Not sure if they addopted the buckle boots late on as I heard they were to be used by all units.
I found this page on how to water proof your boots.
http://www.90thidpg.us/Equipment/Projec ... index.html
It says to use a product called snow seal but that looks expensive to get over from the US so I think this stuff may be similar.
NIKWAX Waterproofing For Leather
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NIKWAX-Waterproof ... 286.c0.m14
I thought the boots were just desert boots issued wrongly to the US troops but it seems the leather was reversed, rough side out, to absorb waterproofing oils and wear better than a polished leather. On The buckle boots some boots were made with the cuff smooth side out, others with rough side out. The one piece sole and heel were molded synthetic or reclaimed rubber.
Free speech is expensive these days!
Yeah the airbornee did adopt the buckle boots late on. Although i can only assume that replacements had them initially.
black corcaran jump boots are korea and vietnam period i believe.
You can strip the colour off boots with nitromoors then use either lots of brown polish or a brown dye and polish.
Re-enactor class bit coming up.
The Corcorans that you can buy are not finished the same as the wartime version, they dont take polish well and are a git to bull. Stripping and polishing was the best way to get them to look good. Hard graft but it works. If you are speedy with working the paint stripper it wont hurt the stitching. I did mine 5 years ago and they are still intact.
aka Stigroadie
AFRA
better by design
"Truth is a shining goddess, always veiled, always distant, never wholly approachable, but worthy of all the devotion of which the human spirit is capable. "
If they are Nam period and a decent size/condition i wouldnt bother with the hassle-put them on Ebay,Milweb or a Nam site and they should fetch a good price.It would be a shame to strip them.
Keep an eye on Ebay-Brown repro Corcs do appear for anything from £25-£55.
You can strip the colour off boots with nitromoors then use either lots of brown polish or a brown dye and polish.
Re-enactor class bit coming up.
The Corcorans that you can buy are not finished the same as the wartime version, they dont take polish well and are a git to bull. Stripping and polishing was the best way to get them to look good. Hard graft but it works. If you are speedy with working the paint stripper it wont hurt the stitching. I did mine 5 years ago and they are still intact.
I just waiting until it all wore off on mine, and I agree its much easier to bull up now.
My repro ones were £60 and I have never had any problems with them.
They were a horrible colour when I got them so I got some great stuff which is like polish but you sponge it on in layers; they are now a very nice deep brown and look great. (Available at Lidl)
(Also, never had a blister in them unlike what I've heard about the Corcorans.)
Show me a man who will jump out of an airplane, and I'll show you a man who will fight!
General James M. Gavin
CRY HAVOC AND LET LOOSE THE DOGS OF WAR
I don't have any direct experience, but buckle boots are made from a softer leather so might be more pliable. My Corcorans have never given me a blister in the 5 years I've had them. Highly recommended.
All period boots are pretty uncompromising and rudimentary when it come to foot comfort. I have wide fitting flat feet but manage with buckle boots (and Brit ammo boots, german low and jack boots) with squishy insoles and arch supports! I still give up sometimes esp on weekenders and swap to comfy modern Magnums with wicking, packing and anti-bacterial lining 
These are Polish buckle boots they probably have more grip than the US set.
But that site never gets back to me.
http://www.geocities.jp/utr1980/polishm ... nglish.htm
It's worth having a brows over though. 
Some odd stuff on there
http://www.geocities.jp/utr1980/polishu ... shovel.jpg
Free speech is expensive these days!