KIT & GEAR
FOOTWEAR CHOICES
CHOOSE THE RIGHT BOOTS
THERE ARE PLACES WHERE YOU CAN SKIMP AND SAVE A BIT OF MONEY WITH YOUR AIRSOFT LOADOUT BUT HAVING GOOD FOOTWEAR IS NOT ONE OF THEM . THIS
SHOULD BE AS FUNDAMENTAL A PART OF
YOUR AIRSOFT GEAR AS YOUR AEG OR GBB ! CHOOSING THE WRONG BOOTS CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE TO HAVING A SUPERB DAY ON SITE OR GOING HOME EARLY . BILL LOOKS AT MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE - IRRELEVANT OF
YOUR BUDGET !
During the course of my professional life I ’ ve been lucky enough to work directly with some of the best bootmakers in the business , both in relation to military / tactical models and those for outdoor adventures . For both end uses the requirements of the footwear will be broadly similar and mainly to do with comfort , support , protection and suitability for the intended terrain .
Most good bootmakers will have a range of models to cover every eventuality , from lightweight , quickdrying boots for jungle environments , sturdy boots with great support for urban environments and even thermal-lined waterproof versions for the deepest of winter months . One of the great things about how we play though , is that we ’ re unlikely to be wearing our boots for more than 36 hours straight at a MilSim and usually it will be just a matter of hours at our local skirmish site . Does this , however , mean you can save a few bob by buying into cheap boots for airsoft ?
My answer to this would be an unequivocal and resounding “ NO !” Not looking after your feet , or wearing badly fitting boots , can have severe ramifications . Ask yourself for a moment , is ( for instance ) a boot designed for the deserts of the Middle East going to be the ideal model for the UK in the depths of winter ? You may say “ Well , my desert boots are Gore-Tex lined so they ’ re waterproof and I ’ m only wearing them for a short while so they ’ ll be fine …”, however , are you analysing this closely enough ?
A good desert boot will inherently be made with less insulation than a winter , or indeed even a temperate model , so as much as a good waterproof technology will keep your feet dry , the boot overall will leave you with cold feet , or worse on a snowy morning . Cuff height may also differ , as in general a winter boot will have a higher cuff to keep out snow and spindrift . I was at a game where I stepped into a water-filled pothole deeper than the height of my desert boot cuff and although they ’ re membranelined , water does tend to get in through the big hole on the top where your foot goes in !
So why not just wear wellies ? Well , two things here really … Firstly , wellies are pretty much always not going to be breathable , so although they will keep water out ( and with specialist socks be warm ), they will also keep moisture in . Someone once told me that we have more than 250,000 sweat glands in each foot , making them the most perspiring parts of your body . Your body can produce as much as a pint of
“ I WAS AT A GAME WHERE I STEPPED INTO A WATER-FILLED POTHOLE DEEPER THAN THE HEIGHT OF MY DESERT BOOT CUFF AND ALTHOUGH THEY ’ RE MEMBRANE-LINED , WATER DOES TEND TO GET IN THROUGH THE BIG HOLE ON THE TOP WHERE YOUR FOOT GOES IN !”
28 MARCH 2021