Distinguishing Pre and Post 1975 PAVN Boots Shoes Sneakers

Post 1975 Sneakers are easily distinguished from those made in the PRC for the NVA.

1. They often have Vietnamese writing molded into the sole; wartime have only the size a two digit code molded into the sole.
2. They often have a seam line in the rubber top cap; wartime have a seamless toe cap;
3. The lug pattern is very different;
4. The lugs do not have the squiggly lines found on wartime sneakers.
5. The colors vary between dark OD and lime green; wartime are either khaki or reed green.
6. The rubber used in postwar sneakers is often uncured and become very brittle; wartime sneakers use cured rubber and remain supple and pliable.
7. Postwar sneakers may have rubber flashing spanning the distance between lugs on the permitter of the sole; wartime do not have this flashing.
8. Some postwar sneakers have grommets on the side to let water out; wartime do not have this feature.
9. Some postwar sneakers have steel eyelets that rust; wartime eyelets are aluminum.

Do not let condition fool you.  The PAVN remains the largest standing army in SE Asia, so that much surplus is created and made available. The climate is brutal so things look very old quickly.

The pairs of SRV Shoes shown are all post 1975 and show great variation in manufacturing and design.