Wellco Desert Boots
Founded by a partnership in 1941 as Wellco Shoe Corporation. The partners were not new to the shoe industry as their grandfather had started a shoe factory in the early 1900's. The grandfather went on to patent groundbreaking molding technology concerning the process of attaching a rubber sole to a shoe.
In the beginnings, Wellco Shoe Corp founded another company, RO-Search. RO-Search was a licensing company, offering the patented technology of Wellco, to other companies for a profit. RO-Search also manufactured specialized molds and presses required in the manufacturing of shoes with their protected technology. RO-Search can be seen on countless military boots typically on the sole. Strangely enough some dealers mistake the RO-Search for a brand name, when in reality, it is a marking of the patented technology licensed by Wellco.
In 1965, due to complaints concerning the existing military foot wear, the army hired Wellco and RO-Search to produce the its Wellco hot weather boots. The hot weather boot became the base for many of the hot and temperate designs still used today. This boot was better known and still typically is called the Vietnam Boot or the Jungle Boot. Later the technology used was applied to nearly all army combat footwear. From this point forward, Wellco held a majority of the designs, with nearly all of the Army's needs were serviced by Wellco or by one of one of a few other companies using the RO-Search technology licensed through Wellco. These other companies, Altama, Mcrae, Belleville, along with the technology and patent of RO-Search and Wellco, became the source for military footwear, for years to come. Its important to note, with this in mind, there is no difference among manufactures during this period of the Wellco desert boot, as all molds, presses and technical advice came direct from RO-Search.
Today, Wellco still rules the military market. In 1991 at the instruction of General Schwarzkopf and the beginning of Desert Storm, Wellco was awarded a development contract for the boot that later became the Desert Boot or Desert Storm boot. The Desert boot was basically a spin off of the Vietnam Jungle Boot. The metal plate in the sole was removed as its heat retaining properties were undesired. Then they added a thick padded collar at the direction of Schwarzkopf. Also, a cool max liner was used to help with perspiration wicking. The Vietnam Jungle Boots used small circular vents in the side of the boot which were a great design for air circulation in the boot. However when in the sand, the small holes become detrimental and many GI's reported using gum or any other substance to keep their boots empty of desert sand. The desert boot was quickly modified to not include any vent holes.
