Starting off with boots, you can usually pick up a pair of decent ex-British army high leg combat boots (old style, not the new assault boot) from your local army and navy store for around £10, or if you prefer on Ebay.

Here are some comparison photos of original German ww2 “Schnurrstiefel” or lace up boots and a cut down pair of modern British army high legs, they are almost identical apart from the rubber sole on the modern boot and the leather sole of the original, you’ll need to cut the modern boots down by about 4 inches or so to get the right effect, but well worth the effort and investment, as reproduction  “schnurrstiefel” will set you back around £120 at least and originals are rare as hens teeth and cost a fortune, depending on condition.

The “Schnurrstiefel” has a combination of hooks and eyelets for the laces, horse shoe heels and metal tips, usually they are hobnailed as well, but in this case they are not.

The stitch pattern on the uppers is almost identical to the modern British army boot as you can tell by the comparison photos.

You’ll need a pair of gaiters, to go with your ankle boots, you can usually find these at  Epic militaria  for around £10-12.

Made from canvas and leather, these ones are post war production, Bundeswehr gaiters or “Gamaschen” and follow the same pattern as the original Wehrmacht ones of a few years.

Here’s the effect you can achieve with you British army combat boots and your Bundeswehr gaiters for around £20, Note how the leather straps and metal buckles are tied with the leather straps pointing to the rear.