Tracing the military influence of M1943 boots in fashion

*Dior Leather boots (left) and Original M43 boots (right)*

The role of military clothing in fashion is pronounced. It is thanks to advances in military uniforms that we have items like khakis, cardigans, and fatigue pants. Often born out of necessity, military garments highlight the practicality of a garment’s structure while often creating a compelling and interesting product. It is because of this ingenuity and necessary creativity that fashion designers often look at military garments for inspiration.

One of the most innovative periods in this field was the second world. This war was a devastating period in human history, but one that forced people to find solutions to wardrobe problems. Originating from this period are the iconic M1943 boots, which served as inspiration for designers such as Raf Simons, Kris Van Assche, and Hedi Slimane. Tracing the evolution of these boots from military issue to high fashion staple illuminates the reference behind the beloved style, and serves as just one example of a military aesthetic seeping into contemporary designs.

Lasting six years and resulting in 70 to 85 million deaths, World War II was one of the most horrible periods of recent human history. The constant war and exposure to new tactics and weapons resulted in a need for constant innovation in order to achieve an edge on the enemy. This need to innovate was also prevalent in clothing designs, as the constant wear of issued garments revealed flaws and impracticalities. It is out of this necessary drive for innovation that the US M1943 (or M43) boots were conceived.

In the midst of WW2 (1943), the entire uniform of US soldiers was re-designed. This update was necessary, as there were many issues with the pre-1943 US military uniform, such as frequent tears at the elbows, knees and crotch, lack of functionality, and lengthy process of gearing up. This major modification proved to be very influential. A testament to this is the prevalence of the M65 jacket (updated version of the M1943 jacket).

The M1943 boots were specifically created to reduce the time it took soldiers to put on or take off their footwear and to reduce the amount of equipment that soldiers needed to carry. Preceding these famed boots the US military used mid length boots with a pair of gaiters or canvas leggings to protect the ankle and to keep debris and other elements out of soldier’s shoes. The problem with this set up was that lacing up the boots and the gaiters took a long time. The solution to this problem was to add a 5 inch leather cuff above the ankle, fastened with two straps.

*Boot and gaiter combination worn by US troops before ︱ 1943*

While the design was quite simple, it was highly functional and cost effective. These standard boots would be the standard issue combat boots up until the Korean War in 1952 and saw several iterations, like the Vietnam “okinawa” jungle boots, which were used until 1965.

Vietnam “okinawa” jungle boots (left) and Comme des Garçons Homme (right)

It is worth noting that the boots were inspired by a pair of Canadian military boots, which were developed a year prior in 1942. These boots were very similar, but they had a different shape and featured a single buckle instead of the iconic two. The French Army also copied the cuff design in 1965, with the “rangers” BMJA65 (nicknamed rangers due to their similarity with the M43).

Canadian Single Buckle (left) and French BMJA65 (right)

Since its conception in 1943 the iconic design has been reinterpreted and referenced by many designers and has had a significant impact in the work of designers like Hedi Slimane, Rei Kawakubo, and Kris Van Assche. These designers have incorporated elements of the M43 and its construction in their repertoires, dousing them with their own vision and often rendering the references unrecognizable. The particular cuff has been modified, moved, enlarged, narrowed, and exaggerated to highlight the construction of the shoe, to reference different movements or cultures, and to create an entirely new type of shoe. To understand the influence that these boots had on the aforementioned designers, we need to take a closer look at the footwear in their respective repertoires.

Hedi Slimane - Dior, Saint Laurent Paris (SLP) & Celine

*Buckled Boots by Hedi Slimane for Celine︱ FW19*

Hedi Slimane has had a major impact on menswear fashion through his work at Saint Laurent Paris and Dior Homme in the 2000s and early 2010s. His name is synonymous with a slim and androgynous aesthetic that bears skinny jeans, tight-fitting jackets, and elegant boots. Against the baggy style of the 90s, Slimane’s re-introduction of this slim aesthetic in the mainstream was revolutionary and it heavily influenced ideas about how men were supposed to dress at the time.

One of the fields that Slimane revolutionized is footwear. Taking inspiration from rock and military sources, Slimane sought to create novel silhouettes for classic boots. Through his tenures at different fashion houses, Slimane has created some of the most iconic footwear in menswear in the past two decades, including the Dior Navigate Boot and the Saint Laurent Wyatt Chelsea. Along with these two sought-after boots, the designer created another very interesting boot, combining the “Slimane Silhouette” with the rugged design of the M43 boot.

Elements from the boot in question has made appearances in all of the brands that Slimane was part of. In Dior, Slimane took the two cuffs and added them to a classic Chelsea boot, thereby creating an interesting new shape from a renowned model. He also created another version of the famed AW07 navigate boots, this time with a back zip instead of laces and the particular cuff in an unusual place; at the heel of the boots. While in this instance, the cuff is not used for practicality, the end product is an interesting and innovative design that references military elements in a way that only Slimane could.

*Buckled Dior Chelsea boot (left) and Back Buckle Dior Boots (right)*

The experimentation with the famed boot design did not stop at Hedi’s tenure in Dior. In Saint Laurent Paris, Hedi Slimane sought to recreate the M1943 in his own world. The SLP boot was identical to the WWII boot in terms of the features, but, unequivocally, Slimane doused this boot with his particular vision and aesthetic. Dubbed the “ranger”, which is a reference to the creation of the French 1965 boot and its resemblance to the M43.

*Ranger Boots by Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent︱ FW14*

This style would also be re-created during his tenure at Celine. In this time he would also use the famed straps in other ways, such as adorning the back of a boot. The re-issue of the boots also signifies a common criticism of Hedi’s work, which is a lack of innovation from his original aesthetic in his different tenures at fashion houses. This last point, though, does not cancel out his impact on menswear and his determination at creating a refined vision.

*Buckled Boots by Hedi Slimane for Celine*

Comme des Garçons

Another highly influential designer that referenced the famed boot is Rei Kawakubo, the creator of Comme des Garçons. Known for breaking the mold and never subverting to tradition, CDG aims to disrupt pre-conceived notions about any clothing article. Rei’s take on the boots in question are primes examples of that.

Clear references to the WW2 shoe are presented in many of CDG’s sub-labels. One of the most interesting take on the shoes is seen in the CDG Homme Plus FW16 “Armour of Peace”. The collection was inspired by medieval armour and featured jackets, pants, shoes, and detachable accessories resembling the clothing worn by medieval soldiers. Amongst all of these references to medieval soldiers we see a more modern reference in what could be described as a strange derby. The aforementioned shoe resembles the classic “Brothel Creeper” by George Cox, but a closer look reveals that the shoe is more of a boot with a cutout ankle. The lacing system is characteristic of a boot, but the top laces are attatched to the ankle by a single buckle, emulating the lacing system of the M1943. The shoe was made in collaboration with renowned shoemaker George Cox and it is one of many collaborations between the two brands.

The ongoing collaboration between the two brands has focused on the shoe other times since then. In the FW18 collection, the two brands created yet another version of the “Brothel Creeper.” This time, a lacing system similar to the US military boot. The shoe features two buckles that sit on top of the shoe instead of wrapping around the ankle. The “flap” or tongue that sits underneath these buckles is clearly reminiscent of the WW2 shoe.

There are similar references in other lines as well. One the most clear ones is presented in the menswear line Comme des Garçons Homme. This line is designed by Junya Watanabe and, like Rei’s menswear line, it is also aimed at challenging conventional menswear, but in a more conservative way. In this case, Watanabe combines the elegance of a derby shoe with the ruggedness of the combat boot to create this interesting shoe that exists in a world of its own. Featuring a very familiar construction, the shoe features a heavy lug sole and two buckles that might as well have been taken out of an original M1943.

*Two colorways of the same Comme des Garçons Homme boots*

All of the aforementioned examples of CDG’s play with the M43 reflect the ethos of the brand. These shoes are a perfect example of CDG’s combination of familiar elements in a novel way to create items that only exist in a category of their own.

Kris Van Assche

*Backstage photo from Dior Homme Spring/Summer 2008 runway show*

The work of Kris Van Assche results from an early fascination with New Wave and hardcore cultures that he had been exposed to in Belgium. The splicing of these contrasting aesthetics has been the focus of Kris Van Assche from the beginning of his career. As a result, his collections often feature a focus on tailoring with sportswear elements, with subtle references to the aforementioned cultures. This work, however, has always been undermined by his proximity to the acclaimed Hedi Slimane.

Kris Van Assche worked as an assistant for Slimane for about 6 years in both Saint Laurent and Dior. Though the work of the two designers is clearly different, both designer share an inspiration; military. One of the most notorious military references in the repertoires of these designers is the M1943 boot. As we have mentioned earlier, Slimane made references and improvements to the “ranger” boot throughout his tenures at different houses. Van Assche is no different, having incorporated elements of the famed boot to his collections at both Dior and His own label “KRISVANASSCHE”.

The design of the Belgian designer often features a different focus than that of his mentor, as his takes often involve the incorporation of other elements, such as bondage. For example, for the FW16 Dior collection, KVA focused on more punk elements; such as baggy pants, d-rings and distressing. In this collection the designer took an interesting approach to footwear, he applied the cuff from the 1943 boot to cover the laces. The sole also bears resemblance to Dr. Martens, a renewed punk icon, and taken all together, the shoe breathes the characteristic ethos of KVA.

*High top by Kris Van Assche for Dior Homme ︱ FW16*

Another example of his reinterpretation of the boot during his tenure at Dior is the “Nautico” boot. This boot is similar to the CDGH in its formality, and to the work of Slimane in its silhouette. Featuring the characteristic cuff, the panels of this boot are held in place by metal rivets rather than stitches. This paneling and the leather are also reminiscent of 19th century boots, which is a strange, yet compelling reference.

His namesake brand often features very interesting designs as well. A good example is the “floating cuff” boot, which featured a similar cuff along with other bondage elements. What is special about this cuff is that its not attached to the boot except for the buckles. It also features an extra buckle securing the vamp.

Although the designs featured in this article are not a complete guide to the work of the previously mentioned designers, they nicely summarize some of the recurrent motifs in their work.

As we covered here, the influence of the iconic M43 is wide and spans multiple generations of designers. And the fact that this model has survived to be used today by modern brands is a statement to its initial functionality and ingenuity.

Tracing the military influence of M1943 boots in fashion

Hedi Slimane - Dior, Saint Laurent Paris (SLP) & Celine

Comme des Garçons

Kris Van Assche

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