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Old 10-19-2005, 21:10   #61
Max_Tab
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Team Sergeant
I wore issued jungles 99% of my career. They wore like iron, dried in no time, and in my opinion they were great to fight (kick and stomp) with. The only down side was I remember was when I worked a staff job they were hard on your legs/feet when constantly on concrete or tile surfaces.

$515 for boots, not in this life time.

TS
I have a slightly older model of the ones I posted, they cost 450 dollars at the time. I sure as hell didn't pay for them, luckily I was on a mountain team at the time, and we just had to have them.
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Old 11-09-2005, 19:28   #62
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Good boots

I bought a pair of the new Bates boots for my deployment to Afg, and they've held up great. We've only been here about 4 months, but i've had no problems in the construction of them at all. I made a mistake when I chose them (in a bit of a hurry, sadly) and got them a little too big; I have long thin feet, so after wearing them a few hours they tend to expand and I slide around in them a little bit, but I think that was simply a bad sizing judgment on my part. (I do think, however, that they may be better suited to those with wider feet, as the lacing system doesn't go down as far on the foot as the issue "winter" gor-tex boots, so you can't get as tight of a fit on thinner feet.)

One of the first things I noticed right away when I walked in them was how stable they feel; when compared to the issue Bellevilles, the heel is much wider, which feels a little weird at first but is great after you walk in them a bit. As mentioned by a few others earlier, the lacing lock feature works really well, and keeps them from loosening too much after a long day of walking. The boots are super light, and feel almost sneaker-comfortable for wear. Construction is solid, and after beating them up for the last four months in the rocky terrain that prevails over here, I’ve had no problems whatsoever (besides size issue mentioned above, but my fault not the boots). I would buy another pair of these great boots.

Hope this helps someone make an informed decision one way or the other.
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Old 11-10-2005, 10:04   #63
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Prospect, You might want to try thicker socks (not two pairs). If you can find a flat insole, place it under the boots original insole to raise the foot up. That will reduce the volumne of the boot.

Problem with two pairs of thick socks ( liner and a thick sock is OK) is that they will proportionally enlarge the size of your feet. Our feet don't grow that way. That could effect the way the boot fit to your feet.

Other thing you might doe, is to have a boot fitter pad the tongue of the boot.
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Old 11-11-2005, 01:18   #64
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Great point Hollis. Fix it from the top of the boot to top of your foot, not bottom of your foot to bottom of the boot. Seems like you'd end up w/a more stable platform that way. Also, I think your feet will transfer more energy to the ground with less between them and the sole.
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Old 11-12-2005, 10:21   #65
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The thicker socks idea works fine (i obtained some of the wigwam ingenious socks soon after i got the boots), although ultimately i decided to sell them to one of the guys on my fireteam (at an incredibly reduced price; consequence of me being in too much of a hurry). I plan on obtaining another pair when i get back to the states and am able to size them better. I appreciate the comments/ideas though, good food for thought.
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Old 11-12-2005, 12:17   #66
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As long as they are fitted properly and are appropriate for the environment, boots are probably 30% of the equation. Socks and insoles are probably worth another 10%. Conditioning is more like 60%. I know guys who wear no socks and can start a 25-mile march with newly issued jungle boots, and do just fine.

OTOH, you can Gucci out all you want with $500 boots, $50 insoles, and $20 socks, but if you do not spend the time breaking them in properly and conditioning your feet to the task at hand, at best, you are just wasting money and will be waiting by the road with your blistered feet on fire for the chase vehicle to pick you up. At worst, you will make the rest of your team carry you and you may compromise the mission and get a teammate killed.

Be smart, if you are a student, buy, break in, and train up in what you are told to. If you are a team guy, you should be smart enough (having gotten there) to pick the appropriate gear, prepare it properly (but not till it is worn out), and make sure that your feet are not the weak link. Yes, I have seen guys launch on deployment with brand new boots as well as those trying to squeeze one more mission out of a favorite pair, only to have them fall apart in the boonies. Everyone laughs at them, or curses them, depending on the situation. Don't be that guy.

Remember, what is on your feet doesn't complete the mission. What is inside them does.

TR
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Old 11-13-2005, 11:37   #67
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Reaper
As long as they are fitted properly and are appropriate for the environment, boots are probably 30% of the equation. Socks and insoles are probably worth another 10%. Conditioning is more like 60%. I know guys who wear no socks and can start a 25-mile march with newly issued jungle boots, and do just fine.

OTOH, you can Gucci out all you want with $500 boots, $50 insoles, and $20 socks, but if you do not spend the time breaking them in properly and conditioning your feet to the task at hand, at best, you are just wasting money and will be waiting by the road with your blistered feet on fire for the chase vehicle to pick you up. At worst, you will make the rest of your team carry you and you may compromise the mission and get a teammate killed.

Be smart, if you are a student, buy, break in, and train up in what you are told to. If you are a team guy, you should be smart enough (having gotten there) to pick the appropriate gear, prepare it properly (but not till it is worn out), and make sure that your feet are not the weak link. Yes, I have seen guys launch on deployment with brand new boots as well as those trying to squeeze one more mission out of a favorite pair, only to have them fall apart in the boonies. Everyone laughs at them, or curses them, depending on the situation. Don't be that guy.

Remember, what is on your feet doesn't complete the mission. What is inside them does.

TR
The Reaper, I think you nailed the major point. Too many people try to buy the short cut to success/conditioning. There are whole markets that rely on them to make a living.
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Old 11-13-2005, 23:31   #68
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You're both right. I think too many people in our society today will pay whatever you ask of them for that "BOX-O INSTANT GRATIFICATION", rather than the work-up to success method.
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Old 12-18-2005, 18:12   #69
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Hey Java Dude:

Links to pics don't work anymore. Want to upload some of them so people can see them?

Thanks!

RL
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Old 03-08-2006, 18:06   #70
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I just got a pair of the Bates M9's and I found that they do not run large. If you are planning on ordering a pair you will find that most companies offering this boot have them drop shipped from Bates. This could present problems if you have to return them as it will slow down the process. If you take size 11 medium forget getting them until July 06 unless the company you're dealing with has them in stock. I'm lookong forward to taking them to the sand box to see how they hold up. They feel good but I'm not going to critique them until they have had a chance to be tested in the field.
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Old 03-12-2006, 21:08   #71
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OK, so I'm going to Whistler to ski in a few weeks. I take it that these are adequate snow boots for walking around, and way better than the Oakleys? I thought about getting some snow boots today, then thought I should just wear these. Please tell me if I'm wrong.
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Old 03-19-2006, 10:44   #72
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shark Bait
$515 for boots?? Ouch! I think I'll go with the Bates for $79.95 from Botach.

When your walking in 3 to 4 different envoriments you what you pay for. Price makes the difference.

From MAX TABs know so well. If you have a good 18C on your Tm; he'll get just about anything. Do you memos or your CARPs and you'll get just about anything.
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Old 03-21-2006, 08:15   #73
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I have a few buds here that are wearing the Bates M9 and the oakleys.

They both seem to hold up under moderate use (no long rucking etc) for about 6-7 months. Ive seen quite a few guys wearing the Converse too.

We have a Lt that just busted a sole on his Oakleys after 9 months including MOB. Theyre still wearable.

Ive been wearing the Wellco desert style jungle boot which have been holding up outstandingly. Only prob is theyre not the most comfortable as the soles seem paper thin. Some guys have had them resoled on leave with the ripple soles and love them.

I think Ill try the Bates M6 or the Converse Persuit just for fun, then write a review at the end of tour.

Im thinking for hard use the Wellco jungle style desert boot with ripple soles is probably the best for hard use over here. They come in half sizes and narrow widths too-
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Old 03-21-2006, 09:23   #74
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The jungle boots, including the issue ones, have no cushion in the sole at all.

Drop a set of Superfeet or better yet, the Sole Footbeds in and get a decent pair of socks like the Ingenius and they are great.

Just my .02, YMMV.

TR
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Old 03-21-2006, 12:44   #75
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Originally Posted by Roguish Lawyer
OK, so I'm going to Whistler to ski in a few weeks. I take it that these are adequate snow boots for walking around, and way better than the Oakleys? I thought about getting some snow boots today, then thought I should just wear these. Please tell me if I'm wrong.
I would be grateful if someone from 10th Group could answer the above stupid question.
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