How to make boot marks?

[WelshZeCorgi]

In this article, where it states weathering stages,

 

http://www.scalemodelguide.com/painting-weathering/painting-guide/painting-sequence/ 

 

It says 'boot marks'. How do you make boot marks?

[Kingsman]

You can get 3D dusty boot mark decals:  Archer and Uschi spring to mind.  I imagine these don't work well over textured surfaces like tread plate.

 

You can also get etched metal stencils from DAN Models for paint or sprinkling pigment, but getting these into tight places might be awkward.

 

Calibre 35 make boots on holders in several tread patterns for making prints in dioramas.  Whether these could be used with paint I don't know.

 

You could probably cut yourself an outline in foam rubber using a model boot as a reference.

 

However, it doesn't take very long for individual boot marks to coalesce into a general muddy or dusty area, especially where the boots have been slipping or turning.  So on something like the floor of an APC or a truck cab where there have been lots of feet you would probably not see individual boot marks.

 

Don't forget that boot soles have changed much over time.  Hob-nailed leather-soled boots of the WW1 and WW2 eras would probably leave just a muddy shape: the nails themselves would leave scratch marks but not muddy or dusty dots - but there might be nail imprint patterns in the mud.  Since moulded rubber soles appeared, during WW2, you do get variable shaped tread patterns.

Edited October 18, 2018 by Das Abteilung
addition

[bhouse]

Also, boot marks could relate  to chipping/damage to paint from walking/climbing on ladders or surfaces...

[Kingsman]

Indeed, high-traffic areas are likely to show paint wear - but that's a whole other topic for which there is an active thread on this very forum.  But mud might well cover that: dust, not so much.

 

Hobnailed boots would obviously do a lot of damage to paintwork and would also skid about a bit on smooth metal surfaces.  British, Australian, Canadian and German general issue boots were nailed in different ways, US boots were not.  Russian were flush-nailed leather soles AFAIK.  British paratroop and Commando boots were rubber-soled.  Australian jungle boots had metal "jungle cleats" for grip.  Google will show you all this.

 

If I were looking to represent hobnail damage I might consider trying this - which I've just thought of off the cuff, so it may be an epic fail.  Try it on some scrap first.  Get a model leg, drill some holes in the boot sole and insert some fine metal wire.  File it down to a consistent length and work it gently on the surface.  I like to prime my models in dark brown to represent armour plate, so wearing the top coat away will reveal it.  More so if you use hairspray or a chipping medium.

[Bozothenutter]

cut a sole shape out of an eraser?

maybe use one of those erasers with high particle content?

[Kingsman]

Now why didn't I think of that!  One of the old-style hard "ink" erasers might work well for boot scuffs.  A soft rubber might be cut to shape to make bootprints.  The stamps you buy in craft shops are a often a soft vinyl now.  Which begs another thought.  What about a stamp pad for making the prints?  They come in several colours: I have a brown one I use for making paw prints on greeting cards (my dogs can't sign their own names yet!).  Places like Hobbycraft have a wide range of stamps: they might even have bootprints.