separates our ankle boots from the many other modern offerings is the amazing lack of bullshit features on them: no zippers or polyester padding, paper-thin leather or pre-worn look, these are honest classic boots. To keep the cost to reasonable levels these do have a glued on the sole, which does the job well. These are very likely of much higher quality than similarly priced "fashion" boots.
- Glued on rubber sole with grippy tread pattern - probably not the gentlemanliest one out there (they don't make smoother soles in any good lasts goddammit!), but very practical. No real cushioning on the sole.
- Upper made of smooth colored leather, the kind that actually soaks in polish and grease. It'll get a nice patina in use and will last a long time. The leather gets notably more supple with use!
- Apart from the modern sole, the whole boot is modeled after the classic US service boot of World War 2. This means the general construction is pretty damn solid.
- No lining or membranes whatsoever, these are pretty straightforward. This means they dry faster, and you can regulate warmth by playing with different socks.
- In the olden days, boots like this were often coupled with gaiters or puttees in military use. We have taken this into account with the fit of the shaft. So YES, wear them rags with these!
- Reinforced toe box construction, but no safety features.
- Cushion insoles included. These are pretty much the same as on the Norwegian M77 combat boots, which come from the same factory.
Thanks to the solid construction and grippy sole, these can actually be used outside the city too. For those looking for a traditional unlined leather boot for outdoor use, this might be the ticket. When you get back to town, just polish them up before hitting the pub.
Being mainly hand-crafted from a real animal, these might have occasional little signs of the manufacturing process and/or natural imperfections. These will blend in anyways as the boots get some kilometers behind them, so nothing to worry about.
Size info
Sizes in the standard French/EU system. The last is about "regular", fits most feet. If it's tight at first, it should form in use.
Below a chart with the footbed lengths for each size - remember to leave AT LEAST 1 cm / 0.4" room for your toes!
Sizing | Footbed length | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
EU | UK | US | Metric | Imperial | |
36 | 4 | 5 | 236 mm | 9.3" | |
37 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 242 mm | 9.5" | |
38 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 248 mm | 9.8" | |
39 | 6 | 7 | 255 mm | 10" | |
40 | 7 | 8 | 262 mm | 10.3" | |
41 | 8 | 9 | 268 mm | 10.6" | |
42 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 276 mm | 10.9" | |
43 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 282 mm | 11.1" | |
44 | 10 | 11 | 288 mm | 11.3" | |
45 | 11 | 12 | 295 mm | 11.6" | |
46 | 11.5 | 12.5 | 300 mm | 11.8" | |
47 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 307 mm | 12.1" |
Made in EU (Estonia), just South of Finland.
Varusteleka Särmä
Särmä is our own brand of clothing and equipment. When you buy Särmä you get purpose-built stuff at a decent price, something that will fill it's intended role well and not cost you an arm and a leg!
Särmä products are covered by a 12-month warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. For further information please read our detailed warranty guide.
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54 ratings



Joshua P. 15.10.2017
⚠ The product has received a new and improved batch after this review. This review might contain obsolete information.



Jan T. 10.11.2017
⚠ The product has received a new and improved batch after this review. This review might contain obsolete information.
Työn jälki on hyvä, yhdessä nahan laadun kanssa ei aiheuta kritiikkiä suhteessa hintaan. Käyttömukavuus selkeästi parempi vaihtamalla pohjalliset Jalas fx-malliin.
Miinusta pohjan rakenteesta sekä ulkonäösta. Omaan makuuni pohja voisi olla jäykempi, täysmustana ei tyylikäs. Pohja suhteellisen pehmeä ja voimakkasti kuvioitu joten todenäköisesti liukkailla pitävä. Vaelluskäyttöön löytyy parempia vaihtoehtoja, tosin hintakin silloin korkeampi. Iso plussa tietynlaisesta kunnianhimosta Varustelekalle, laatua tässä on selkeästi haettu. Miinuksista huolimatta en kenkiä palauttanut.



Fredrik K. 29.12.2017
⚠ The product has received a new and improved batch after this review. This review might contain obsolete information.



R R. 05.03.2018 (Edited 05.03.2018)
⚠ The product has received a new and improved batch after this review. This review might contain obsolete information.
+ Very good styling, my favorite pair of boots as far as looks are concerned
+ Excellent leather uppers, which clean up real nice with a little polish and a horse-hair shoe brush
- Soles wear away ridiculously quickly, can tear where they flex with your foot
- Insoles are not durable enough and react very poorly to moisture.
Long version:
Excellent boots, right up until they weren't.
Have had mine for five months, and have already worn out the soles to the point that holes have torn in the sole of the right boot, and the left boot probably isn't far behind. In addition, the insides have some serious moisture build-up issues, and the insoles have more or less melted into the top of the sole, which I didn't notice at first due to the gel-inserts I was using. I've not put them through any particularly hard use, just wearing them like I would any other shoes to work or to run errands. I do admit though, that maybe 5 days out of seven per week most weeks I was wearing these boots. So, while they weren't seeing hard use, they were seeing frequent use.
The leather on the other hand is still in excellent condition, so much so that I am considering finding a cobbler to inquire about the cost of repairs. If the issues with the rubber sole and the insole can be resolved, however, I can easily see myself buying another pair since they were great while they lasted. They just didn't last long enough for the price.



Jouni T. 26.06.2018 (Edited 26.06.2018)
⚠ The product has received a new and improved batch after this review. This review might contain obsolete information.



Matias K. 15.11.2018
⚠ The product has received a new and improved batch after this review. This review might contain obsolete information.



Timoteus R. 08.12.2018
⚠ The product has received a new and improved batch after this review. This review might contain obsolete information.



Anonymous customer 20.12.2018 (Edited 21.12.2018)
⚠ The product has received a new and improved batch after this review. This review might contain obsolete information.
Kenkien toteutus on varsin pelkistetty, mikä on etupäässä hyvä asia. Vuorittomina kengät esimerkiksi kuivuvat erittäin nopeasti, mitä oppii arvostamaan nopeasti. Sisäänajettuna kengät ovat myös varsin mukavat ja kevyen tuntuiset jalassa. Notkean pohjan ansiosta kenkä on parhaimmillaan kaupungilla tai helpohkossa maastossa.
Selkein miinus kengissä on hämmästyttävän nopeasti kuluva pohja, joka tosin pitää kohtuullisen hyvin kehnommassakin kelissä. Noin kahdeksan kuukauden lähes päivittäisen käytön jäljiltä toisen kengän pohja näyttäisi myös olevan hiljalleen murtumassa päkiän kohdalta. Liimapohjaisena konstruktiona odotettavissa oleva käyttöikä ei myöskään yllä laadukkaampien randikenkien tasolle, mutta eipä yllä toisaalta hintakaan.
Oman kokemukseni perusteella kenkiä voi pienin varauksin suositella perusmaiharin tarpeeseen. Oikeasti pitkäikäisempää jalkinetta etsivien kannattaa todennäköisesti harkita satsausta goodyear welt -rakenteella tehtyihin kenkiin.



Henri H. 29.12.2018
⚠ The product has received a new and improved batch after this review. This review might contain obsolete information.
Nyt ostin kolmannet ja saa nähdä, miten kestävät. Pohjat eivät ole laadukkaat. Sen tietää Lekakin, sillä aiemmin myyntitekstissä luki, että osaava suutari osaa vaihtaa pohjan. Ihmettelin tätä, en ihmettele enää. Pohjien ei ole tarkoituskaan olla pitkäikäiset.
Kenkinä ja nahkaosiltaan nämä ovat parasta A-luokkaa, mutta pohjien käyttökä päivittäisessä käytössä ei enää ole pitkä. Joka tapauksessa, en käytä enää muita kenkiä.
Suosittelen siis varauksella pohjien takia.


Kierto Circular Economy 
Return this product used but clean and unbroken, and you'll receive half of the product's original price as Varusteleka credits. Service is available only in Finland. Only Registered users can make Kierto returns. See more information about Kierto.
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