Para boots in Algerie/Indochine, and FIT of Grenoble

[nick h.]

Does anyone know about para boots used by the regular French army or the Legion in the '50s and '60s? Or about a manufacturer in Grenoble called FIT?

There are quite a few Ranger boots from around 1960 with FIT Sport or FIT Grenoble on the sole. I have a pair of roughout ones dated 1961.  (There are also civilian leather FIT Sport ski boots from that period floating around.) But I can't find a scrap of info about FIT the company. 

Did the paras wear the issue Rangers as jump boots? Some of them seem to have used Corcorans. Would those have been private purchase? Were the Rangers not thought to be very good jump boots? My curiosity has been piqued by this unusual pair of FIT para boots on ebay https://ebay.us/LSp2JI , which are described as 'du commerce' by the seller. I suppose in this context it means 'private purchase'? 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 7, 2020 by nick h.

[Chris Boonzaier]

I think they are commercial... in the 80s and 90s the Paras wore regular rangers like everyone else. If they were not good enough for the Paras in the 60s I am sure they would not be worn in the 90s... HOWEVER... I am not sure when the Rangers were introduced...

[Bayern]

Hello, The Rangers were introduced in the French Army first in 1950 but the type was not appreciated ,too heavy and obstructive of feet cooling . In Indochina the Paras weared either brodequins or the Pataugas made of canvas and rubber . It was only in 1952 when a new model of Ranger was introduced and accepted. If you want to know details I suggests to enter in Les Rangers la chaussure a combat www defense.gouv.fr

[Chris Boonzaier]

Pataugas were still issued in the 90s, but they give zero ankle support... they are like the tennis shoes of the 70s, but much higher... we only ever wore them on base in hot countries... out in the field you you could really injure yourself.

I am guessing for ankle support on a jump the Rangers were the only answer in the french stores...

I think the 1950 ranger were based on US WW2 Boots?

 

[Bayern]

Hello Chris . The 1950 rangers were based on the US WW2 model . and the 1952 were based too on US models with diferences. regarding the Paras , they dont like the 1950 rangers and continued wearing the old brodequin M1917 or M 1934 with hobnailed soles normally accompanied with either US canvas gaiters or short French leather Guetres . The Pataugas were used during the patrol or combat duties . obviously they dont jump with Pataugas

[Chris Boonzaier]

10 minutes ago, Bayern said:

Hello Chris . The 1950 rangers were based on the US WW2 model . and the 1952 were based too on US models with diferences. regarding the Paras , they dont like the 1950 rangers and continued wearing the old brodequin M1917 or M 1934 with hobnailed soles normally accompanied with either US canvas gaiters or short French leather Guetres . The Pataugas were used during the patrol or combat duties . obviously they dont jump with Pataugas

I dont think the Para would use hobnailed Brodequin for jumping... they would offer no ankle support?

At the limit I can imagine the Pataugas on patrol, they are light but offer not a lot of protection

[Bayern]

Hello again Chris , They used the old brodequin with the canvas gaiters of US type, and, the Pataugas also with gaiters . I suggest You to enter the following :  Pataugas Paras Indochine . once appeared the answer enter images and you were able to see multiple pics of Paras either in Indochine or Algerie and their Chaussures Kind regards . Bayern

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi, indeed, but you see pics of them with rangers as well.

I do cede the point however because you are right, the Paras in Indichina were not doing a whole lot of jumping, in which case the stability of the Ranger was not essential. For the far east the Pataugas would have been a better option.

In the overseas Paquetage there would have been various options, when we deployed to Central Africa we had 2 pairs of boots, one pair of Pataugas and a pair of running shoes... all rotated according to the occasion... on Occasion Rangers were worn, many Dien Bien Phu show them

[nick h.]

I've just weighed my Rangers - 1.3 kg each. And no ventilation...not much fun in the heat. 

The ones on ebay are dated 1960. The seller says he got them from his uncle, a former parachuting instructor at Pau in the '70s. They have never been worn. 

Was it common for French paras to buy their own boots? I've seen some Corcorans sold as ex-Legion boots. Would they have been private purchase?

 

 

 

 

[Chris Boonzaier]

22 minutes ago, nick h. said:

I've just weighed my Rangers - 1.3 kg each. And no ventilation...not much fun in the heat. 

The ones on ebay are dated 1960. The seller says he got them from his uncle, a former parachuting instructor at Pau in the '70s. They have never been worn. 

Was it common for French paras to buy their own boots? I've seen some Corcorans sold as ex-Legion boots. Would they have been private purchase?

 

 

 

 

I can not speak for the 70s, I know in the 80s and 90s private purchase was not an option... when it came to uniform items there was a strict policy... some units in the legion had private purchase pullovers... "Pullvert"... but even then, they were obligatory private purchase for every member of the regiment. About the only thing where you could really go out any buy something private was sleeping bags, cooking gear, camping odds and sods... even knives on your webgear was an issue.... I do not see anyone wearing the pictured boots on their own initiative.... if they had had the normal fronts like French army boots, but were not rangers... maybe he could get away with it, but these would have been a magnet for an authority... I think private purchase indeed... but I doubt he really got the chance to wear them.... the rubber also looks a bit plasticy compared to the real rubber soles? I think this may be a bit newer than he says...

[Bayern]

On 08/11/2020 at 20:49, Chris Boonzaier said:

Hi, indeed, but you see pics of them with rangers as well.

I do cede the point however because you are right, the Paras in Indichina were not doing a whole lot of jumping, in which case the stability of the Ranger was not essential. For the far east the Pataugas would have been a better option.

In the overseas Paquetage there would have been various options, when we deployed to Central Africa we had 2 pairs of boots, one pair of Pataugas and a pair of running shoes... all rotated according to the occasion... on Occasion Rangers were worn, many Dien Bien Phu show them

Hello Chris ,The French Army post WW2 was equiped with a vast variety of arms, clothing,etc .  it was not until the end of the War in Algeria that completely new regulations of uniformity were statuted 

[Chris Boonzaier]

4 hours ago, Bayern said:

Hello Chris ,The French Army post WW2 was equiped with a vast variety of arms, clothing,etc .  it was not until the end of the War in Algeria that completely new regulations of uniformity were statuted 

Hi, agreed for that era, but I had returned to the boots in the first post which were apparently in the soldiers possession in the 70s.

[nick h.]

Does anyone know any details of FIT the manufacturer? Presumably they went bust or were taken over. Is there a database where I can search for French businesses which were trading in the '60s and '70s?

I must say that these boots don't look very practical. Why would anyone want a high shine on the whole boot, unless you are going to reserve them just for parades?

 

[Chris Boonzaier]

1 hour ago, nick h. said:

Does anyone know any details of FIT the manufacturer? Presumably they went bust or were taken over. Is there a database where I can search for French businesses which were trading in the '60s and '70s?

I must say that these boots don't look very practical. Why would anyone want a high shine on the whole boot, unless you are going to reserve them just for parades?

 

indeed... and if anyone did sneak in private stuff it is usually far away and in the field

Ta-DAAAAA!!!!

Beautiful pair of Rangers.... FIT sole...

http://www.encherexpert.com/sacs-et-mode/chaussures-homme/163617-chaussures-rangers-militaires-43-fit-grenoble-8.html

 

https://www.naturabuy.fr/Rangers-Francaises-brunes-stock-1er-trimestre-1962-Semelle-cousues-Taille-44--item-6963551.html