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Blowout: Why the USAF Brought back the A-2 Leather Jacket

This episode of Blowout looks at the iconic A-2 Leather jacket, a nearly century-old bomber that was reintroduced to the USAF in 1987.

James Smith

When you imagine an Air Force pilot, the first image that probably comes to mind is the dashing World War II-era captain in impossibly high-waisted khakis and a brown leather bomber jacket. But you might be surprised to learn that the first time the U.S. Air Force issued a leather jacket was in 1987.

So this is a technicality I’m exploiting, but the U.S. Air Force didn’t exist as a separate branch of the military until 1947. Before then, it was a part of the U.S. Army Air Corps and then U.S. Army Air Forces, which issued its last leather jacket in 1943.

But the legacy of this jacket just wouldn’t die, so the Air Force brought back a retro piece of equipment over 40 years later due to a combination of Hollywood, one dedicated collector, and deregulation of the airlines, which we’re going to get into in today’s Blowout.

/ In Partnership with Meermin /

Meermin Renders Its 116080 Chelsea Boot in Heritage Brown Shell Cordovan

Have you ever seen a shell cordovan Chelsea boot? I hadn’t until I was put onto this pair of Meermin 116080, and without sounding like a millennial TikTok star, I’m obsessed.

See, aside from being an ever-versatile Chelsea boot, what makes these extra special is how the silhouette’s lack of laces and upper panels interacts with the special equine leather. See, the ‘Shells’ of Cordovan are notoriously small and expensive, so they have to be clicked with extra care, and considering there is only minimal paneling on the upper, there is probably almost half a shell in each individual shoe. The plain upper lets the lustrous Heritage Brown shell cordovan sing, providing the perfect canvas for a patina project that will keep on giving.

Available at Meermin for $395.

Brands mentioned:

• Cockpit USA

• Good Wear Leather

• Buzz Rickson’s

• The Real McCoy’s

If you liked what you’ve been hearing, please let us and other people know. Our email address is blowout@heddels.com. We’ve also gotten our Discord server fired up again so you can bother me directly if you like.

Join our Discord server here: https://discord.gg/KHA5qvKb

Today’s episode featured writing from “Why the Air Force Brought Back the A-2 Leather Jacket” by yours truly, the production talents of Sean Thornton, and the musical talents of Andrew Ryan.

Thank you to our season sponsor, Meermin.

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