1:16 German infantry boots - WWII

German infantry boots, 1:16 scale

German infantry boots from the period of the Second World War in 1:16. A small accessory for a diorama, that is a thing that gives a scene action: discarded footwear belongs to billets, to a dressing station, to a workshop and to rest away from the firing line.

The real subject

Footwear was as important to an infantryman as his weapon, because he walked most of the war on his own feet. The German infantry wore leather boots with hobnailed soles, which stood up to paving, mud and frost, but on the march they wore out faster than they could be made. A scuffed toe, a worn-through heel and a high sheen on the shaft are typical of them, as is a muddy deposit around the welt.

Building and painting tips

• Cut the excess material off with a sharp blade a little away from the part and carefully sand the remnant down.
• Wash and degrease the part before painting; smooth leather otherwise takes paint badly.
• Choose the glue according to the material of the part; the manufacturer states the exact procedure in the instructions.
• Build leather up in layers: a darker base, a wash into the folds and a fine sheen on the stretched areas.
• Set the sole apart with a matte paint and suggest the heads of the hobnails with dots of a metallic shade.
• Add dust and mud with pigment from the bottom upward; most of it belongs around the welt of the sole.

Who it is for

For builders of dioramas in a large scale, where small things really are seen, and for collectors of 1:16 figures who want to build a setting around a figure. A large scale rewards careful work with the shades of leather and with wear.

The figure, further equipment, the paints and the glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.