Boot recommendations for SOI

[Subotai]

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

Musta matched his rifle (m16). LOL.

[evilbisquit]

P.S. People are more than willing to pay good money for you to cover their 2hr firewatch on weekends. I highly recommend hanging back a couple weekends a month and making some extra cash.

Best advice on this thread... I live about 2 hours from Pendleton, so I went home every single weekends. Had to grease a few palms, but it was totally worth it.

[steelrain82]

Get a pair of boots from the px at soi and break start wearing them now to break them in.the boots you get at the px ar fine. Get either the bates or bellevilles. Just make sure you buy the jungles (hot weather) as you dont want your feet getting too nasty.. and save your money on all the extra crap if you are going to buy anything buy a nice folding pocket knife and a kbar. Other than that dont buy **** unless you need it. All the other crap gets heavy and you will start to regret it especially on humps.

[TAK]

Most of these people must have never been in the Marine Corps based off their boot suggestions...

All issued MC boots are trash, the danners are heavy, very heavy, but will last a long time. Bates lites are the closest thing to good boots you can buy but they wear out fast. Go to the cash sales thing when you buy your digi cam backpack and soi tshirts and try on all the boots they have see what feels best on your feet. Don't buy rat boots you will get them issued to you for free.

[spittle8]

I'm in Pendleton and have some unissued pairs, what size are you?

I can help you find cheap, good boots if need be. PM me if you want guidance. Are you going to ITB or are you a POG? If you're going to MCT, you don't really need anything but your 'jungles' - they'll break-in. Get new insoles for them. If you have ***** feet, you can either drop a C-note on Bates Lights and put better insoles in them, and feel every rock and risk hurting your ankle, or you can check out the various ~$150 boots, some of which you may like. Danner's are fine, but I have a pair I don't even use anymore that I'd give you if you have the same foot size. RAT boots are comfortable but very heavy, and some people hate them.

Hit me up, Devil.

[Subotai]

Well, just get some black leather boots. Take your soap and brush out to the sink. Wash boot in really hot water. Hammer wash basin with boot. You gotta bash the heck out of it with all your might. Repeat until all leather is broke. Good to go!

[MrGrimm]

Black boots were phased out in 2004. Don't buy a KBAR or a leatherman. That can wait until after you graduate. Reason being is that those are items you cannot have while you are in a student status. If you have them, you will have to keep them in your wall locker until you graduate. Trust me, I have been in SOI long enough to know what to do and what not to do.

[Germz]

Danners. unless you blew all your money on leave like all boots do. but get a straw and suck it up for the next few weeks. any new boots u get in SOI will be trashed as well.

[Subotai]

Black boots were phased out in 2004. Don't buy a KBAR or a leatherman. That can wait until after you graduate. Reason being is that those are items you cannot have while you are in a student status. If you have them, you will have to keep them in your wall locker until you graduate. Trust me, I have been in SOI long enough to know what to do and what not to do.

Well hell son, u been there since '04, one of these days you gotta graduate!

[MrGrimm]

Well hell son, u been there since '04, one of these days you gotta graduate!

Yea, haha, it's pretty tough here.

[18Dmedic]

Danners...and when your testicles descend to their rightful place between your legs...Asolos or Salomons.

[NulodPBall]

...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...

This brings back memories from long time ago, in a far away...

I wore Photogray lenses when they first came out and they were prescription lenses. I would occasionally be asked to remove them in formation but I was lucky and usually didn't get bothered...probably helped that I stayed in my AO on a small post mostly.

It's been a long time since I wore LPC's (Artillery) but I was on the post hiking team and I found that my basic leather boots were the most comfortable for "hiking" (light, breathed well, and broke in quickly) but they really sucked out in the field if it was wet at all (and it usually was). Our only other options at the time were jump boots and they were a bit heavier and took a little more breaking in time.

It seems that allowed boot technology has gone a long way since then. I used to be the "thick wool' socks person, but now I am the "thin sock" proponent and I don't get blisters anymore. That may just be better boot (and cleat) technology though.

GillaFunk's pic reminds me of a time I had to shuttle someone else's pack to the top of the next ridge after I dropped mine off but I don't think I could balance correctly if I found a way to hump two packs at the same time and still carry my A2...I am short enough that most people's legs will drag if I have to pack them on my back and two packs would probably outweigh me