View Full Version : 11B Types
what's your favorite, most comfortable humping boot?
Anything not Altama.
Had a pair of green jungle SOGs that were awesome...back when we used to have to shine our boots.
The new Belleville 390 DES worked for me surprisingly well, too.
Haven't had a chance to try any of the new authorized aftermarket boots yet.
Back in the day it was a well broken in and re-soled set of O.D. jungle boots. Lately I just wear whatever hot weather boots I've been issued that're broken in. I always use some sort of sorbothane insole and a good pair of socks. You definately want to try several different types of boots to see what works best for you.
RogerinTPA
04-26-09, 15:56
Back in the day it was a well broken in and re-soled set of O.D. jungle boots. Lately I just wear whatever hot weather boots I've been issued that're broken in. I always use some sort of sorbothane insole and a good pair of socks. You definately want to try several different types of boots to see what works best for you.
I thought my issue OD green jungle boots (well broken in) were comfortable until I got them resoled with the ripple sole. They became awesome then.;) The issued padded collar desert boots were pretty comfy too. I have a set of Lowa Seeker Desert PT boots that I use for camping/hiking, and by far the best boots I've ever owned. Too bad they stopped making them.
I have Altama's now and like them, wore them in Afghanistan.
AAFES online has some bates that look good. One of the guys I went to Afghanistan with had Oakley's, that offering looks pretty comfortable as well. I'm curious to how they hold up.
I've been out for several years now but when I was in, regular issue boots worked as well as anything else that they would let us where. Nowadays, I wear boots by Oakley (http://oakley.com/catalog/products/s-i-assault-boot-8-inch). I have a pair of the 6 inchers for hiking and the 8 for other use. I really love those boots... 5.11 has some boots that I would be interested to try as well but I already have two good pairs so I can't justify getting another set...
I thought my issue OD green jungle boots (well broken in) were comfortable until I got them resoled with the ripple sole. They became awesome then.;) The issued padded collar desert boots were pretty comfy too. I have a set of Lowa Seeker Desert PT boots that I use for camping/hiking, and by far the best boots I've ever owned. Too bad they stopped making them.
The ripple sole was what I had too:). But damn if I didn't wear the soles out quick and they were slicker than snot in the Ft Campbell mud.
Another vote for green sided jungle boots, not Altamas.
Gonna have to say OD jungle boots with the Panama sole; but that was a long while back. I've seen the new desert version that look similar, and they are probably better made.
citizensoldier16
04-26-09, 16:59
Altama makes great boots. I had two pairs of the jungle boots: black ripple soles and green lug soles. They were, and still are, the most comfortable boots I own, and I've owned them since ROTC in college. They saw me through 4 years of ROTC and 4 years of service, being resoled twice.
Bit of a tip: to break them in, wear them in the shower (or get them soaked) then wear them all day. The water initially makes the leather soft, and as they dry they form to your feet.
TurretGunner
04-26-09, 17:34
I remember reading somewhere that ripple sole boots were bad for your body or some shit. I also heard that they get gunked up with mud and dirt and are terrible in the field.
any first hand accounts?
I remember reading somewhere that ripple sole boots were bad for your body or some shit. I also heard that they get gunked up with mud and dirt and are terrible in the field.
any first hand accounts?
Don't know about being bad on your body, but as long as it was dry and not raining, I never had a problem with them in the field. If it was wet and muddy, then you would slip and slide all over the place.
beaker1013
04-26-09, 17:59
The ripple soles were designed for the sand and worked great until you hit mud, wet leaves or had a twig or two jammed in the sole. I still have them on my favorite pair of speed lacer black cadillacs from P.I.. I also still have my jungle boots, but I had to take the inserts out or they would rub the top of my foot to where it got annoying.
Semper Fi,
Dave
Another vote for OD green jungle boots. I always bought a new pair right when I was about to go on leave. Then I'd get to my parents house, soak in the pool with them for a 1/2 hour or so and then go do about 4 hrs or so of yard work. The leather just molded right to my feet.
Smuckatelli
04-26-09, 21:00
I had a boot made in Korea that was without a doubt the best humping boot that I ever owned. The maker took at least 12 different measurements of my feet and the boots fit perfect. No blisters, hot spots or any other typical humping gifts.
When we deployed to Panama for JOTC, the boots continued to do great until we had the ponco raft swim across the Chagres River....I came out on the other shore with leather uppers and no soles except for my socks.........
Later on in life, for cold weather....Korea again.....Matterhorns where great until the gortex sock became lose. VB boots for the Arctic (Norway) were only good in that climate, once it started warming up you ran into trenchfoot type problems pretty quickly.
The desert boots from the 90's are the longest lasting ones that I have owned. I still use them for range, grasscutting, and cub scout camping.
The best all around set of boots were the panama jungle boots, they dried out quickly and you could layer sock combinations for really cold weather.
The old school OD green jungles were the shit for long marches. I wore them exclusively when I did the Nijmegen back in '88 or '89. Nowadays I prefer my Merrell Sawtooths. I was surprised to see some National Guard unit from the northeast wearing them here in Iraq back in 2005-2006.
Converse boots with the side zipper. They're not authorized but I wore them anyways haha.
Nowadays I prefer my Merrell Sawtooths. I was surprised to see some National Guard unit from the northeast wearing them here in Iraq back in 2005-2006.
I understand some of the Ranger BNs are fond of them too. Was collocated with a Ranger Company in Iraq the same time frame you mentioned and that's what they were wearing. I hear they're great boots.
Really? I was looking at Sawtooths till I saw the online reviews from avid hikers who say they fall apart too fast.
Have you heard the same from folks using them? I suppose I could just get a pair and abuse them.
RogerinTPA
04-27-09, 08:53
When we deployed to Panama for JOTC, the boots continued to do great until we had the ponco raft swim across the Chagres River....I came out on the other shore with leather uppers and no soles except for my socks.........
LOL!:p: This line made my day and cracked my ass up!:p Ah the memories of Korean made clothing and fine tailoring!
In the late 80's or so when I was at Bragg, I was providing helo support to the SFWC Tng BN/Robin Sage excercise, making helo parachute drops, insertion and extractions, rappelling, STABO, etc...in the early winter (pretty cold weather). A couple of the instructors had what looked like brown upper jungle boots, but the material seemed thicker. I ask the SF guys about them and they said they were Gortex jungle boots, minus the drain holes. I thought they were very cool, but was never able to find or have not seen them since.
Really? I was looking at Sawtooths till I saw the online reviews from avid hikers who say they fall apart too fast.
Have you heard the same from folks using them? I suppose I could just get a pair and abuse them.
I was reading the same reviews, so I have been reluctant to buy a pair. They're not too expensive though, so even if they only lasted a year or two I guess they'd be worth it.
In the late 80's or so when I was at Bragg, I was providing helo support to the SFWC Tng BN/Robin Sage excercise, making helo parachute drops, insertion and extractions, rappelling, STABO, etc...in the early winter (pretty cold weather). A couple of the instructors had what looked like brown upper jungle boots, but the material seemed thicker. I ask the SF guys about them and they said they were Gortex jungle boots, minus the drain holes. I thought they were very cool, but was never able to find or have not seen them since.
When I got in in 89, the first thing I did was go looking for a pair of lightweight goretex/insulated boots for winter work.
I found a pair of boots that looked just like jungle boots, except they had a goretex/thinsulate bootie inside.
They had vibram soles, too. I'll have to go dig them out of my bags to see who the maker was.
DMedicIraq
04-27-09, 12:51
Converse boots with the side zipper. They're not authorized but I wore them anyways haha.
Yah, I gotta agree about the Converse. I wore the hell out of em in Iraq, and they held up well. Very breathable in the heat, but the sole has the same problem of any desert type when you introduce it to mud, etc. Being able to set the laces just right and use the sidezips to get in and out of em in 2 seconds is the best.
I tried the new oakley boots last week in a road march...big NO GO, atleast for me! The best boot in my opinion are the Belleville hot weather boots. First got them in my RFI kit when I went to afghanistan in 04-05. I have been using them ever since! I first joined in 02 and was issued the standard black boots at Ft. Benning. They were ok, i just remember my feet burning up in them during a road march. I also have tried the ripple soles and the are good as long you aren't walking through mud. Well that's it thanks for letting me ramble on!
Mine survived about 18 months here in country.
Really? I was looking at Sawtooths till I saw the online reviews from avid hikers who say they fall apart too fast.
Have you heard the same from folks using them? I suppose I could just get a pair and abuse them.
Yah, I gotta agree about the Converse. I wore the hell out of em in Iraq, and they held up well. Very breathable in the heat, but the sole has the same problem of any desert type when you introduce it to mud, etc. Being able to set the laces just right and use the sidezips to get in and out of em in 2 seconds is the best.
Yep definitely gotta agree on the soles, once you get in a muddy canal it's over. Stomping around with an extra 3 lbs of mud on each foot during a patrol is not so great.
I tried the new oakley boots last week in a road march...big NO GO, atleast for me!
Yeah my LT had a pair for CAX/Mojave Viper and Iraq. The soles started to tear up and the adhessive started to loosen up. They still were functional but I'd rather not take the risk. Plus $150+ Oakleys don't stand a chance to $80 Converses IMO.
dookie1481
04-27-09, 14:30
The old Bates Light boots...they didn't last but a few months of hard field use but they were great for humps.
Jay
Mine survived about 18 months here in country.
Thanks Gunz.
What do you think of the OTB Bushmaster? Hell, I see that OTB makes an updated version of the old Jungle too, nice.
OTB good to go. Great boots, held up very well and extremely comfortable. I have the SAR, Odhin and Abyss variants. I'll probably order more of the abyss as they've been my favorite of the 3.
Ryanm I understand that the sole has holes in them to allow water drainage. But do they also let water in due to these holes? I'm just wondering whether I should get the abyss's or the bushmasters. I don't do a whole lot of maritime stuff nor would I be treking through creeks. But say if I did buy them and walked through a puddle in a parking lot are my socks wet?
Your good to go for the scenario you outlined, water doesn't come up through the bottom. That being said, I wouldn't call the abyss water-proof, so anything past 2inches is probably going to find a way in. The up-side is they pump water out much faster than a normal boot.
With the SAR, I'd say you'd fair much better than the abyss as far as prevention of water intrusion, but I like the breathability and comfort of the abyss a little better.
https://www.otbboots.com/main.html
They have a video that explains it better than I can.
I'm torn between the Abyss and the Bushmaster....
Microwvbleturtle
04-27-09, 18:03
Oakleys.
I have a pair of 8" and 6". I wear 6" on a daily basis with no issues. I only wear 8" when I have to make those rare but dreaded trips back to Liberty. They've held up to uncountless dismounted patrols, raids, house searches, and anything else that have been thrown at them or placed under them.
Oakleys.
I have a pair of 8" and 6". I wear 6" on a daily basis with no issues. I only wear 8" when I have to make those rare but dreaded trips back to Liberty. They've held up to uncountless dismounted patrols, raids, house searches, and anything else that have been thrown at them or placed under them.
Which versions are they civilian or mil? The civilian ones have an actual metallic O on them and the mil versions do not from my understanding. I'm glad they are holding up for you cause the ones I've seen look like a Pomeranian has gnawed on em after a month.
Microwvbleturtle
04-28-09, 02:59
Which versions are they civilian or mil? The civilian ones have an actual metallic O on them and the mil versions do not from my understanding. I'm glad they are holding up for you cause the ones I've seen look like a Pomeranian has gnawed on em after a month.
Civs. Only kind I could get in theatre within short notice. I've rocked my 6" for close to seven months now and there's no unusual wear or damage. Same with most of my guys.
I will put in another plug for old green jungles. I work mine with a spendy pair of insoles. Now I am a contractor, and I wear Vasque Sundowner Classics with Superfeet insoles.
If you've never tried Superfeet. you don't know what you're missing! They are fantastic.
CarlosDJackal
04-28-09, 10:13
Not an 11B but was an 11C and my favorite boots (back when I was on AD) for humping were my well-worn Jungle Boots.
Mortar Maggot! :p
Not an 11B but was an 11C and my favorite boots (back when I was on AD) for humping were my well-worn Jungle Boots.
Iraq Ninja
04-28-09, 11:07
11B3V
I also like the OTB boots. I am currently using the Thor on a daily basis. I like it, but will see how it does in the heat of summer here. The Odhin worked great last summer. You can actually feel the air blowing through them as you walk. No problems with dust or dirt getting in.
The Thor's sole is stiff enough to make it great for rocky or broken terrain.
CarlosDJackal
04-28-09, 13:12
Mortar Maggot! :p
And damned proud of it. Maggots to Hell!! :D
This incident happened to the guys in my battalion mortar section. One of the guys killed had a half-brother in my company. I was on gate guard at the range when this happened.
SGT Milam, HHC 1st Battalion 36th Infantry SGT Milam died during a live fire training accident at Grafenwoehr. While the 1-36 Infantry Mortar platoon was conducting mounted fire missions in their M-106's during rainy overcast conditions. The platoon had several hang fire situations where the 4.2 mortar round would become lodged in the tube. As per the SOP for a hang fire situation a soldier was suppose to kick the side of the gun tube to dislodge the projectile to allow the projectile to fire. On this occasion when SGT Milam kicked the side of the gun tube to dislodge the projectile the 4.2 mortar round exploded in the mortar tube. It was later determine that the mortar platoon had been provide faulty fuses for the mortar ammunition.
And damned proud of it. Maggots to Hell!! :D
Back in the day we all wore the OD jungle boots, or if you splurged, you got Danners, which was much better in the winters.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.