The Strong Collection of WW1 Boot Polishing Images

Daily care and inspection of marching boots among German soldiers in the First World War.

These photographs focus on boot polishing and leather care in the WW1 era — men cleaning and polishing boots in barracks, on verandas, and in improvised work spaces near the front. Regular maintenance protected the leather from mud and moisture and was part of the routine discipline of army life between periods of active combat.