Fitting boots under the armor

[kiyotei[TK]]

Here's one other topic I have not seen any one discussing. How do you get a good fit of the shins over your boots? How do you keep the bottom edge of the shin from scraping the white paint off of your boots? Any suggestions out there. so far I've had to redo my back seam on the shins to make more room for the boots to fit under them. That was no big deal. Fortunately AP sends you some extra scrap ABS sheets to make shims.

[ItsThatGuy[501st]]

Mine fit well so I won't be much help there, but I am not sure there isn't anything that can be done about the scraping. Maybe you could adhere some white felt on the shin piece where it scrapes your boots the most...

[Daetrin[Admin]]

Mine scrape too, but since it's not that bad I think it just makes them look more like the scuffed ones we see on screen

[ItsThatGuy[501st]]

Mine have lasted over a year of many troops - the scrapes aren't that bad.

[drosch]

I like the scrapes and scuffs too. Any stormtrooper pic you see up close the boots and even the shin pieces themselves are marked up.

[firebladejedi[TK]]

I wear caboots so scuffing is less of a problem for me. I only have the top of my shins held together so they are not tight at the bottom, free to move around ala tantive IV

 

Edited February 17, 2021 by gmrhodes13
photos updated gmrhodes13 2021

[kiyotei[TK]]

firebladejedi, you definetely have a lot more room at the bottom of your shins than I do. Mine are very tight fitting. I like the idea of leaving the bottom of the seam open. I may try that. I just don't want the boots to get trashed too fast. I know scrapes are a way of life and are not bad looking.

[Bigturc]

I wouldn't worry too much about it ...

 

At 6'3" with AP, I often have to put back my calf piece over my left boot. For some unknown reason, only the left one gets out from under the piece and I have to put it back under from time to time. Or is it the right one .. not sure anymore, but you get the idea ..

[kiyotei[TK]]

yea bigturc its the right one. Mine does it too. I'm thinking about adding some type of extension to the top of the boot to keep it from slipping off.

[kiyotei[TK]]

I don't have any white leather handy but I'm thinking of riviting some white foamie foam to the front and back of the boot to extend its height a bit. This should help with it slipping out from under the armor. That's are real pain. I also added some foamie foam to the bottom of the shins. I'll add pics once I decide if I like it. Basically I have a in the front and rear of the shin to extend that area over the boot as well as reduce rubbing in those two areas. I thought this might help keep the boot from slipping out but didn'. I have to mod how I did it in the back which is the worst area for slipping. I split the foam at the seam unfortunately that is THE critical slip point.

[kiyotei[TK]]

I came up with a good working solution now. I added a white elastic strap to the inside of my shin pieces. It loops around under my foot and pulls the shin piece downard. This works real well at keep the shin piece from sliding up over the boots. Some ski pants and long johns have a strap at the bottom of the leg that keeps the pants pulled down, same thing that I did. I also had to add a vinyl strip across the bottom of the back side of the shin. The vinyl is from a very large window blind, very flexible. This strip keeps the boot tops from trying to slip thru the seam. the strip sticks out a bit from the bottom of the shin piece. I only secured one side of the strip to make it easier to put the shin piece on. We had a toy drive troop this past weekend and it worked like a charm. Another problem I was having with the shins was that they would slide up over the boots and their tops would hit the thigh pieces.

[kiyotei[TK]]

I wanted to provide an update here. I bought the CaBoots and they work much better than my other boots. I had bought a pair of black boots and painted them white. The problem was that the boot was not tall enough to stay under the shin armor when walking. The CaBoots are much taller, about 2" taller. This makes all the difference in the world. The CaBoots are also narrower cut on the leg and so they fit much better under my armor. Now I should mention that the CaBoots I bought are a size smaller than the other boots I have. I bought my old boots at a second hand store so didn't have any choice in size. However, my old boots (made by Rockport) are a lot more comfortable. The sole of the CaBoot is not very springy. I have a wide foot (E) and was concerned with mail ordering boots. I have a lot of trouble finding shoes that fit my feet properly. The CaBoots are wide enough. They also will custom build boots for you but that costs a bit more. I'm not sure if the boots I got were in stock or made to order? I did specify my foot width when I ordered them but I can't tell if that mattered or if they make one width of boot unless you custom order them? Anyhow, I have a lot of room in the boot so I will be adding a cushion to the bottom. Does anyone have a recommendation for good inserts? I'm looking for one that really absorbs energy for those long walking troops.

[trooper1[TK]]

Hey I have been reading and the soft cloth deal could be used to keep from scuffing your boots.

I had some left over industrial velcro, used the soft material part, and stuck it to the inside of the lower leg. made a difference. Just a small piece on both sides.

[kiyotei[TK]]

I like that idea of adding the soft side of velcro. I'll give that a try. I've been thinking about what I could add that would stick really well and provide the protection I needed. I get some squeaking from my new boots to this should help as well.