[frostfire]

Tried the boots again at the store and they are in fact made in China
The snug feeling came from some kind of foamy lining along the inside, as well as the upper parts that's only made of canvas material in other boots. I believe while it's comfy, it will take days to dry out once wet. In a nutshell, I presume it is not suitable for field work, but work great for office work, garrison, photo-op, and airsoft.

By providence a fellow soldier gave me a pair of new issue boots (Altama) as shown on the SORB outbrief. After wearing it to walk around for a few days, I took it for a test drive: 4 miles, 55lbs, sandy/gravel track. Total time 56:37. First mile march only (14:50) and the rest with 100yds trot every mile. Was not smoked at all, did not have to dig deep within, HR never went above 60-70%. Ended up with blisters between toes and heel starting the 4th mile though. I think next time I will put mole skin/duct tape before hotspot/blister. Prevention vs. treatment. The Altama desert with Vibram sole does beat the old, almost threadless steel toe boot. I think the new sole and its height created good traction, lengthened the stride, and made that 4 mile almost effortless.