Durability, water resistance, shock absorption, ankle support, perspirability. These are the characteristics required for the new boots for the United States Army. Moreover, the US Army demands the boots to be lighter, more flexible, and that they breathe more: for these reasons, three boots’ suppliers, Altama, McRae Footwear and Belleville BootCompany, need to find leather and materials from bovines, that are thinner and more flexible. According to what written the portal ArmyTimes, the US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Soldier Center, has started a renewal project for the boots used by the country’s armed forces. The reason behind Washington’s push for change, is the fact that an internal survey found that more than half the soldiers prefer buying a more comfortable pair of boots on the market, rather than using the ones supplied by the army. As of today, the army has 7 different models available, in leather and synthetic materials, for 7 different geographical and climate types. Before becoming the army’s choice, the new light models will be given to 800 newly enrolled soldiers in the Fort Leonard Wood (Missouri) base and the Fort Jackson base (South Carolina), as well as 800 more stationed troops in Fort Bliss (Texas). The feedback from the users will be collected in between March and April.
