Viberg Refined the Jungle Boot Through Its Jungle 1940 in Natural Waxed Flesh
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The Canadian footwear masters at Viberg have refined the Jungle Boot, taking the most iconic parts of the OG and blending them with world-class bootmaking and top-shelf materials. The Jungle Boot isn’t something we see all too often in our niche, so first, a little history.
The birth of the Jungle Boot begins during World War II. Fighting in the Pacific exposed a glaring problem: traditional leather combat boots were hopeless in tropical conditions. Once soaked, they stayed soaked. Feet blistered, boots rotted, and trench foot became as much an enemy as the opposition. So rather than trying to keep water out, military designers accepted that water was inevitable and instead built a boot that let it escape from the inside. 
4th pattern US Army Jungle Boots with ‘Panama’ sole, via Moore Militaria
The resulting M-1942 jungle boot paired leather with hard-wearing canvas uppers and, crucially, featured screened drainage vents in the arch. The idea behind the screened vents was that water flowed out as well as in, while the lightweight construction dried rapidly in humid conditions. During the Vietnam War, the design evolved numerous times (the 4th pattern is pictured above), with nylon uppers with a tie-down strap on the ankle, reinforced heel and toe panels, and the now-famous Panama sole; the aggressive lugs of which shed sticky mud with every step.
Which brings us to Viberg’s Jungle 1940. This bad boy isn’t a one-to-one reproduction; instead, it takes the unmistakable DNA of the originals and rebuilds it with the sort of craftsmanship that has made the British Columbian bootmaker legendary. They’ve opted for a desert-themed palette, grounded in natural waxed flesh leather paired with military-grade canvas. The iconic tie-down straps of the later jungle boots are here too, along with Paracord Lock-Tite Laces and a Vibram Sierra sole. Yep, everything here is reassuringly Viberg-ian.
Each 1940 boot is built in Canada using channeled insole Goodyear welt construction, built to last a lifetime through its strength and recraftability. Viberg’s attention to detail has elevated what was once a disposable government-issue slop-stomper into something genuinely luxurious and downright gorgeous to look at.
Available at Viberg NYC for $1,065.
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