Bf-109 "Yellow 2" of Franz Stigler High Top Canvas Shoes
Did you know that on 20 December 1943 a Luftwaffe Fighter pilot chose NOT to shoot down a crippled B-17 bomber? This incident was subsequently known as the "The Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident"
The Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident occurred on 20 December 1943, when, after a successful bomb run on Bremen, 2nd Lt Charles "Charlie" Brown's B-17 Flying Fortress (named "Ye Olde Pub") was severely damaged by German fighters. Luftwaffe pilot Franz Stigler flying a Messerschmitt Bf-109 had the opportunity to shoot down the crippled bomber, however once close enough he could see through the damaged bomber's airframe injured and incapacitated crew. To the American pilot's surprise, Stigler did not open fire on the crippled bomber. Stigler recalled the words of one of his commanding officers from Jagdgeschwader 27, “If I ever see or hear of you shooting at a man in a parachute, I will shoot you myself." Stigler later commented, "To me, it was just like they were in a parachute. I saw them and I couldn't shoot them down."
Twice Stigler tried to get Brown to land his plane at a German airfield and surrender, or divert to nearby neutral Sweden, where he and his crew would receive medical treatment and be interned the remainder of the war. Brown and the crew of the B-17 didn't understand what Stigler was trying to mouth and gesture to them and so flew on. He then flew near Brown's plane in a formation on the bomber's port side wing, so German antiaircraft units would not target it; he then escorted the damaged B-17 over the coast until they reached open water. Brown, unsure of Stigler's intentions at the time, ordered his dorsal turret gunner to point at Stigler but not open fire in order to warn him off. Understanding the message and certain that the bomber was out of German airspace, Stigler departed with a salute.
Years later in 1986 the then-retired Lt. Col. Brown decided he should try to find the unknown German pilot. Over 4 years later after an extensive search by Brown, the two pilots finally met each other and developed a friendship that lasted until Stigler's death in March 2008.
I Love A Hangar offers product designs based on historic militaria from World War 1 to present. I Love A Hangar is not affiliated with, and does not condone or embrace the past, present or future philosophies of any radical political, religious or racist organizations.
Step into history with our warbird themed canvas shoes! Each pair of shoes are made to order, featuring designs inspired by history’s most remarkable military aircraft and aviators. So, whether you are a warbird buff, air show fanatic or simply a lover of aviation, you can be certain our designs will bring a touch of style and history to your everyday wardrobe.
✈ Made to order.
✈ Classic lace-up closure to achieve the perfect fit.
✈ Brushed metal eyelets for that timeless style.
✈ Soft inner lining and insole for absolute comfort.
✈ Iconic rounded rubber toe cap.
Please allow 7-10 days from the date of order for your order to ship.
This product is made to order, with production beginning once your order has been received. We are, therefore, not able to cancel or amend an order once it has been placed. This includes changes to the shipping address, size, design, or any other specifications. Please review your order details carefully before finalising your purchase.
Please note there can be subtle variations in colour and minor movement of the product during production that may cause a design element not to be the exact same colour or in the exact position as it appears onscreen. More details can be found on our FAQ page.
By producing items on demand rather than in large quantities, we actively contribute to minimising overproduction and waste. We genuinely appreciate your mindful purchasing choices, which support this more sustainable approach. Thank you for your understanding and support!
Product is manufactured in, and shipped from China.
We understand that buying shoes online can be a nerve-racking process, given shoe sizes vary across brands. So here at I Love A Hangar, we want you to be confident that you will get the perfect fit when you order our shoes. That’s why we have a “Shoe Size Guarantee”. In the rare event that you are unhappy with the fit of your shoe, we will process a one-time free exchange. You will not be required to return the original shoe to receive a free exchange under this policy. To prevent abuse of this policy, there are some conditions that apply, namely:
✈ Free exchanges are confined to the same shoe style and design as originally ordered. For example, a black-toe high-top men’s can only be replaced with a black-toe high-top men’s of the same design.
✈ Size exchange requests that differ by more than 2 sizes from the original size ordered will be considered a customer input error and will not be eligible for exchange. We highly recommend customers always refer to the sizing charts provided, particularly for larger and smaller sizes, as we are not able to exchange a shoe for a size we do not produce.
✈ Requests to replace must be received within 30 days of the original item being delivered to the customer.
✈ Refunds will not be issued for sizing disputes; only exchanges are allowed. However, if the largest size we stock is too small for your foot and we cannot offer an exchange, a refund will be processed.
If you require a free size replacement under this policy, please contact our Customer Support team and provide the following details:
1. Your 5-digit order number for the shoes you have received. Please quote your 5-digit order number in your email subject line. (You can locate your 5-digit order number in the Order Confirmation email sent at the time of purchase).
2. The size received and if too big or too small.
3. The size requested. (Please refer to our size guides for available sizes and shoe dimensions).
Replacements Due To Shoe Size:
Please refer to our "Shoe Size Guarantee" above or here.
Damaged or Misprinted Products:
Products that are damaged or shipped with a misprint will be replaced at no
additional cost. However, we are not responsible for items damaged in shipping.
Please contact Customer Support team and provide photographic evidence of the damaged item with any replacement requests. Please ensure you also quote your 5-digit order number in the email subject line with any replacement requests.
Requests to replace must be received within 30 days of the original item being delivered.
Wrong Product Shipped:
If the wrong product has been shipped to you, please email our Customer Support team to request a replacement for your order. Please provide your 5-digit order number and photos of the entire product, clearly showing how the product
differs from what was ordered.
Requests must be received within 30 days of the original item being delivered.
60-Day Delivery Time Guarantee:
If an order does not show as “delivered” by the carrier’s tracking, and it has
been more than 60 days since the order was placed, you may request a refund or
have a replacement sent. At the sole discretion of I Love A Hangar, the “60-Day
Delivery Time Guarantee” may be nullified or extended due to random events such
as adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, pandemics, political unrest,
or postal worker labour disputes that may impact various delivery locations.
The “60-Day Delivery Time Guarantee” is also nullified in the following
instances:
✈ Incorrect or incomplete address information provided by customers.
✈ Deliveries that are uncollected by customers from designated collection points.
✈ Missed or failed delivery attempts due to the recipient not being available.
✈ Missed or failed delivery attempts due to the business being closed or unavailable during the carrier's operating hours where the shipping address provided is a business.
✈ Orders that show as delivered by the carrier to the address provided by the customer.
✈ Orders marked as “returned to sender” by the carrier.
Notification for EU Customers:
For products being shipped into the European Union, Article 16(c) and (e) of
the Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25
October 2011 on consumer rights, the right to cancel or return an order within
14 days is not provided for:
1. the supply of goods that are made to the consumer's specifications or are clearly personalised;
2. sealed goods which were unsealed after delivery and thus aren't suitable for return due to health protection or hygiene reasons.
As all our products are made to order according to the customer's selected specifications such as colour, size or other custom markings, I Love a Hangar reserves the right to refuse returns at its sole discretion.
Sale items (if applicable):
Only regular priced items may be refunded. Unfortunately, sale items cannot be
refunded.
Refunds (if applicable):
Any request for a refund will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. I Love a Hangar reserves the right to refuse a request for a refund at its sole discretion.
If a Refund has been approved, we will send you an email to notify you that we have approved your refund and you will be automatically refunded on your original payment method within 10 business days. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.
If more than 15 business days have passed since we’ve approved your refund, please contact our Customer Support team.
Returns:
Please note, as all our products are made to order according to the customer's
selected specifications such as colour, size or other custom markings, we do
not accept returns, process refunds or provide exchanges or replacements for
wrongly ordered products, designs, colours, styles, sizes (outside of our
"Shoe Size Guarantee"), buyer remorse or a change of mind. Customers are reminded to review their orders carefully prior to placing an order.
Exchanges:
As we manufacture all our products on demand, we only produce what has been
ordered according to the customer's selected specifications, such as colour,
size or other custom markings. We, therefore, do not accept returns or process
exchanges for wrongly ordered products, designs, colours, styles, sizes
(outside of our "Shoe Size Guarantee"), buyer remorse or a change of mind. We make everything on demand, so requesting an exchange for a different product means producing an entirely new product.
Many thanks for my wonderful sneakers! I shall wear them with pride to remember my 25th mission with Bill DeSanders.
I was a bit dubious in ordering these, but I was very pleasantly surprised. They are excellent and well thought out. You just need to be patient regarding delivery. Well worth the wait. I'll be getting more.
Wonderful customer service. My error in 1st order they were good to their word and replaced at no charge. New order fits perfectly. Love the shoes.
Great quality nice comfortable and look so cool.
Brilliant shoes, comfortable and good soles. Customer service was excellent as well as my delivery went somewhere else but they helped me locate it.
I ordered a pair of the Avro Arrow shoes, and was totally impressed. What great quality, and super comfortable. I will be getting more for sure, thanks for a great shoe and supporting all of these great institutions, great job folks.