PMCI - March 2021

pmcimagazine.com
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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