Beagle
An excellent suggestion, I have a fine pair of JL's No.11 dress specfication 1/2 Cavs which I have never had to "wear in" but they tend only to be for strutting about or for use in warm fuzzy cockpits, If I had been a para I doubt they would have lasted more than a day.
mine were a mere £250 4 years ago from the factory in Oliver street Northampton, I shudder to think what they might charge in town today.