Belleville Combat Boots: An Army Boot Maker’s Story
Today, Belleville combat boots have become the leading providers of footwear for military personnel. For more than a century, Belleville Shoe Company has served the footwear apparel needs of those in service. In total, the company has more than 100 years of experience in the manufacture of boots. Ultimately, the name has become synonymous with high-quality boots, built to protect the people who wear them from the harshest of external elements.
New Beginnings: The Birth of the Belleville Shoe Company
Belleville Shoe Company first traced its roots to Belleville, Illinois in 1904. Only 50 employees made up the start of the company. Production during this time consisted of between 50 and 75 boots per day. Soon after, the company expanded sales from coast to coast while selling shoes for boys and men. However, military sales did not begin until 1917. At that time, war officials ordered World War I footwear products from the company. Initially, the company’s small operation worked to make uncomplicated footwear, but it has become a staple in military apparel.
The Depression: Eased by Innovative Points of Sale
Times got tough at one point during the 1930s. Throughout this time, orders remained low and military orders became non-existent. However, the company created another source of income by marketing to social service agencies in Chicago. Primarily, the agencies bought shoes to distribute to destitute victims of the depression.
Production Summaries: The Demands of World War II
Once again, military demand resumed after the start of World War II. Although this time, Belleville Shoe Company never failed to deliver their products on time. Along with this, the company continued to deliver quality products and this impressed the War Department. In response, they awarded the Belleville Company the coveted Army-Navy E Award in 1945. Of the 90 companies that make Army combat boots, only five received this award. As a result of this honorable distinction, the company has continued to receive recognition for offering high-quality, high-performance products.
Branching: growth and expansion of the company
Beginning in the 1950s and through the 1960s, the Belleville Shoe Company made the decision to expand into other markets. Mainly, it was RAWLINGS brand sports shoes. The shoes consisted of those for track, bowling, football, golf, soccer, and baseball. Baseball legend Stan Musial remained one of his best clients throughout his career. Each season, he usually wore six or seven pairs of shoes. Despite his success in the world of athletic footwear, his attention turned back to the production of Belleville combat boots in the 1970s. Even so, the company continued to make shoes for civilians. In 1986, the company’s new home became the Belle Valley Industrial Park east of town.
Combat Boots: Just for Men?
As mentioned above, most of the Belleville Shoe Company’s focus was on making men’s and boys’ shoes. For a good part of the company’s history, footwear focused on men remained the trend. A critical turning point came in November 2006, when the company first announced the expansion of production to include a women’s military boot. The newly introduced product line consisted of four popular men’s styles that included women’s sizes. The newly developed shoes incorporated the smaller women’s size while maintaining the same lightness and comfort found in men’s boots. The product expansion was intended to improve the fit of the boots by expanding the current sizes. The new sizes included four through ten and also included ½ sizes for all but 10.
Combat Boots: Belleville represents military footwear
Over time, the Belleville Shoe company has continued to advance the technology used in their combat boots. In 2009, on June 4, the company announced new advances in military combat boot technology. This came with the introduction of the new line of products, Tactical Research by Belleville. Among the advancements was the introduction of their newer, lighter combat boots. More specifically, the new line expanded from Belleville’s 100+ years of experience in combat boots, in addition to its current knowledge of some of the most advanced materials on the market. All of this contributed to the current line, which specifically targets a soldier’s footwear needs. Other advancements throughout the company’s history have been in the number of sizes available.
Additionally, improvements to the boot have increased the amount of comfort as well as its warmth. Today, Bellville combat boots offer a plethora of options. In general, people have a wide variety to choose from when it comes to styles and colors. Many of the boots consist of some type of variation of the steel toe. However, some boot styles do not offer steel toes, while others do not offer non-steel toes. As standard practice, steel-toed Belleville combat boots are inscribed “ST”. The company currently has over 14 different steel toe boots to choose from.
Beyond the Military: Outdoor Adventures in Belleview
In early 2010, Belleville announced another addition to their line of civilian boots. This included the introduction of insulated boots for extreme cold weather conditions. Other improvements included better traction on the sole of the shoes. Doing this increased the amount of comfort for cold-weather outdoor activities like ice-fishing expeditions, as well as skiing and hiking.
Belleville Today: The Military Combat Boot of Choice
Over the years, Belleville has become one of the world’s leading and oldest boot manufacturers. In large part, this relates to their commitment to researching and developing innovative boot design technologies. For that reason, they have continued to expand the computer equipment used, as well as expanding into more markets.
One of the main reasons for the company’s success and popularity has to do with establishing a brand that defines quality and comfort. Therefore, the company has maintained a strong presence within footwear apparel. On top of this, they continue to receive thousands of positive reviews every year. These reviews are not only specific to the military, but also extend to the general population. Currently, the Belleville Shoe company is the largest producer of military combat boots. The company now houses another smaller operation within DeWitt, Arkansas called Belleville Shoe South. In total, the company now produces more than a million boots each year.
