Extraordinary pair of two brand new original Apollo A7LB pressure boot restraint assemblies, both with ILC Industries tags sewn inside, identifying them as "Part No. A7LB-106061-03" and "Part No. A7LB-106061-04," both "Serial No. 571, Size 100B." The boots are constructed from a blue nylon fabric designed to hold its form under pressure, with convolutes and restraint cables with ferrules that form the ankle mobility joint. They feature a stiff toe cap and are sewn to beige rubber soles with yellow Velcro patches on the bottoms. At the top are zippers for joining the boots to the restraint layer's trouser assembly. These were apparently made as a spare set of A7LB boots to replace any found to be worn through during training, but were never used: they were still sealed in plastic and only opened for photography purposes. Includes an "Accepted Material" card with an ILC inspection stamp, dated March 13, 1974. In very fine condition.
The A7LB space suit was made of several layers: these boots are part of the blue 'restraint' layer, known as the Torso Limb Suit Assembly (TSLA), which would be sandwiched in between the inflated pressure bladder and the iconic white Integrated Thermal Micrometeoroid Garment (ITMG) outer layer. The TSLA provided structural integrity to the suit by holding the internal suit pressure, and contained the mobility elements that allowed the suit to move—thus permitting the astronauts to walk on the moon.
