Giving Ww2 Corcoran Jump Boots A 'vintage' Look?

[Anticitizen]

Hello all! Newbie here, with a question!

Nothing overly involved or complicated here. I want to do something fairly basic, I think.

I want to make these boots:

...look like this:

These are the same type of boot: a WW2-era paratrooper 'jump' boot. The company that makes the new boot is the same company that made the original (Corcoran) and they are identical.

I've read that I can get the 'creased' look by binding up the boots and soaking them in cold water for a day.

Any advice on the coloring? Should I be dyeing, or using oils or waxes to tan the leather? Tips would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[LTC]

Wear them.

Wouldn't hurt to make a few parachute jumps in them too.

Should get that look after walking a few hundred miles in them.

You'd need to spit shine them too (the toe caps) but it would take me hours to explain the correct way to do that on here.

Edited March 4, 2014 by LTC

[anhurset]

When I was younger my father had a pair of boots that had developed that patina, it came from years of using cordovan polish on brown leather.

[Anticitizen]

Did I mention I wanted to do it in a shorter timeframe than 60 years?

[camano ridge]

THe first thing you will need to do is deglaze them (get rid of the top coat finish) Oil them a bit beat them with a hammer or just fold and flex the uppers a bunch to develop creases and wrinkles. Get some dark brown antique gel and apply wipe off you should now have some dark areas. As stated above apply cordovan shoe polish. SPit shine the toe. Get rid of the ugly shoe laces and get some leather ones. Then wear and let the elements and time do their thing. The above prceedures should cut the time down to about 30 years

Edited March 4, 2014 by camano ridge

[Red Cent]

Wet the boots from the bottom of the laces down. Before totally dry, apply NF oil. When almost dry, apply a little darker polish. Dry with hairdryer. Water will open pores. Oil will make the leather darker. Polish, same. Hairdryer=dry. Do it again.

[Red Cent]

Apply liquid polish in crease areas. This will accelerate the wrinkles. And wear them. And wear......

[Anticitizen]

Thanks guys! One question - what's NF oil? Google is failing me here.

[gary]

Neatsfoot (or neat's foot) oil. Better to use the pure NF and not the NF oil compound.

Edited March 4, 2014 by gary

[camano ridge]

If you don't have Neatsfoot oil Extra veirgin olive oil will work as well.