US 1912 Russet Leather Shoe
Adopted on August 15, 1912
The 1912 Russet Leather Shoe was adopted out of the need for shoe that could properly fit the soldiers feet. Prior to the 1912 Russet Leather Shoe, enlisted men were issued 5 different pairs of shoes for various needs. They are as follows: the 1904 Black Dress Shoe, the 1904 Russet Garrison Shoe, the 1904 Russet Marching Shoe, the 1904 Barracks Shoe and the 1904 Gymnasium Shoe. Shoes previously were made in a few standards sizes with no actual fitting done, in most cases soldiers had to fit their feet to the shoe. This caused many problems for soldiers feet and many injuries that otherwise could be prevented. The 1912 Russet Leather Shoe replaced this problem being the army’s first properly fitting shoe for enlisted men. The shoes design would go on a be the basis for many other future army shoe designs even in the civilian world.
Father of the 1912 Russet Leather Shoe
Major Edward Lyman Munson
Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Munson was the son of attorney and judge Lyman E. Munson. Edward L. Munson graduated from the Yale School of Medicine in 1892. He accepted a commission with the US Navy but turned it down a few months later, to join the US Army in 1893. He served in the Spanish American War as a lieutenant in the 5th Artillery, 5th Corps in Chickamauga, GA soon transported on boat to Cuba . While in Cuba he was tasked with the safe transport of troops on the ship back home that were infected with “Typhoid Fever”. After educational programs of the Army Medical School had been put to a halt during the conflict, in 1900, Munson was put in charge of a newly formed training unit for hospital corpsmen in Fort Lesley J. McNair. With the Army Medical School reopened in 1901, he became an assistant instructor for Military Hygiene. In 1903, he was assigned to the Philippines to serve as health officer for Manila under Governor William Howard Taft. Munson got infected with Tuberculosis and was sent back to the US for recovery in 1904. Now a major, he became an instructor at the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1908.
In 1908 the Army Shoe Board was convened under the guidance of then Major Edward Lyman Munson (Later Brigadier General) of the Medical Department to eliminate the foot and shoe problems that were common amongst the Army’s enlisted men. From 1908 to 1912 a study was conducted on the feet and shoes of 2,000 various soldiers from different units. They focused on common injuries and the importance of properly fitting shoes. In 1912 Major Edward L. Munson and the Army Shoe Board came up with 1912 Experimental Shoe. This shoe was the end all be all shoe of the Army. It would replace the need for five different shoe variants and would properly fit soldiers feet, providing much need support and breathing room to keep healthy feet. The experimental shoe was so well received that practically all of the shoe board’s findings were immediately approved by the War Department. On August 15, 1912, the 1912 Experimental Shoe became the 1912 Russet Leather Shoe.
US 1912 Russet Leather Shoe Breakdown
- A single leather outer sole that was machine sewn onto the upper
- A low wide leather heel whose outer edge was reinforced with an additional row of small, square iron nails to prevent wear.
- Was made of calfskin and in some cases normal cow hide. Calfskin was found to be superior because it was thinner, lighter, softer, and more pliable than cowhide.
- The interior of the shoe was lined with a white cotton duck material to eliminate friction that would otherwise be caused by the rough side, or inside of the leather upper rubbing against the foot.
- Each shoe weighed 1 pound, 2.5 ounces without hobnails. Hobnails could be added to the russet shoe under certain conditions to provide additional traction or to protect the sole from direct wear.
- In 1912, the shoe was 6 ½ inches high from the bottom of the heel.
- In 1912, the shoe was manufactured in 15 lengths running from 5 to 12 by half sizes. Each length came in six commercial widths (B, C, D, E, EE & F), making a total of 90 available sizes*.
- The shoe featured a thin, but wide half-bellows tongue. This style of tongue reduced the possibility of wrinkles and bunching beneath the laces. The heavier full-bellows tongue, a common source of blisters, was previously used on most Army shoes except for the 1907 “Improved” Marching Shoe.
- The shoe incorporated a toe cap to prevent the front of the shoe from warping downward when drying after it had become wet.
The 1912 Russet Leather Shoe being adopted in 1912 was not issued until 1914. Due to the large amount of previous shoe patterns in the Army’s inventory some even dating back to the Spanish American War. The Army opted to use up its old stock while the new shoes production caught up to demand. Each soldier would be issued two pairs of the shoes. One pair was kept highly polished with russet shoe dressing. The polished shoes were to be worn in garrison and on all dress or full dress occasions. The second pair was to be lightly oiled with neetsfoot oil for field and camp service. Issuing two pairs of shoes helped not only the soldiers when it came to moving gear but the quartermasters who had huge stocks of previous inventory shoes to keep up with the demand for five different shoe types. Having a pair of shoes soldier wore almost daily also helped with foot injuries by properly wearing or breaking down the shoe to fit the soldiers feet. The 1912 Russet shoe was made to support the soldiers heel and give space for proper movement of the feet and toes. This was the first time the army adopted a shoe that would be properly fitted to the soldiers feet. Major Munson and his team found out heel support and proper room for the toes to move caused less foot injuries amongst soldiers vs a shoe that did not provide proper room or support.
It is important to note that through its many years of production especially during WWI the shoe went through a few different changes. Prior to the US involvement in WW1 many soldiers were issued canvas leggings instead of the famous puttees. This required the shoe to have a back strap so the soldier could properly secure the 1910 canvas leggings to the shoe. This feature was taken away in 1916 in favor for the new longer 1916 pattern canvas leggings and later the famous wool puttees. Another destinctive feature of the late war variants vs pre war was is the back strap. The pre war or early war variants have a pointed short back strap that does not cover all of the stitching on the back of the shoe. The late war variant had a full length back strap that covered the stitching to prevent ripping of the back seams. The Munson 1912 Russet Leather Shoe was used until the signing of the Armistice and even inspired future shoe designs in both civilian and military life. It was popular choice of shoe design due to its comfort and durability amongst returning Doughboys.
Cover Photo, Soldiers Marching and Factory Worker Photo Courtesy of The National Archives X-ray Photo and Feet Photo Courtesy Of Generals Munsons Book on The Soldiers Feet And Military Shoe
American Militaria Reference
Disclaimer
All material on this Website, including design, text, images, and logos, are owned by AMR, either through copyright or trademark, unless otherwise indicated. All rights are reserved by AMR. Content may not be copied, reproduced, transmitted, distributed, downloaded or transferred in any form or by any means without AMR’s prior written consent, and with express attribution to AMR. Copyright infringement is a violation of federal law subject to criminal and civil penalties.