Maharishi and Fracap have been quietly building one of the more consistent collaborative footwear catalogs in the game. Every year or two, the London utilitarian label and the family-run Italian boot shop link up on a reissue of some obscure mid-century military silhouette, and every year or two, it sells out. Their latest is the 3303 Okinawa Boot, and it might be the strongest entry yet.
Photo: Maharishi
A Boot Built for the Wrong Climate
The Okinawa pulls its blueprint from U.S. tropical combat boots issued during the Pacific campaign in WWII. Standard all-leather military boots simply couldn’t hack it in the jungle heat. They’d waterlog, rot from the inside, and turn marching into a punishment.
The solution was to deploy a hybrid construction that includes a leather lower half for structure and protection paired with a breathable canvas upper that could shed water and dry out overnight. Decades later, that same construction is still revered and beloved in the heritage boot category.
Photo: Maharishi
Italian Hands, Italian Materials
Fracap, if you’re not familiar, is a third-generation family workshop in Monteroni, a small town in Puglia that’s been known for shoemaking since the 1800s. Antonio Cappello started the business in 1908. His grandsons designed boots for the Italian Army and Air Force in the ’80s, and they still operate out of the same factory their grandfather built.
That long standing heritage is put on full display here. Each booth is constructed from full Italian leather throughout the lower paired with natural calf lining. Finishing off the boot is that signature double-buckle strap at the ankle, helping to lock your foot in place when the terrain gets sketchy. The pebbled brown leather contrasts against olive canvas in a way that looks intentionally aged without trying too hard.
Photo: Maharishi
Modernized Where It Counts
As much as we love vintage reissues, modern tech certainly has its place. So instead of recreating the soft rubber sole the originals shipped with, Maharishi and Fracap dropped a Vibram Commando outsole on the bottom. It’s grippier, more durable, and built to actually survive the kind of terrain you’d realistically wear these on.
You also get two sets of laces in the box (one black, one brown) and a shoe brush, because Maharishi’s whole ethos is built around longevity and repair. Worth flagging that this isn’t the duo’s first rodeo with this kind of project either, having reissued a Vietnam-era jungle boot back in 2021.
Photo: Maharishi
Spec Sheet
Brand: Maharishi x Fracap
Model: 3303 Okinawa Boot
Colorway: Brown/Olive
Upper: Italian leather and cotton canvas
Lining: Natural calf leather
Outsole: Vibram Commando
Hardware: Gunmetal eyelets, double-buckle ankle strap
Manufacturing Origin: Handmade in Italy
Extras: Two sets of laces (black and brown), shoe brush
Pricing & Availability
The 3303 Okinawa Boot is available now exclusively through Maharishi for $445, with limited quantities on hand.
Maharishi x Fracap 3303 Okinawa Boot
A handmade-in-Italy reissue of a WWII Pacific Theater jungle boot, the Maharishi x Fracap 3303 pairs full Italian leather with cotton canvas, a double-buckle ankle strap, and a modern Vibram Commando outsole for $445.
AloJapan.com