Almost 31 years ago to this very day, I became painfully aware of a new type of torturous footwear, the Military Boot. At Lackland Air Force Base located outside of San Antonio, Texas as my newly shaved head glistened among hundreds of others, a pair of size 9 Military boots were dropped into my duffel bag. I don’t recall having tried them on, just shouting out a size to the Supply Sergeant. Along with the Standard Military Combat Boots, we were all given 1 pair of Dress Uniform Shoes and a pair of Boots called “Low Quarters”, a Boot with a shorter height than a regular Military Boot. Back in those days, those 3 styles were about the extent of Official Military Footwear approved by the Pentagon. There was no arch support or padding, and the interior of the Military Boot was extremely rough leather, and required wearing very thick socks (sometimes two pairs) to prevent blisters. It took a good 3 months to break them in, walking everywhere.
Today, there are vast improvements in styles and fitting to ensure comfort and a pleasant walking experience. Sizes that are more closely related to casual wear, extra insulation and padding, and ergonomic designs make the user of a Military Style Boot feel as though they are wearing an athletic shoe. The availability of new materials makes for a lighter weight product than the old leather and rubber models of the past, while retaining functionality and performance.
Here are some great places to purchase Military Boots on line:
www.armysurplusworld.com – (1-877-827-7301) Army Surplus World offers everything from Jungle Boots to Paratrooper and Desert Boots, priced from $22.95 to $89.99 This company is especially good for finding difficult sizes.
www.like.com – Offering Military Boots in 8,9, and 10 inch heights and sizes up to 14, Military Boots on this site are priced from $58.47 to $274.75. Like.com features about 30 styles and ships in 1 to 2 business days.
www.militaryclothing.com – (1-800-336-5225) This vendor has over 100 Footwear items ranging from Military Boots to Dress Shoes. Prices range from $19.99 to $200.00 and this company offers weekly specials in addition to 18,000 Military related items for sale.
www.batesfootwear.com – (1-800-253-2184) Bates Footwear features about 40 styles of Military Boots, including Steel-Toe models, priced from $100 to $200. Most Military Boots and Shoes on this website come in sizes 6 to 15.
www.patriotsurplus.com – (1-888-608-CAMO) Patriot Surplus offers a very large selection of Military Boots in about 95 styles. Prices range from $24.99 to $309.95 and most are available in sizes 3 to 16.
www.soldiercity.com – (1-877-765-2489) One of the more reasonably priced E-tailers, Soldier City offers legitimate Military Boots in about 30 styles. Prices range from $22.99 to $159.99 and most are available in sizes 6 to 14.
As a final word of advice on purchasing Military Boots, it would be strongly recommended if intended for actual Military use to check with Superiors as to what designs are authorized. It would be a shame to spend $200 on a pair of military Boots and not be able to use them in Military Service.
