Quick Snap - Boot fasteners

[BinRat55]

I really don't see the practicality of them - I can tie my boots up in about 30 - 40 seconds. That's about 20 seconds a boot. What kind of time saving is that? And the mention of medical removal - the boot will be cut away regardless. Just don't see it.

 

[Infanteer]

I disagree 100% with your stance on zippered boots nothing has served me better then my zipper side Converse or my 5.11 Tac boots.

I severely disagree on using zippered boots based on what I have seen happen to others wearing them.

Zippered boots get the thumbs down from me.

Interesting mix of opinion from end-users.  I based my opinion based upon watching two pairs meltdown due to zipper malfunction.  To me, it seemed that the zipper was just not designed to bear the strain and conditions military footwear is put through.

I'd be interested in seeing a more technical opinion on the matter (load bearing characteristics, failure rates, etc).

However I was done wearing boots a long time ago - most soldiers would be better served with a shoe in the current environments.

Interesting statement - one probably worthy of its own thread.  I remember reading of Rhodesian's abandoning boots for runners due to better comfort and less fatigue and stress on the feet.  The guerilla's runners were a favorite piece of war booty.

Advantages and disadvantages of boots vs a "hiker"/shoe maybe something worth looking at in an Army where the boot is considered part of the service culture....

 

[Rigger052]

It's generally a nice idea, glad these guys thought of us when designing this equipment. While it would be a nice add on for a set of "stand-to" boots there's not enough info available to really determine whether they would hold up in high stress environments like Afghanistan. They would also be more than likely to be rejected by trades that require specialized footwear such as engineers or linemen to do their jobs. I'm curious at least to see where this leads.

 

[McG]

So, is there anybody here that has used these in the field?  Are they affected by mud? Snow? Hot/cold?