Soviet Kirza boots, surplus

A one-off lot of Soviet enlisted men's Kirza boots called Sapogi! The crudeness makes these rather charming, but the boots are no joke.

Oh joy! We got another lot of these, found from some guy's garage or something.

While the model was taken into use during World War 2, they wore these officially up to the 90's and unofficially even beyond. We heard the Mongolians are keen on Soviet surplus boots these days, who knows if they're planning a reunion tour across Europe or something.

Half vegan, half Russian

The outsole is rubber, which is nailed on leather midsoles. The lower is made of surprisingly good quality, thick unlined leather and the shaft comprises of Kirza with a leather support strip on the back. Kirza (or some call it Kersey) leather was one of the most important developments during the war, saving hundreds of Roubles when they made soldiers' boots. The inventor, a chemist named Plotnikov, was given a truck ton of roubles and the hallowed Stalin State Prize medal for his efforts, a ticket for NOT (likely) being transported to Siberia. Kirza leather is still made today. It looks very much like the real thing and keeps water out pretty well.

The shaft height and circumference are size-dependent, but these are not at all humble in appearance, as they reach almost to the knee. The shaft can also be flipped over at the point of your choice to make it shorter - this is what many Soviet soldiers seemed to do in warzones.

We got a couple with the WW2 type dimple sole. These boots are sold separately. The boots haven't been made during the war, they are later produced.

Size info

Sizes in the Soviet system, which is first the recommended foot length in millimeters, then EU/French size. These are designed to be used with footwraps, so if you wear socks, wear thicker ones.

The last is sorta human-shaped, but not excessively wide.

Here's a little chart with comparable US and UK sizes.

Care

Care for your boots and they might care for you! Clean the boots with a moist rag and/or a brush. Apply grease and polish to the leather. Kirza does not need to be treated.

Condition

Although there are some slightly used pairs, usually these are in unworn shape, however, A) old and B) of Soviet manufacture. A means they might be a bit stiff and dirty on the surface, B means they are cobbled together with some hearty dosage of vodka. So these might not be too pretty, but they are pretty strong.

The story

So, how did this stuff find its way in Finland? Well, when the Soviet Union collapsed, the former satellite states gained their independence. There was a huge leftover stock of Soviet stuff still in the old army bases because the Russians left in a hurry or didn't just care to take their shit with them. Most are gone, but these leftover stocks are still occasionally unearthed, like these Kirza boots dug out from some garage in Estonia or Lithuania (both countries used to be unwilling parts of the Sovietosphere). That's how secure the availability is in the future.