footware.....thoughts

[protus]

Was gonna put this in the training section but its here!

I went for a AM walk with the super survival dog this Am. She goes with me on hikes,,runs,,etc. But i was stuck home for work so we got in a early Am 30 min walk. I decided to use my "combat" boots vs my running shoes or my everyday wear ( hikers).
This is the source of this topic. Shoe/boot style. We all have different foot ware for different events from running to church. But do you know how your feet/body ,stealth and balance are effected by different choices?
My boots are 790d bellives .Just the black goretex style ICB. Ive had them for a few years now and they are well broke in. In fact i wore them as i took them out to re condition/clean treat the leather to prevent dry cracking/shrinkage etc. Theres a topic for "check your gear".lol
Anyway.
The biggest thing i noticed that was on hard ground (pavement) my steps were very loud. This is mostly because of my pace and style of boot sole. Also, there is hardly any "human" noise at 545am here(since its now where land). Thud,,thud,,thud. Now..once in sand /grass etc that goes away. However because the soles are hard you cant "feel" the ground beneath you. Stealth can be effected.
Add injury to that. There guys here who can track,,can tell whos hurt,,what they are doing,,pace style(walk,shuffle,run) etc from a track. Me ive got a slight drag on one side from my injury(nerve damage) nothing major but every now and then ill drag a heel. Well on pavement with these ICB's thats like a bull horn compared to the normal steps. Off road were looking at a long heel drag in the sand(or a trip..ive learned to step higher with that leg but still it'll show off road in my track). This could help a tracking team find a specific person. When i hike i notice tracks..you can tell who has what . the north face yuppy aint walking in a boot that has the same vibram sole as my 790's...shtf that could help you identify who is in your AO or help gauge what they are ...family,,military/resistance ...bigfoot? ;p

My hikers- I wear and have been wearing some form of merrels for the last 8++ years. Noise isnt half as loud as the ICB(in fact very little on road) and of course comfort wins . But ive found depending on the sole style /design it can be louder off road. upside compared to the ICBs is they allow you to feel your steps. . Over all they do well, but arent as sturdy as the ICB's for the long run.
I dont drag as bad with them as i do the icbs. I suspect thats because they are half the weight and not as ridged.(ankle high vs 9 eyelet like the icb)

we see alot of guys online asking what "perfect" boot/shoe. youll get answers from old school panama soled jungle boots ,,to lowa hikers to oakley combat boots etc.
imho a ton of emphasis is put into gear thats tailored more for urban/mout operations than field use. could be im just old sckool(grew up on alice set ups..no armor and watch platoon to many times lol ). change in times i know but for us as prepper/survivalist we need to think these things through on our gear choices. its cool you look like you came off the cover of call of duty but you sound like a 1878 chuck wagon on a rutted road in colorado! that goes for the opposite as well if your under geared.
just dont buy whats "cool".

what are your thoughts ? have you tried/tested yourself in different footware? did it make any noticeable differences(comfort,performance etc)?

[Rmplstlskn]

Murphy will make sure that you have the WRONG footwear when the SHTF...

I am easy, as I have large calves, so I stick with hiking boots and Keens... No tall boots for me.

Rmpl

[protus]

Same here...the 790 s will be tight on the back.
Never got into keens the pair I tried on were comfy but the tread is lighter than my merrels.

[rockriver]

I think some of yall have got advanced degrees in footware.
lol..
actually, I'm just jealous that I haven't learned more and paid attention to this subject.

right now... and for the last 5 or 6 years, we don't throw shoes/boots away any more...
i don't know how to make shoes/boots...
so we are keeping the old ones..

[Not_Yet_Prepped]

Protus,

Very good thoughts... THANKS for bring this back to my thinking again.

One thing not mentioned is appearance or the perception of the style of footwear. I remember reading a post (not sure if it was here or not) about an Iraq Vet that talked about "combatants" ditching the uniform and putting on civilian clothes but they could still pick them out due to Boots and Belts (I think).

So if your around "others" (anyone NOT in your group) what does your appearance (even your footwear) say or suggest about you? If your walking through a town and the local thugs are looking for the "resistance" and there you are in "combat boots"... It may suggest you are part of the resistance.

[Hawkeye]

I've got a couple of videos up on the subject...... Still one or two more to do.

[WiseOwl]

I have some Hi-Tec Hightop Hiking Boots for woods and trails. They are what I call a "fall boot" because they are insulated and are good down to 30 degrees or so. I have tested them in snow and very cold temps and that extra wool sock helped me out. They have a memory foam sole and are gore tex. I have waterproofed them numerous times. They were $145 but got them for $50 on a "winter gear" sale in early spring at Academy. I can run, jump, and work in them. I was surprised how quiet they were even being pretty heavy and me having a heavy step.

Everyday I wear a cheap pair of black outlet store Nikes. They hold up good on the concrete at work and the gravel and go good with "managerial dress code". I wear them all the time. I even put some industrial in-soles in them to help out from the concrete.

I wish I could get some of the high dollar new balances, I miss having money for stuff like that!

[rockriver]

started to open a new thread then saw this one..

I've never had any "nice" boots...

at a fund raiser recently I obtained some danner boots via the silent auction, and just had a chance to go trade them in for proper size.
I don't know how danner pronghorn rank among other boots, but I love these..
warm, easy to walk in, cushioned sole. I completed my morning duties in these things (first time they were worn)
and no slipping and sliding.. they feel "broke in" no blisters forming.

I've had sore feet wearing 79.95 boots
what a stupid mistake.

[Tackleberry]

When I am hunting deer or elk I wear Cabela's Iron Ridge Hunting Boots. For the last 5 years I have worn them over some of the roughest terrain that AZ has to offer and they have held up like a champ. They're insulated with 800 grams of Thinsulate & have a Gortex lining. They are very comfortable but what I like about them the most is the aggressive tread on the soles. Too many boots these days have eco-friendly tread that is not very sure-footed on wet/icy surfaces.

[xdpatriot]

I like the under armour ops trainers for everyday wear. They're extremely comfortable and quiet. I've jogged in them, lifted in them. I also like them on the range if I'm wearing shorts on the firing line. They have a 'skinny' top and WILL NOT let brass in. Other than that, I have relied on Merrell shoes and boots.

Forgot! Tough mudder shoes are also REALLY good on the firing line....

[RobertJ]

Like Rmpl I wear steel toe Keens everyday for my day job. 6" tall, 10 1/2 EEE. I have fred Fred Flintstone feet (like bricks) and finding a toe box wide enough is hard in boot manufacturers for me.
I get accused by Tec's and nurses and PAs all the time of sneeking up them if I dont have my cylinder cart,lol. For steel toes the keens are the lightest, most durable I have found.

For Hiking (In florida) my favorite Hikers I use are Salomons. Once again they fit my fred flintstone feet. are one of the lightest that come in my size, and last. My buddy Ken Who hikes out west and in the Rockies a lot says they dont hold up well in rocky terrain ( the sides get cut open split) but to be fair he says most light boots dont make it there.

Another pair I like in a combat boot are the (to some) el cheapo Magnums but they are hard if not impossible at times to find a EEE.

I really Liked Bates boots for fit, comfort, and style but the soles separated on every pair I have owned well before they would wear out.

I have owned Danners as well for a work/combat boot but got away from them since I found Solomon and Keens. I have a pair I resoled 4 times over the years and its still going strong.
Like Rockriver none of my old boots get thrown away. I read that on a survival forum somewhere years back and laughed to myself thinking see Im not the only one that dose that. I did it for various other reasons... mud riding (dont want to ruin my good ones in the Alabama red clay, I was in my teens 20s then) yard work, vehicle maintainance, welding/cutting.
, hiking, etc.

I also duckwalk and wear out my heels. I have learned over the years to buy and stock "shoe goo" and build the heel back up by building a duct tape dam and filling the dam in with shoe goo and leveling heels out again. Plus repairing my bates sole separations.