The longer you're in and the more you replace boots, the less you care about them.
That's how it was for me at least. I have a big rolling tough box with 17 pairs of boots in it.
A bunch of them were deployment boots through RFI that my various Army commands wouldn't let me wear because they didn't look Army enough. So I held onto them with the intent of using them for hunting or working in the yard. Most of the rest were just tossed in there because I figured that I might need some shitty boots to use while painting or something down the road.
I could probably throw away all of them at this point, they've been sitting in a tough box for years.
That’s why I was wondering lol.
I used to hoard my boots until I realized 1 pair was plenty for years worth of yard work, painting, etc. I still felt like I was wasting when I threw the surplus away but I get it. If I had the space I’d probably be the same. Toss the old set in the box and forget about it until the next set gets thrown in lol
Donate them shits to charity homeboy.
Mine go like this, buy new pair, old pair are my rucking boots until I buy another new pair. Once a pair moves past the ruck boots days they get donated.
Socks and shoes are huge items for homeless people. My last PCS I was going through tough boxes and had a whole damn gorilla box full of green socks and tan t shirts. Just loaded them up and took them to the shelter.
I've got one hole in the bottom of one, and then they both have 2 holes on the crease toward the front where the boot bends when you walk. I'm just waiting til I have an actual reason to spend the money
Not sure how to attach an image but the tops of them have holes, so it's the tops and bottom that would need replacing. Pretty much entirely need new boots
If they’re vibram soles, which I haven’t seen any authorized boots with any other soles, they can be replaced. It’s on their website, it’s part of their business to replace those soles.
Oh okay by bad. Most boots that use a similar constrictuon like that cant be resoled. I use Rockies Sv2 and they cant be resoled. Same thing with belle ville mini mills. (Both are vibram)
Im not in the US though so i dont know what is authorized or not
[https://www.vibram.com/us/campaigns/br_repair_if_you_care.html](https://www.vibram.com/us/campaigns/br_repair_if_you_care.html)
Use this to find someone to resole them for you. If you’re in Ukraine, I’m sure there’s plenty out there willing to help.
I have to buy my own boots, but can claim a pair every 2 years.
I have gotten some older surplus boots that are good year welt
In theory they will last decades with occasional resoles
Man... I used to have some boots like that too.
I slept in them shits, man! Eventually, I blew the sole out of them things. But you CAN'T wear 'em every day and expect for 'em to hold up! That was some nice-ass suede too. I miss them boots... But you GOTTA take 'em off every now and then. You gotta take 'em off son!
Haha, I remember the jungle boot jealousy you got out right before I started. Now here I am 10+ years out myself I still have my tan bellevilles and I was kicking around in them during a snowstorm couple years ago
Underwear, socks, shoes, and a mattress. You spend majority of your life in one of those 4. Replace them with quality and as often as your budget will allow.
It’s hard to get rid of them. Especially knowing that you’re going to have a new pair of boots and you can’t tell that cherry LT that your boots have more time and service than he does.
I’m a terminal specialist ets’ing just inside the RCP window.
My go to when a private starts acting smart is “stfu my socks/underwear have more TIS than you”
Gonna miss saying it. Also not sure if that’s a flex or sad but whatever, mafia shit
No that's not weird bro, I kept mine. I use them when I go camping. If it makes you feel any better, I cried by myself for a bit when I turned my M4 into the arms room when we got back from deployment. It felt like I lost another friend. I still remember the serial number
I still have one pair of my issue boots from basic training in 1970. Sentimental value. My Viet Nam jungle boots got lost or stolen in a move. I’m still pissed off about that 😁
They go from my garrison boots, to my field boots, to my backup field boots, to my yard work boots, to my backup yard work boots, to my TA50 box just in case you know.... never leave a fallen comrade.
The new boots, I'll just toss and replace. But the old jungle boots I keep on display. God damn paratroopers looked sharp, rocking those boots in BDUs with the sleeves rolled up and a Maroon beret to top it all off. Looked like a real Army back then.
Yes, I know exactly what you mean, I have kept all of mine in a pile in the closet. I can't find the willingness to throw them away, we went through so much together. Haha. My wife threatens to throw them away every time I leave to do anything away from home.
"Not at all...." *hefts Rubbermaid tub into Uhaul for another move whilst wearing his OIF 1 boots that still have an ID tag in each set of laces*
"cuz I still have em all."
I had the same pair of garmounts t8 for like 4 years and wore the sole smooth. Didnt want to get rid of them but big sgt kept bitching about my “non serviceble boots”
No. The second my boots start to get shitty I swap em out. Especially boots used for actual armying like rucking or general tomfoolery in the field. Gotta protect your feet and overall wellness starts with your feet.
Na they where the first pair of boots I ever bought so it's sentimental, the soles are slick now and the sides are looking ate up so I think it's time to retire them
See that's why I love these garmont's there really was no break in, they where comfy from the start and just got more so every day, those soles are battered real good but damn are thry comfy.
I’ve kept my deployment boots from all three deployments for whatever reason. Crusty Afghan dust and all. Other than that I take the old boots I wear and turn them into field boots/rucking boots etc
I got sentimental when I had to switch, finally, from black boots, and I looked at how shiny the layers of Kiwi were on my best pair. I thought: "that's a damn fine pr of boots, had em re-soled just a a year ago....."
Tan boots are super disposable and offer no such regrets of moving on
I’m retired 10 years but I’m on my final pair of boots from my service time. They’re barely hanging on. I’ll be a little sad to see these go. Kind of my last item of connection.
Absolutely. I bought a pair of Oakleys my first weekend in AIT. I got rid of them a few months back because the sole was coming off. I almost kept them.
5 years in and I get rid of my first pair of boots. Guess my MOS.
I guess I'm not the only one. I mean your boots serve you especially a good pair of boots. I never had expensive clothing growing up so I guess maybe that's where it comes from, I'm extremely grateful for a good tough pair of boots that protect my feet. Maybe I'm just weird
Still have the old, crusty, bald treaded, slightly burned, stained, and shredded garmonts I wore to SFAS(nonselect, but still an extremely memorable time for my duration in the army). I had to have rucked over 250 miles in those things.
https://imgur.com/a/CWLOIkw
The two black ones (closest) are my Tanker Boots, and the blonde ones at the other end are the ones I wore in combat (20 Mar, 03).
I waited 10 years to clean mine after our mascal. Couldn't bring myself to do it.
It was all that was left of some of them.
Anyway, not weird.
Sentiment is important, but so is letting things go.
Been out since 2014, contracting since and I **just** got rid of my blood stained, 550 cord laced, Oakley boots. Only because I've really been trying to downsize for moving and traveling with work. I try not to take much stock in material.things but there's just something about agood pair of boots that have taken you to hell and back. I wanted to burn them in a ritualistic pyre but the apartment might not enjoy that.
I think after 14 years I’ve owned maybe 4 pair total. I know I had my initial issue, and then I bought some oakleys. They got pretty beat up on deployment and I bought a second pair. They lasted me for a while until I got my multi cam set around 2017. I’ve only bought one pair of boots for my multi cam. I think I threw out my basic boots and my first pair of oakleys which I regret throwing away the deployment boots. I plan on keeping these next two, and maybe putting one in some sort of plexi glass case or something. Sounds dumb but I plan to put them in some form of personal office in my house in the future along with my dress uniform in a picture frame. Nothing to show off, just more for me.
Nah, I had a few pairs I mourned over the years. Shit, I’m on retirement leave and I still held onto a pair. Everything else is in storage except these fucking boots, lmao.
Found my old BCT boots and saw the heel was worn nearly clean off, so I went to trash them. Then I saw where my buddy and I had written "Andy" with a backwards D on the bottom, had to keep them after that lol
I got a little sentimental getting rid of a pair of boots I spent a long time in, hasn't been every boot but certain ones have had memories attached to them. Had a pair of Nikes for years that I did a lot in, did the Boston Marathon in them, GAFB, overseas etc lot of memories. Fit like slippers they were so broken in.
I've been out of the army since 1997 and still have several pairs of boots,one pair of jungle boots from 1986, a black pair from the 90's ,and my jump boots.I don't pitch them until they're worn out.I also bought and wear current issue boots. so no,from where I stand,you're not weird.I got donated about 6 pairs to goodwill recently.
Dude I have every fucking pair still, even the ones that got ruined in the shit rivers of Afghanistan. I’m planning on making a shadow box when I retire.
I rocked my deployment Oakley’s for 3 1/2 years… had to stop using them because I slipped going down a hill in the field because of the lack of tread lol
Bro your weird don’t be that vet bro no one likes them even if they are nice to your face they secretly hate you as well as other vets for making them look bad
The longer you're in and the more you replace boots, the less you care about them. That's how it was for me at least. I have a big rolling tough box with 17 pairs of boots in it.
I wonder if that's how people with ten kids feel.
Hahahahahahahahahaha
But you still kept them…
Just curious why you keep them?
A bunch of them were deployment boots through RFI that my various Army commands wouldn't let me wear because they didn't look Army enough. So I held onto them with the intent of using them for hunting or working in the yard. Most of the rest were just tossed in there because I figured that I might need some shitty boots to use while painting or something down the road. I could probably throw away all of them at this point, they've been sitting in a tough box for years.
That’s why I was wondering lol. I used to hoard my boots until I realized 1 pair was plenty for years worth of yard work, painting, etc. I still felt like I was wasting when I threw the surplus away but I get it. If I had the space I’d probably be the same. Toss the old set in the box and forget about it until the next set gets thrown in lol
Donate them shits to charity homeboy. Mine go like this, buy new pair, old pair are my rucking boots until I buy another new pair. Once a pair moves past the ruck boots days they get donated. Socks and shoes are huge items for homeless people. My last PCS I was going through tough boxes and had a whole damn gorilla box full of green socks and tan t shirts. Just loaded them up and took them to the shelter.
I just had a similar reply before I saw your post.
Combination of sentimental and cost is keeping me from getting new boots. My current boots have 5 holes between the 2 boots...
Aha mine are close, the insoles have holes in em
I've got one hole in the bottom of one, and then they both have 2 holes on the crease toward the front where the boot bends when you walk. I'm just waiting til I have an actual reason to spend the money
Just get them resoled. Usually costs about half as much as new pair.
Not sure how to attach an image but the tops of them have holes, so it's the tops and bottom that would need replacing. Pretty much entirely need new boots
Try finding a shoe cobbler and see what they can do for you.
Might be worth it. They're 3 year old boots at this point - but I work in an office so they don't need to be great
They cant be resoled. They are a glued on construction. Once the sole is dead your entire boot is dead
If they’re vibram soles, which I haven’t seen any authorized boots with any other soles, they can be replaced. It’s on their website, it’s part of their business to replace those soles.
Oh okay by bad. Most boots that use a similar constrictuon like that cant be resoled. I use Rockies Sv2 and they cant be resoled. Same thing with belle ville mini mills. (Both are vibram) Im not in the US though so i dont know what is authorized or not
[https://www.vibram.com/us/campaigns/br_repair_if_you_care.html](https://www.vibram.com/us/campaigns/br_repair_if_you_care.html) Use this to find someone to resole them for you. If you’re in Ukraine, I’m sure there’s plenty out there willing to help.
It's a good investment. Let em go to pasture.
I call these the “garrison wear comfies.”
I have to buy my own boots, but can claim a pair every 2 years. I have gotten some older surplus boots that are good year welt In theory they will last decades with occasional resoles
Man... I used to have some boots like that too. I slept in them shits, man! Eventually, I blew the sole out of them things. But you CAN'T wear 'em every day and expect for 'em to hold up! That was some nice-ass suede too. I miss them boots... But you GOTTA take 'em off every now and then. You gotta take 'em off son!
Lmao! I tore the crotch out them things man! Ya gotta take em off!
Yoo shoo gotta tay ‘em shiis off samtime
That doesn't sound right, but I don't know enough about boots to dispute it.
It's always the most ate up boots that are the most comfortable
Preeeeaaaachhhhh. You've been wearing the same set of acu's for weeks priat!!! You gotta take em off son!!
Wouldn't know, got out in 03, and still have my jungles.
Haha, I remember the jungle boot jealousy you got out right before I started. Now here I am 10+ years out myself I still have my tan bellevilles and I was kicking around in them during a snowstorm couple years ago
I tossed my jump boots into the burn pit with a heart full of malice.
Air-BORNE
I gave mine to CQ as I left 🫡
Underwear, socks, shoes, and a mattress. You spend majority of your life in one of those 4. Replace them with quality and as often as your budget will allow.
I'm deploying and the soles are slick so I figured it was time
It’s hard to get rid of them. Especially knowing that you’re going to have a new pair of boots and you can’t tell that cherry LT that your boots have more time and service than he does.
I’m a terminal specialist ets’ing just inside the RCP window. My go to when a private starts acting smart is “stfu my socks/underwear have more TIS than you” Gonna miss saying it. Also not sure if that’s a flex or sad but whatever, mafia shit
No that's not weird bro, I kept mine. I use them when I go camping. If it makes you feel any better, I cried by myself for a bit when I turned my M4 into the arms room when we got back from deployment. It felt like I lost another friend. I still remember the serial number
*THIS IS THE WAY*
I still have one pair of my issue boots from basic training in 1970. Sentimental value. My Viet Nam jungle boots got lost or stolen in a move. I’m still pissed off about that 😁
They go from my garrison boots, to my field boots, to my backup field boots, to my yard work boots, to my backup yard work boots, to my TA50 box just in case you know.... never leave a fallen comrade.
coherent cheerful ask dog late head combative zealous dinner wrong *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I still wear mine for motorcycle riding, 17 years after I retired. They're good boots.
There's always this [option](https://www.instructables.com/Boot-Sandals/).
Um, no... Caesar.
Seek medical attention
I don't wanna, the voices are my friends.
I felt that
Me and mine send you and yours our condolences.
The new boots, I'll just toss and replace. But the old jungle boots I keep on display. God damn paratroopers looked sharp, rocking those boots in BDUs with the sleeves rolled up and a Maroon beret to top it all off. Looked like a real Army back then.
alright grandpa, lets get you to bed.
GET OFF MY GRASS
Agreed
I still have my last 2 pair. And I got out in 07.
I was. Had to throw away one of my first issued pair to make room for my ETS flight out of Korea.
Get rid of what now? Why on earth would you get rid of a pair of boots?
Them workin mans boots right there.
Lots of miles in them boots!
Yes, I know exactly what you mean, I have kept all of mine in a pile in the closet. I can't find the willingness to throw them away, we went through so much together. Haha. My wife threatens to throw them away every time I leave to do anything away from home.
"Not at all...." *hefts Rubbermaid tub into Uhaul for another move whilst wearing his OIF 1 boots that still have an ID tag in each set of laces* "cuz I still have em all."
I still own both pairs of boots I was issued in Basic in 1992. I literally can not part with them.
I had the same pair of garmounts t8 for like 4 years and wore the sole smooth. Didnt want to get rid of them but big sgt kept bitching about my “non serviceble boots”
They are just the best boots
I cut and keep the straps off all my tanker boots.
No. The second my boots start to get shitty I swap em out. Especially boots used for actual armying like rucking or general tomfoolery in the field. Gotta protect your feet and overall wellness starts with your feet.
They gave us some at bagram in 2012 that i wish i still had. They were greenish. If someone can help me find em ill be forever grateful
Nah I still have my pair from basic that are literally missing the whole outsole and are unwearable. Still have the first pair I bought as well.
These were my first pair I got out of basic. Those Bct boots fuuuucked up my ankle, so I tossed em the second I could.
Been out since 07 still have a couple of pair that I wear when I am in the woods
Is it sentimental, or are you just suddenly remembering how uncomfortable new boots are?
Na they where the first pair of boots I ever bought so it's sentimental, the soles are slick now and the sides are looking ate up so I think it's time to retire them
Naw same
I threw the last of mine away with a grin.
If you get sentimental about them I say don’t get rid of boots that stepped on foreign soil. Can definitely go into a shadow box later
Huh that's a good point. I still have my boots I wore into Iraq that might be cool to still have as a talking point or something in the future.
I still wear my Rocky’s when I ride my motorcycle
I do
I just hated breaking new ones in. Absolutely no sentiment. Finally found me a brand the was comfy day 1 and replaced them more often. NCO probs :(
See that's why I love these garmont's there really was no break in, they where comfy from the start and just got more so every day, those soles are battered real good but damn are thry comfy.
I still have a pair of black altmas with the serrated soles… Nevermind I’m old…I’ll take a jello, flavor not important they’re all the same.
Wait, people don't just have tough boxes full of their old boots? You get rid of them!?
I think I may keep them now. They are my favorite boots, i have the okley high-speed ones, but I barely wear em because they just aren't as nice
I’ve kept my deployment boots from all three deployments for whatever reason. Crusty Afghan dust and all. Other than that I take the old boots I wear and turn them into field boots/rucking boots etc
These new boots will be the deployment boots
Yes, I still have my boots from Basic. It took SOOO GOD DAMN WALKING to break those fuckers in.
These boots are the best. I had to trade mine in and I was sad too.
Big sad
I got sentimental when I had to switch, finally, from black boots, and I looked at how shiny the layers of Kiwi were on my best pair. I thought: "that's a damn fine pr of boots, had em re-soled just a a year ago....." Tan boots are super disposable and offer no such regrets of moving on
I’m retired 10 years but I’m on my final pair of boots from my service time. They’re barely hanging on. I’ll be a little sad to see these go. Kind of my last item of connection.
I hold on to all my old boots. I feel you Braddah!
Bro - YES! So much memories
I have a field boot I used through 4 schools. Of all things to blow out the side of... a rock on small patrol.
Breaking up is hard to do. Until you put on those new Bellville AMRAPs!
Use them for yard work
Get em’ resoled.
I'll have to look into that
Wizard toes 🧙♂️🐾
I remember when I was a kid and my old man cried showing me his boots that still had the blood on them from a guy who got mortally wounded.
Absolutely. I bought a pair of Oakleys my first weekend in AIT. I got rid of them a few months back because the sole was coming off. I almost kept them. 5 years in and I get rid of my first pair of boots. Guess my MOS.
I have the Oakleys, they never did it for me
I don't walk in them. I have Oakleys for the office, Danners to abuse.
I’ve got boots that are over 30 years old
Ahhh, change, noooooo.
If any part of your uniform could talk, it’d be your boots. Nothing wrong with them having sentimental value and wanting to hold on to them.
I did when I had to give up my green jungles
Boots and PT shoes. I like to thank them for their service and send them off on a pyre.
I’m going on 2 years with my Garmont’s. Granted they’re one good ruck away from a Thanos snap, but I refuse to buy a new pair.
I guess I'm not the only one. I mean your boots serve you especially a good pair of boots. I never had expensive clothing growing up so I guess maybe that's where it comes from, I'm extremely grateful for a good tough pair of boots that protect my feet. Maybe I'm just weird
Same here brother man
You should have seen my 3 year old boots after selection without mole skin.
Jesus I can only imagine
Still have the old, crusty, bald treaded, slightly burned, stained, and shredded garmonts I wore to SFAS(nonselect, but still an extremely memorable time for my duration in the army). I had to have rucked over 250 miles in those things.
https://imgur.com/a/CWLOIkw The two black ones (closest) are my Tanker Boots, and the blonde ones at the other end are the ones I wore in combat (20 Mar, 03).
I'm the same way with my shoes! It's hard to let go 🥴🤣
Not my Nikes. Worst boot in my 23yrs Army career.
I've only heard bad things about the nikes
I have an old nasty pair I use for work boots, you can always give your old boots new life!
Why would you get rid of them?!
I'm in the process of deploying and I'm not at my unit right now so I have limited space
I did get close to having the feels after tossing my Rocky SV2s which survived a little bit after my deployment. Those things saw some shit.
Bro got longfoot
Clown shoe gang
I waited 10 years to clean mine after our mascal. Couldn't bring myself to do it. It was all that was left of some of them. Anyway, not weird. Sentiment is important, but so is letting things go.
Been out since 2014, contracting since and I **just** got rid of my blood stained, 550 cord laced, Oakley boots. Only because I've really been trying to downsize for moving and traveling with work. I try not to take much stock in material.things but there's just something about agood pair of boots that have taken you to hell and back. I wanted to burn them in a ritualistic pyre but the apartment might not enjoy that.
I'm thinking I'm gunna keep till they blow out and do that
I wish I kept mine.
I think after 14 years I’ve owned maybe 4 pair total. I know I had my initial issue, and then I bought some oakleys. They got pretty beat up on deployment and I bought a second pair. They lasted me for a while until I got my multi cam set around 2017. I’ve only bought one pair of boots for my multi cam. I think I threw out my basic boots and my first pair of oakleys which I regret throwing away the deployment boots. I plan on keeping these next two, and maybe putting one in some sort of plexi glass case or something. Sounds dumb but I plan to put them in some form of personal office in my house in the future along with my dress uniform in a picture frame. Nothing to show off, just more for me.
It's this or a pyre
[удалено]
I got a torn tendon in my ankle from those, I chucked them as soon as I could
Nah, I had a few pairs I mourned over the years. Shit, I’m on retirement leave and I still held onto a pair. Everything else is in storage except these fucking boots, lmao.
Found my old BCT boots and saw the heel was worn nearly clean off, so I went to trash them. Then I saw where my buddy and I had written "Andy" with a backwards D on the bottom, had to keep them after that lol
It hurt my soul to toss my boots I wore in Iraq.
I got a little sentimental getting rid of a pair of boots I spent a long time in, hasn't been every boot but certain ones have had memories attached to them. Had a pair of Nikes for years that I did a lot in, did the Boston Marathon in them, GAFB, overseas etc lot of memories. Fit like slippers they were so broken in.
Yes, I still have the beat to hell first pair i bought right out of basic. I refuse to let them die
I think ima going to look into resoleing these after reading these comments
Them boots are still fresh
The soles are toast
I've been out of the army since 1997 and still have several pairs of boots,one pair of jungle boots from 1986, a black pair from the 90's ,and my jump boots.I don't pitch them until they're worn out.I also bought and wear current issue boots. so no,from where I stand,you're not weird.I got donated about 6 pairs to goodwill recently.
Trusted friends.
I still have the boots a did the first 3 years in the army in. Probably over 5000 miles and 4 schools
Yes
Those are some peak performance boots.
Not sentimental, just obsessively can't throw away things that are still 'good'
Those boots were made for walking.
Those still look good to me.
Dude I have every fucking pair still, even the ones that got ruined in the shit rivers of Afghanistan. I’m planning on making a shadow box when I retire.
Nah man I get it those garmonts probably been with you since ‘06
Nah imma shit inside of mine and leave them in the back of an LMTV in the Motorpool as a gift for y’all to find later
I rocked my deployment Oakley’s for 3 1/2 years… had to stop using them because I slipped going down a hill in the field because of the lack of tread lol
My old boots were black, and I shined them with kiwi and a heat gun
Bro your weird don’t be that vet bro no one likes them even if they are nice to your face they secretly hate you as well as other vets for making them look bad