A few months ago, In the heat of the summer this year, our friends at Kommando embarked on a journey to once again remake a South African Legend back in its home country. Today is one of their favorite days in the journey from being handcrafted in the original shops that made them in the Bush war, to being delivered to Canada and the USA. The boots have completed production and are being loaded up in South Africa & shipped to their warehouse. Due to the nature of the production of these boots taking a little while (and being worth every second) it’s now time to reserve yours ahead of the inevitable rush.  It just occurred to me that there’s some of you who might not be familiar with these legendary boots. Fear not- read on…..

Why do they say these new production boots are “Rare” so often? Truth be told, it’s not “Rare” in the traditional surplus collectible sense… but rare in terms of making it to market. Manufacturing pretty much anything in South Africa has been turbulent at best. The OG tan ‘Half Combat’ variant with their iconic ‘anti-track’ sole.  Post-pandemic Inflation, rising materials costs, and an ongoing collapse of the power grid* in South Africa all makes these boots harder and harder to make.  *The business that makes boots for kommando literally had to install solar panels at their facility so they could continue working through the rolling “load shedding” blackouts (Eco-Friendly Waxis anyone?) so production has slowed down to a once-a-year type of thing. But even then, every pair of boots sold is crucial to keeping the doors of these bootmakers open to future orders. In South Africa’s case of “why aren’t they using nuclear power again?”, due to horrific mismanagement, the nuclear facilities fell into disrepair and have mostly been replaced with greenhouse-gas emitting, inefficient coal plants that have resulted in economically devastating effects on their power grid. Go figure. 



Waxis are among dozens of different types of desert boots and even South African desert boots, too. But believe us when we say they’re unlike anything else you’ll put on your feet. We’re the only place on the internet you’ll find the one true Waxis imported directly from South Africa to the USA. Especially the kind with that insane looking, flat-as-a-pancake-in-Florida anti-tracking sole…(more on that later)  Regular imports of ‘half combat’ and ‘full combat’ boots keep this little slice of history alive, along with the same family business who made them during the Bush and Border Wars. 


On the fence? Check out the nearly 500 reviews they’ve all gotten over the years. TL;DR, as long as you follow the size guide, it’s hard to go wrong with Waxis on your feet. But backing up once again, what’s a Waxi anyways? Why make them with super flat soles? Why would you wear a leather boot in arid climates anyways? The Short answer is that Waxis are a deceptively lightweight piece of footwear originally developed for the most elite special forces in all of Africa. They feature a wide toe box, a retro-style buckled upper, and the weirdest optional outsole you’ve ever seen… Take A Hike Through History 🥾 “What if I want the long answer, Ivan?”😏Well, in that case, Let’s start from the top… LACE UP.Let’s start with the boot-camp basics: ‘Half combat’ Waxis were the brainchild of the SADF’s “Recces”, whom desired footwear capable of supreme athleticism & mobility.   They’re breathable, lightweight, and flexible like a pair of tennis shoes, but with the robust leather of a proper combat boot. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. 
A “Grey’s Scout” in the Rhodesian Army pictured riding on horseback patrol with his standard-issue boots. No Gasoline, no problem apparently. 

The Rhodesian bush War saw a lot of boots on the ground action. We have an entire write-up you can read here on exactly what lead up to the Rhodesian Bush War. It’s just about the furthest thing from a clear-cut conflict that there is, and we do our best to give you the most accurate background possible. During the logistical nightmare that was their counter-insurgency, Rhodies used whatever equipment they could get their hands on. And an important piece was their trademark double-buckled combat boots, made by none other than “Bata”, the country’s specialists in footwear of all kinds. 
The lace guard’s design was passed down by WW2 combat boot forefathers, which worked pretty great in the terrain & ecology European soldiers saw. But Sub-Saharan Africa is much, much harsher. 


The terrain in South Africa, Angola, and Namibia proved extremely challenging for the SADF, and all their equipment had to be built to hold up to it. From Sand dunes to rocky mountainsides, whatever you wore was put through the gauntlet. Africa’s savannahs and deserts made for an entirely different kind of warfare, so entirely different equipment was needed to match.

Rhodesian Selous Scouts and SADF Recces were almost always on the move, frequently rucking marathons. With so much ground to cover, mobility was their top priority. Traditional leather boots were too hot, too stiff, and too heavy. Many soldiers resorted to wearing hi-top trainer shoes made primarily by “Bata” nicknamed “takkies.” 

A Rhodesian “Selous Scout” With his trusty takkies. From the dirt on his legs and the mismatching socks you can tell it was probably an eventful patrol.


A cartoony guide about Rhodesian footwear. You can see the double-buckled army boots and takkies made by ‘Bata’ — another piece of South African footwear Kommando brought back late last year…Takkies tend to do the trick in a pinch. Kommando are working with Bata directly to continue making these legends to their original specs and bring them to Canada and the USA. Both the hi-tops and low-tops are seen all over historical photos of Rhodesian Light Infantrymen, and they have an entire historical rabbit hole on their own if you want to read more… about the Hockey Sneakers.   


South African Bata ‘Takkie’ Hockey Sneakers
“It Works In A Pinch” just wasn’t enough for the South Africans, who faced dire odds in their border conflicts.  The trusty “Takkies” more than delivered on mobility, but they were essentially Converse high-tops from the 60’s. Soles delaminated, laces tore, and uppers ripped clean open.  Soldiers needed an intermediate solution. A flexible, breathable boot that ran like a sneaker, but was durable enough for war. The answer to that? — The Waxi Boot. Made of thin leather, the Waxi Boot was flexible and fast. But unlike takkies, it offered more protection and a truly rugged outsole. …A boot that takes everything you know about stiff & stuffy combat boots and throws it right out the window. It was an instant hit with the Recces. They did inform the design after all.  


A SADF group is seen discussing an operation, with the two lads in front notably sporting tan anti-track Waxi Boots. Judging by the frustrated fellow on the right, this photo was likely candid. The Waxi’s extra-wide toe box was another important departure from orthodox combat boots.  Feet naturally swell over the course of long hikes, and extra room in front prevents chafing, discomfort, and assists airflow. 

Looks can be deceiving. From this angle, you can really see the width of the Waxi. I’m not joking when I say the toe box is quite roomy! Make sure to check the sizing chart before you place an order with Kommando🧐 



Another famed feature of these boots is the optional flat ‘anti-track’ sole — Like the rest of the boot’s design, that feature came from a very specific set of needs. The open terrain, soft soil, and exposed ground of the African Bush is a tracker’s dream. The Recces needed a way to conceal troop movement. Originally a popular field modification, the anti-track sole was created by sanding the tread off boots and sneakers. The original iterations were crude and unreliable. But you can see how the Waxi boot filled a perfect “happy medium” between custom-sole jungle boots and sanded down sneakers. 



This shoddy field modification had severe downsides. Original rudimentary anti-track shoes only lasted a few sorties before the soles wore through completely. And many wearers disliked the ergonomics of a ‘heel-less’ boot. Eventually word got back to our manufacturer, and custom molds were made.

This allowed the sneakily-soled boot to be produced and fielded in much greater numbers.  An early example of one of the one-off Anti-Track Boots the Recces commissioned. These weren’t ever produced in large numbers, and aren’t quite up to par with Waxis.  The factory anti-track sole uses a gummy low-durometer* rubber to increase traction and incorporates a sloping ‘heel rise’ for comfort.*The easiest way to define durometer is the “softness” of the rubber. Low durometer, softer rubber is stickier and still allows for normal use without the world becoming a slip-n-slide. Not recommended for winter, but still grippy enough in the other 3 seasons. While certainly not as popular as the ‘lugged’ logger-style sole, all Waxis have the option of anti-track soles if you’re feeling adventurous…Order your Boots 👣 With all the weirdness that puts these apart, what really makes these more special than the typical combat boot is the love & passion that goes into them.  These come all the way from South Africa, made by one of the original businesses who made them back in the bush war, keeping this narrow slice of history alive and well. And the more time goes on, the harder it is for us to get these made for you. The indefinite future of Waxis makes them all the more “rare”.  Now’s your last shot at getting them with a little bit off the top and without the extra cortisol rush to your monkey DNA when everyone’s trying to get a pair on “Ready To Ship” day. With just a little bit of transit time to wait now, I promise they’ll be worth it. (just read the hundreds of reviews)

For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.