The Army is testing new combat boot design prototypes after thousands of soldiers responded to a survey they would rather buy their own than wear Army-issued boots. The boots pictured are not part of the test. (U.S. Army)
Editor's Note: This article by Matthew Cox originally appeared onMilitary.com, a leading source of news for the military and veteran community.
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.
There are some things vets and civilians alike just have a soft spot for, like the Vietnam-era jungle boot: light compared to their World War II predecessors, soft and quiet, and not bad for going fast and hard in punishing climes. Or like the GR1, the venerable staple of athletic company GORUCK’s line of packs and sacks; founded by Army Special Forces veterans, GORUCK has helped make rucking the most accessible fitness activity since jogging.
Five executives with a former leading manufacturer of U.S. military boots have been sentenced in federal court for saying the boots were made in Tennessee when they were actually produced in China.
2017 was a big, big year for military fashion, from the end of the Army’s legendary gray PT uniform to the embarrassing $94 million in forest camo that Uncle Sam ordered up for Afghan soldiers in largely forest-free Afghanistan. But with the Army’s latest four-year uniform transition period now winding down, 2018 will be an even bigger year for soldiers as the branch fields its latest gear and weapons upgrades.
