Army to Test New Combat Boot Designs from 3 Makers

[Peter1469]

Army to Test New Combat Boot Designs from 3 Makers

In response to a survey that concluded that many Soldiers buy their own boots rather than rely on Army issue boots, the Army is testing new combat boot designed. As I soldier, I started buying my own boots around the middle of my first enlistment. Army issue boots suck. And in the light infantry boots matter.

U.S. Army footwear experts have begun field-testing a handful of new combat boot designs after thousands of soldiers responded to a survey that they would rather buy their own than wear service-issued boots.


The survey, conducted by the Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Soldier Center at Natick, Massachusetts, found that about 50 percent of the 14,000 soldiers surveyed prefer to buy commercial-made combat boots that are "lighter, more flexible, require less break-in time, and feel more like athletic shoes than traditional combat boots," Anita Perkins, RDECOM Soldier Center footwear research engineer and technical lead for the Army Combat Boot Improvement effort, said in a recent press release.



"Great strides have been made recently in the Army's environment-specific footwear, for jungle, mountain, or cold weather locations, but there is substantial room for improvement in the general-purpose boots which are issued to new recruits."


The Army awarded contracts to Altama, Belleville Boot Company and McRae Footwear to design prototype boots featuring new types of leather and other materials for more flexibility and reduced weight, David Accetta, a spokesman for Army Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center, told Military.com on Friday.


One of the manufacturers designed two prototypes, and the other two submitted one each, but information on which company designed which prototype was unavailable at press time.


This month, the Army is issuing the new combat boot prototypes to recruits in Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Soldiers stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, will also participate in the test, Accetta said.


One hundred pairs of each type are going to both Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Jackson, and 200 pairs of each prototype will go to Fort Bliss, he said.


The soldiers will wear the boots throughout training. Army testers are scheduled to return to the three locations in March and April to collect soldier feedback.

[stjames1_53]

Army to Test New Combat Boot Designs from 3 Makers

In response to a survey that concluded that many Soldiers buy their own boots rather than rely on Army issue boots, the Army is testing new combat boot designed. As I soldier, I started buying my own boots around the middle of my first enlistment. Army issue boots suck. And in the light infantry boots matter.

When in combat or on the move, a soldier performs better with boots that fit and wear better. Feet matter to our infantry. They fight and train in different climes and they need to know that their feet are going to carry them.
Yeah, I remember my first pair. They hurt my feet and the only way to dry them out was by setting them upside down next to a fire and they took a long time to dry out. Proper wicking keeps the infantryman's feet dry and reduces the number of health issues.
An army moves on its food, and the individual travels on their feet.