US Army "Jungle" Boot (right) worn by Sgt James Onley. These boots were often worn by Canadian Soldiers usually "illegally" in Canada but worn on occasion overseas. At the outset of the Vietnam War, U.S. advisors wore leather combat boots and these continued to be used throughout the war period. Some stocks of the WW II Jungle Boot were located and shipped to Vietnam, but they performed poorly and soon deteriorated. But under a new specification tested in 1962, Army and Marine field troops began to use a black leather and OG107 nylon-webbing tropical combat boot with a cleated sole. This was the "Jungle Boot" with nomenclature "Boot, Combat, Tropical, Mildew Resistant" or later "Boot, Combat, Tropical, DMS with Spike Resistant Sole Shield" and "Boots, Hot Weather". Using technology developed by Wellco, one of the major contractors, the Direct Molded Sole was part of the design. Wellco produced 5,000 pairs per day in the mid-60s and their technology was licensed to multiple other contractors for additional production. There are five patterns that have been identified for the Vietnam-era Jungle Boot. All feature the black leather and OG107 nylon construction with two steel side-by-side screened eyelets on the inner part near the arch to drain the boots after water crossings and provide for air circulation. The black synthetic rubber sole uses a self-cleaning tread with sharp outer edges and smoother center portion. The Vietnam-era Jungle Boots were quite successful. They have gone through only minor design changes since they were introduced in the 1960s and used in large numbers by troops in Vietnam. Jungle Boots were the standard combat footwear for mild weather for decades following Vietnam. The last nomenclature for Jungle Boots was Boot, Hot Weather, Type I, Black, Hot-Wet and allowed for both OG107 green and black for the nylon sections of the upper. In addition, the Type II boot was defined, identical except with desert tan color for the leather and the nylon. The boot was further described this way in a 1999 document: The fore-foot part of the upper is leather as is the area along the closure system. The rest of the upper is nylon Cordura®. The entire upper on this boot is unlined. Two screened eyelets are set in the upper leather in the medial side of the boot in the waist area to facilitate air circulation and water drainage. Nylon tape (1 inch) is on the back of the boot (backstrap area) and around the collar. A nylon tape (2 inch) also runs diagonally across the ankle. The toe box is the same as the Army Combat Boot (Boot, Combat, Mildew and Water Resistant, Direct Molded Sole), as is the heel counter, and Poron® insert. A Panama tread pattern outsole is direct molded to the leather insole. A 0.28cm stainless steel plate is inserted between the leather insole, which is split in half and resewn around the edges. The plate extends the entire length of the boot. A zinc-coated steel shank extends from the middle of the heel through the arch and ends just back of the ball area.