Jackboot (original) (raw)

A jackboot is a military boot such as the cavalry jackboot or the hobnailed jackboot. The hobnailed jackboot has a different design and function from the first type. It is a combat boot that is designed for marching. It rises to mid-calf or higher without laces and usually has a leather sole with hobnails. Jackboots have been associated popularly with totalitarianism, as they were worn by German military and paramilitary forces during the Second World War; however, they have been used officially by other nations as well, including the United Kingdom, and had some civilian uses as well.