Boot recommendations for SOI

[jarhead714]

Get some better jungle boots. To me, they're the most comfortable and easiest to take care of from the boots that are able to be polished. Dry out quick too as you know. Probably a better chance of twisting an ankle but who cared about those. 800 mg Motrins will be a better friend to you than the boots will. Semper Fi!

[jarhead714]

Also, as GillFunk touched on, spend 100 bucks on at least 5 pair of the good Thermolite?? socks they have at the PX. Like 15 dollars a pair but they'll change your whole outlook on life during a hump. Socks are a huge deal brother! Good socks and jungles are a recipe for comfort.

[1911ShooterPhil]

Look into Danner!

Going to be heading to SOI here petty soon and would like too pick up a new set of boots before that. The combats i was issued in boot are thrashed and the jungles i was wearing during Marine week have to be some of the most uncomfortable boots i have ever worn.

Is there a specific brand and model yall would recommended picking up from the px? Something nice and comfortable.

Danner Desert Acadia. I've owned mine for years and they've held up. I wholeheartedly recommend Danner. For an infantryman, your feet are your life. Good luck at SOI. It's a lot of work, but it's fun too. Where else are you going to get paid to go shoot things and play around with lots of cool toys?

If you get the chance, and if you're in good enough shape, volunteer for the Recon try-out. They do it every cycle. It's worth it, if for nothing else than to see what you are made of. I was an infantry scout and served in an LAR unit. I was glad I did the try-out. It humbled me some. Semper Fi! --1911ShooterPhil

[American Samurai]

Man, bringing back memories of SOI for me back during the early 90's.

I liked humping with jungle boots with Spencoe inserts. Those were all I needed.

[JHermsen]

I wear my Danner intermediate RATs (gortex liner, no insulation) in rough terrain and on the Ranges; basically all the time. Them, a pair of Superfeet and quality socks and you can hump and be in much better shape to keep up the pace. You'll be a lot less fatigued at the end of the day too.

Mine have held up for 3-4 years now and I'm just wearing out the soles now. They are an expensive set, but a good investment in my opinion. I'll never use another boot.

[Revolver Ocelot]

So it seems like jungles with insoles and thicker socks seems like a good way to go. With all that extra stuff jammed in there won't it make for a very tight fit? Maybe to tight?

[chris]

This time of year? Buy some gel insoles and some good socks and get another set of Altama jungles.


We were issued jungles and Danner ICB's when I was in in 98-03, but the brand of jungles differed from what was available at the PX, and the PX brand was MUCH better.

+1 the PX jungles back in the day were the best. the pair I picked up in 90 are thrashed and the green is in decent shape.

[Clownpuncher]

Trashed meaning the insulated liners on them have fallen apart and the soles have to be stuffed back in after you take the boots off. No matter how hard i try the soles never quite go where they are supposed to be. My feet are still swollen from having to wear those garbage things during the crucible.

I am not local to mcrd but i will be stopping by there before i head out to soi to have a broken finger looked at. Where is this quatre sales?

1/4 sales is on MCRD on the west end and is above the package store. It's the main uniform shop but the 1/4 stuff is in the corner.

Beware LA police gear. They were selling Bates RAT's a couple of months ago for an unbelievable price, showing the EGA on them and saying they were approved. Problem was, the EGA had a brand through it because they weren't approved. Bates and Danner went through the testing process and Bates failed so they had to "strike" all of their boots.

Personally, Danner RAT's are the most comfortable and tough boots I have ever worn. Expensive, but it's your feet and you only got 2.

[MrGrimm]

I am an instructor at SOI. I hike over 800 kilometers a year. All I buy are Bates. Just sayin'

[GillaFunk]

So it seems like jungles with insoles and thicker socks seems like a good way to go. With all that extra stuff jammed in there won't it make for a very tight fit? Maybe to tight?

Is why you buy a set of good wools like WigWam in thick and really thick, then wear those while you are trying boots on. This should require a 1/2 to 1 size larger boot than normal.

Pick up a pair of quality insoles and maybe the good arch support kind (maybe gel), and at set or two of those cheap insoles. Use the gels to replace the stock insoles in the boot.

In the cooler time of year, wear a set of thicker wools with the gel inserts.
In the summer you wear the thin wools or thin issue socks, with the gel inserts, plus a set or two of the cheap insoles. The cheap in-soles take up the extra space of the larger boot and should be replaced often to maintain comfort.

Sounds like a lot of work, but jungles are relatively cheap, are light, dry out fast, and work great in hot weather, require very little break in. Did I mention they are light?

BUT....if you have weak arse ankles, and are prone to rolling your ankle, avoid jungles, as they provide virtually no ankle support.

And yer talking to a guy who knows whats up with humping (Bridgeport, Individual Cold Weather Survival, '99. One of the POG's couldn't hack it, so I had to carry his pack.

[MrGrimm]

The green or blak jungle boots are no longer allowed in the USMC. You have to buy the coyote tan boots that have an EGA on the side. There are hot and cold weather versions.

[BigJ]

I'm not a service member, so I can't really advise, but if Danner is on your short list and you don't want to pay through the nose for them, keep an eye on their "second quality" boots, posted about every 4-5 days here:

http://www.hitthebreakroom.com/

Its their factory direct outlet store. I picked up a pair of USMC RAT Hot Boots for $80 shipped (normally $330). I couldn't find anything wrong with them, at all. And they still carry the full manufacturer's warranty, so you can't really go wrong.

Hope that helps and thank you for your service.

[Subotai]

This time of year? Buy some gel insoles and some good socks and get another set of Altama jungles.

Are those Panama Soles? They're designed to slough off the mud if they are. Are they okay in the desert?

[roll2li]

Are those Panama Soles? They're designed to slough off the mud if they are. Are they okay in the desert?

I thought they were called McNamara soles caused they only cost the DOD 25 bucks a pair when they were designed.

During OIF 1 I had those just in desert tan, no problem. Heel wears off quickly and you can't resole them easily. In Helmand I wore Matterhorns. But there was plenty of mud in TQ and the gorilla snot in Bastion.

So it seems like jungles with insoles and thicker socks seems like a good way to go. With all that extra stuff jammed in there won't it make for a very tight fit? Maybe to tight?

I think you're seeing the two theories behind boot fitting. You have one group that usually favors thinner socks with little insole support and a tight fit with no slop. The other side favors thicker socks, potentially with a liner, followed up with bigger/wider boots and the socks are used to tighten up the slop. It comes down to how much your feet swell over time. With insoles and thicker socks, the main risk will be the bridge across the top of your instep, but you shouldn't be running the stock insoles; just your gels or whatever right onto the boot sole.

I used to be a 2-3 insole guy with thicker socks, but I run thinner socks with a boot with a wide sole now, as I found out my feet really just get wider after a long day. So my oxfords are 10.5D (bates), running shoes 11D (Merrells), boots 11W Danners or 11.5W Corocan.

And yer talking to a guy who knows whats up with humping (Bridgeport, Individual Cold Weather Survival, '99. One of the POG's couldn't hack it, so I had to carry his pack.

My best photo from Bridgeport isn't as nearly as BA as yours with two packs during ICWS, but here it is:



I'm on the left. Unlike the guy on the right, we kept having guys flip backwards and get locked up. I was just glad I didn't burn my hands.

[GillaFunk]

The green or black jungle boots are no longer allowed in the USMC. You have to buy the coyote tan boots that have an EGA on the side. There are hot and cold weather versions.

Figures.

Would be good to check the regulations about exact boot specifics. I was never issued green jungles when I went through basic in '98, and was told green jungles were not authorized. Once I got to the fleet I got a pair as I saw other Sgt's Cpl's wearing them. No one said anything, ever.

Though, this is the kinder, gentler Corps. You'd probably get a Page 11 from your squad leader now for "Being out of uniform".

When I was a LCpl I had some arse-douche Lt. try to fry me for wearing sunglasses in uniform. He tried say he knew the regs, spouted off some official sounding crap to try to scare me. I gave him lots of rope, then I hung him with it as I carried the regs in my wallet. He was pissed, but could do nothing.

http://quanticoboot.com/qb/usmc_questions.aspx

I'm on the left. Unlike the guy on the right, we kept having guys flip backwards and get locked up. I was just glad I didn't burn my hands.

Yut Yut Kill!!