Those of you who remember the Be a Man Among Men ads from the Bush War days may find this interesting. They’re reproduction Rhodesian Army Heavyweight Boots from Fireforce Ventures.
Based on an original pair provided by a veteran of the British South Africa Police (BSAP), Fireforce Ventures says their collaboration with HondoTread took almost two years to develop.
“We faithfully recreated the unique butterfly buckle, stitches, and overall look of the original,” they explain, “with very few deviations for the sake of modern utility. These aren’t just knock-off M43s…thes are the most truly ‘Rhodie’ boots ever put to market.”
They go on to explain, “If you’re looking for something high-speed and low-drag, these boots aren’t for you.” However, if you’re lookin’ to wear something truly “Rhodie” in every sense ? you need these boots. They’re bulky, thick, and intended to take a beating – whether it be buffalo thorns or ZANLA.”
Presumably, we can take that to mean they’re equally capable of shrugging off FRELIMO, ZIPRA, ZAPU, and Sak spinnekops.
When asked about field testing on a social media post, FV advised, “No major hot spots, on par with most leather boots. Excellent tread, and the double buckles work and achieve the same effect as standard P-37 style gaiters. Only gripe we had on our end was, they are HEAVY – but that’s the idea! Additional note – easy break in!”
- Extremely close copy of original Rhodesian Army issue heavyweight boot pair, courtesy of our friend Alan McKenzie (former BSAP)
- Heavy duty leather construction
- Unique Rhodesian pattern reinforcement stitch at toe cap
- 8-eyelet lacing under integral anklet, as per original example
- Double-buckle secured integral anklet with correct Rhodesian pattern “butterfly” buckle
- Commando style sole, inspired by the “asterix” sole of the original – excellent tread and comfort
- Distributed and designed by our friends at HondoTread Consulting
You can learn more about the Fireforce Ventures Rhodie boots here online.
Fireforce Ventures is named for the “Fire Force” tactics employed during the Bush War by the RLI, RAR, C Squadron SAS, Selous Scouts, and others.
Reproduction note from Fireforce Ventures: The only two aesthetic differences are the lack of “asterix” on the soles, and the lack of a rivet on the outside of the double buckle straps. We opted to not custom develop the sole as it would significantly increase the price point of this boot, for little discernable benefit to the wearer, and a worse tread overall. The “asterix” distinctive to the originals is instead replaced with similarly shaped “pentagon” treads at the front and back, approximately 2/3rd the size of the original “asterix” on the original sole. Additionally, we opted not to include the rivet on the double buckle boots as it seemed to severally compromised the actual durability of the buckle system itself. Given that the original 10mm rivet dug into the buckle, and left less than 2-3mm of actual material on the back end of the buckle strap, this was too big of a possible failure point to include. That being said, it is something we may consider in future iterations if a 10mm rivet can be included without compromising durable – but it is not something we were prepared to do on this first run. With all this in mind, the boot itself remains the most authentic reproduction of the heavyweight pattern Rhodesian Army boot in the market!
Put some classic Cold War era “boots on the ground.”
DRW
