Jan
14
Desert Boots
Filed Under Product Reviews
Desert boots are the traditional foot wear of soldiers who work in hot, dry places. These became popular particularly after Desert Storm in the 1990′s. But now there aren’t only the standard military looking boots, but also Clarks style work casual or recreational loafer type half boot. Both are quite popular for every day use, but don’t use Clarks if you need to hike in the desert.
Desert boots are well adapted to use in the desert. They generally go all the way up the ankle. Sand in the shoe can be very dangerous in a desert or anywhere someone has to do a lot of walking. It can result in blisters or even worse. The military style boot allows pants to be tucked into the neck so that sand doesn’t make its way into the boot. Insulation keeps feet warm in the cold during desert nights. Insulation, believe it or not, is also useful to have when it’s hot.
There was a special kind of desert boot in the science fiction novel Dune. These boots, called still suit boots, were quite futuristic. Moisture was pumped through the still suit to keep a person cool. The boots contained pumps in the heel that performed this function. Kinetic energy from walking powers the pumps. That’s pretty clever, but there’s nothing like that yet in the real world.
Back to the Clarks. These wouldn’t be appropriate for marching in the desert. They aren’t made for work at all. They’re made for look and recreation, not for function. They were an effort to convert the popular boot and jeans look from the 70′s into something that could work in an office setting or for a casual night on the town. For Clarks it was mission accomplished. Many people like the stylish look of these boots. And they can at least pretend to be doing something useful.
Many soldiers would be a means at the wading boots have become so popular. Their minds were on the next mission. But it was these soldiers who brought back the idea of wearing desert boots. It caught on and took off from there.
From the battlefield to everyday use, desert boots are amazing.
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