Jump boot Jump boot , a type of combat boot first to come with high legs before modern issue combat boots , exclusive with Paratrooper s and soldiers of the Airborne Forces . In modern times , nearly all combat boots are fully laced , therefore modern jump boots are mainly worn as dress and parade boots . Their uppers are generally made of smooth black leather , with toe - caps and heel counters that accept a high polish , also called a " spit - shine " or " spittle - shine . " Description . Jump boots are fully laced from the instep to the top and give more support to the wearer ' s ankles , whereas ordinary combat boots during World War II were laced just above the ankle and had to be worn with leggings or puttee s to prevent mud and dirt from entering the boot . Some types of jump boots are constructed with zippers on their inner sides , to facilitate pull - on and removal . Users . Germany . During WW2 , the Fallschirmjager wore jump boots with side lacing . Side laced boots were also used by Czechoslovak Paratroopers after 1945 . Brazil . Brazilian Paratroopers wear brown leather jump boots manufactured by Atalaia . Portugal . Jump Boots in Portugal are manufactured by Proheral and are laced in a distinctive way not only for traditions but to increase ankle support during a parachute jump . In Portugal it is a tradition to have jump boots laced a particular way . While these boots are sometimes worn by non - paratroopers in Portugal , only paratroopers wear them with surplus green paracord instead of the usual black string . On parade , they are usually worn with white paracord . Spain . The Boot paratrooper , or BRIPAC boots ( Spanish : BOTAS MARCA IMEPIEL , DE LA BRIPAC ) As its name suggests and defines , was a boot own exclusive to paratrooper units . It lacked the triple buckles ( for obvious reasons , trying to jump in not providing the strings or winds bell parachute could get dangerously hooked on them ) , which was slightly higher than the issue three buckles for , among other things , give the game shin - ankle - foot extra support , all of which reinforced toe and heel . Except small details differentiating Imipiel boots were supplied , in principle , a carbon copy of the previous aesthetic Segarra , including the aspect of the sole - although this was not screwed - so much so that , at a distance , the simple observation of the same , gave the feeling of being wrong indeed be traditional Segarra . Unlike these , the bill turned out to be a bad Imipiel boots , since it opened and took off with relative ease and in a short time , greatly shorten its life , a detail that was not lost on the charge - charge of the Ministry of Defense , responsible for assessing and managing this type of equipment . Italy . Italian Paratroopers are issued the stivaletti combattimento esercito italiano mod . 2000 . These usually come in a dark brown / black leather and soles may vary . United States . US type jump boots were originally designed by William P . Yarborough in 1941 for use in the 501st Parachute Test Battalion . Also known as paratrooper boots , or " Corcorans " after The Corcoran And Matterhorn Company , a division of Cove Shoe Company , which had the exclusive Department of Defense contract to artifice and supply them for years , Jump boots with zippers were not authorized for wear by US Forces . Certain US Army soldiers , notably those parachute qualified and assigned to an Airborne / Special Forces unit , are authorized to wear jump boots with their Class A uniforms . A modified version of the paratrooper boot was issued to U . S . Navy personnel working on flight decks and Aircrewmen . This variation of the jump boot featured a steel - toe and zig - zag pattern on the out - sole designed to prevent gathering " FOD , " or Foreign - Object Debris , that could potentially damage aircraft by being sucked into the Jet engine ' s intake . These boots were sometimes colloquially referred to as " wing - walkers . " Generally they were black in color , but a brown version was issued to Flight Officers . This style is no longer issued , but is still generally authorized to wear with most Navy working uniforms ( i . e . NWUs , coveralls , Aviation Working Greens ) . References . < br >