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KIT : BOOTS
FOOTWEAR CHOICES
There are places where you can skimp and save a bit of money with your clothing and gear but , but having good footwear is not one of them as this should be a as fundamental a part of your range and training gear as your firearm ! Choosing the wrong boots can make all the difference to having a superb day on the range , 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 , quick drying 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 train as civilians though is that we ’ re unlikely to be wearing our boots for more than a few hours straight on the range . Does this however mean you can save a few bucks by buying into cheap boots ?
My answer to this would be an unequivocal and resounding “ NO ”, as 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 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 ”, but 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 once in a situation 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 .
So why not just wear willies or gumboots ? 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 , but 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
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