Dehner Tank Boot (Strap)

These Dehner's are my third pair of tanker boots. I have the Eastman/John Lofgren version and the Nick's heritage version as well. After learning a bit about their history, I came to find out the Eastman/Lofgren ones were actually based on the orginals made by Dehner. So I had to get the originals. Previously, being a big engineer boot guy, which I still love, tank boots have become my new all-time favorite boot style. The block heel and overall military aesthics give these boots a tough yet oddly elegant look. And the way the straps uniquely wrap around the tall shaft, preventing heels slip and creating a slimmer silhouette, are features that really do it for me.

Dehner has you take about eight different measurements of your foot, including ball, instep, length, ankle, calf, and heel. They even have you submit a tracing of your foot. On top of all of that, they also want to know your brannock measurement as one more additional data point. This way, they can customize a made-to-measure last for you. This offers the customer the best fit possible.

So Dehner is old school. They do not have an e-commerce website where you point, click, and submit payment. Think ordering circa 1995. It's quite literally like ordering from a catalog with the physical order forms and mailing in a personal check. I love it. This is probably why nobody really has these cool boots! So you can score some hipster points there if that's your thing. That being said the customer service is very helpful and accommodating. For example, when they received my order form via snail mail, they gave me a call, as I request, and I was able to make some customization that they don't typically do, such as having a unstructured toe. Also, sizing was very thorough. They also ask for you to submit about 8 different measurements of your foot, plus a tracing in order to get the best fit they can offer. Overall a great ordering experience.