Combat Boots Research Articles

Effects of Toe-Strengthening Exercises on Medial Longitudinal Arch Height, Muscle Stiffness, and Functional Movement

Background: Prolonged training in combat boots can place significant stress on the medial longitudinal arch, potentially leading to lower-extremity muscle stiffness and an increased risk of injury. This study assessed the impact of toe-strengthening exercises on improving the lower-extremity function and functional movement in cadets undergoing training. Methods: Forty junior cadets (mean age: 22.6 years) participated in this study. The measurements included the medial longitudinal arch height, lower-extremity muscle stiffness, functional movement, and leg length. Results: Cadets who performed the toe exercises demonstrated improved lower-extremity muscle stiffness and functional movement performance (hurdle step, p = 0.010; rotary stability, p = 0.001). A significant correlation was observed between the exercise group and time (tibialis right, p = 0.008; tibialis left, p = 0.028). Conclusions: This study highlighted the potential of toe-strengthening exercises to enhance the lower-extremity function and reduce the risk of injury among cadets. However, challenges in identifying the medical history, past injuries, and specific areas of pain for each cadet were noted. These findings support the implementation of targeted toe exercises in military training programs to prevent injuries.

Comparison of in-shoe plantar pressure between Korean combat boots and running shoes

IntroductionCombat boots are special shoes designed for soldiers to wear during activities in rough terrain, such as long marches or military training. Combat boots have been known to cause high...

From combat boots to running shoes: The role of military service in shaping masculine identity in Israeli long-distance running groups

This study examines the social construction of masculinity within the Israeli society, focusing on the associations between masculine identity, prior military service, and current involvement in long-distance running. A 2-year ethnographic research design was utilized, involving two running groups, which incorporated participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and running websites. The findings shed light on the significance of military service experience and the utilization of military discourse as strategies employed by runners to navigate the challenges of long-distance running and to reinforce their masculine identity. Through an analysis of the runners’ military discourse and behavior, it becomes evident that the integration of women into traditionally masculine domains of intense physical activity poses a threat to masculine dominance, eliciting various responses from men, such as intensified sports training and the use of sexist and aggressive language. These coping mechanisms contribute to the perpetuation of male dominance within the long-distance running sphere while simultaneously providing male runners with a pseudo-corrective experience associated with their personal history of non-combat military involvement.

Animals wearing combat boots: relationships between bookies and militiamen in the West Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro

Resumo Este artigo trata sobre as relações entre membros das redes criminais dos Andrade (conhecidas pelo jogo do bicho) e de milícias de Jacarepaguá e Campo Grande, majoritariamente. O período analisado vai de 1993 a 2008, percorrendo continuidades e descontinuidades nas relações entre Castor, seus sucessores, Fernando e Rogério, e três policiais militares que ingressaram eventualmente no que chamo de “primeira geração de milicianos”. Cruzando a teoria das Redes Criminais com a obra de David Harvey e o conceito de Ilegalismos, o artigo tenta apresentar, sinteticamente, a história dos territórios, os mercados que ali são inscritos pelo Estado e pelos agentes da ilegalidade e o cruzamento de relações pessoais e impessoais entre membros das redes criminais e do Estado.

Thermo-Physiological Comfort Property of Military Combat Boot Material for Hot and Cold Climatic Conditions

Military combat boots require materials that balance thermo-physiological comfort in hot and cold climates. The aim of this research was to analyze the thermo-physiological comfort properties of military combat boot materials in extreme hot and cold conditions to maintain optimal functionality. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s pairwise comparison statistical tests were conducted, resulting in a p value less than 0.05, indicating statistically significant differences between the materials’ air permeability, water vapor permeability, and thermal resistance. For hot climates, plain nylon canvas four-thread upper and warp-knitted lining fabrics had thermo-physiological indexes of 8.15 and 119.5, respectively. The high airflow and moisture wicking of these materials kept feet cool and dry. For cold climates, chrome-tanned waterproof upper leather and sheepskin lining leather had thermo-physiological indexes of 33.33 and 24.18, respectively. Their waterproofing and insulation maintained warmth and dryness. The thermal properties of the sample uppers were determined to evaluate breathability and insulating ability for hot and cold climatic conditions. The selection of proper materials for military combat boots in different climates is the main approach to reducing foot heat, foot pain, and foot injuries under any condition, providing comfort for wearers, and protecting feet against harsh conditions.

Symbolism of the US battlefield cross: how boots, rifles, and helmets reinforce masculinity.

This paper explores the unconscious symbolism of the battlefield cross memorial, which is comprised of combat boots and a rifle, often with dog tags attached, topped by a helmet. While the memorial's manifest function is to provide solace, build solidarity, and convey respect for patriotic sacrifice in response to grief, the battlefield cross also exalts masculinity at a subliminal level. Because of the latent ways in which the components of the battlefield cross reinforce fallen soldiers' masculinity, the memorial provides an outlet for bereavement according to a masculine script that treats virility as sacrosanct. The resonance of the battlefield cross and its synergism with unrecognized gender coding in broader society illustrate how a powerful symbol intended to honor members of the military also valorizes machismo. This qualitative interpretation could help explain impediments to women achieving parity with men in the military.

The Birds Are Gone

The Birds Are Gone Julia Purks (bio) When we were fourteen, my friend Aaron and I made an agreement to kiss each other on October 1 if we hadn’t kissed anyone by then. The plan was straightforward and understood, and it was never meant to be romantic, never meant to be repeated. It was August of our freshman year in high school, and we needed tangible evidence of being wanted by someone to ward off a fate of ugliness and loneliness. It was mutually sacrificial, tit for tat, an act falling backwards into intimacy and surrendering to the humid grasp of sexuality. It was something to be done for each other, not with each other. Nine years later, we sat together with Tom in the piano bar in Provincetown, Massachusetts. We had been there many times over the previous few summers, and every night we went, it was exactly the same, like watching the same film over again. The bald man with Parkinson’s shaking over the piano keys, singing into the dark room crowded with wet-eyed gay men. His piano playing is not slow or drawn out or smooth in any sense, but rather a series of chords banged out in quick, shaking beats as he sings with squinted eyes into the microphone. The chairs are full of plump bellies and gray beards, plaid button-ups cuffed at the wrist, faded tee-shirts and dark jeans, tattooed forearms and tiny silver hoops in hanging earlobes, salt-and-pepper [End Page 91] buzz cuts and the smell of aftershave, golden tan skin covering the backs of soft palms, wiry tufts of dark hair spilling out of unbuttoned polo shirts and combat boots, soft leather loafers, pastels, and sweat and drinks clinking, every word of “Moon River” silently mouthed with gentle lips, an entire room speaking a language that was never taught. Except for me, because I don’t know the words. I know a different language (Tig Notaro, 4 Non Blondes). Hands resting on shoulders, on thighs, on hands, on drinks, bodies swaying slightly from side to side, the shaking bald man singing, Can I have this dance for the rest of my life? Growing up, I would sit for many hours on the floor of my mom’s bathroom, the bathroom attached to my parents’ bedroom. My dad was not allowed to go in there. There was a heater in the wall about a foot above the floor, and I would turn it on and sit in front of it nearly every day until I was red and sweaty. My dad would beg for me to quit the ritual, his face pained at the thought of electricity bills and maybe the thought that I might wilt and die. Sometimes he would open the door just a crack, reach his arm in, turn the heater off, and then retract his arm, close the door, leaving me thawed out and in silence. My mom taped a map of the world onto the wall, just above the heater, to give me something to look at. While a girlfriend was breaking up with me, I accidentally lit her toaster oven on fire trying to warm up a cupcake for breakfast. Before that girlfriend and I broke up, we went on a road trip to the west coast. Our tent got rained on while we were camping in Oregon, and when we got to California, she dropped me off at a beach while she visited some aunts in the area. I was supposed to sit with the tent on the beach and dry it out in the sun. I didn’t bring any water and the beach didn’t have a snack stand, and after a few hours passed by, I began to grow thirsty and tired/fearful of the relentless sun. I dragged the tent to the edge of the beach, rolled it up and carried it with me as I walked down the shoulder of a stretch of California highway. It was hot. She wasn’t answering my calls, and I didn’t know when she would come back for me. I eventually showed up to a gas station and...

Exertional Heat Stroke and Doping: What About Soldiers? A Case Report of Amphetamine Use

Introduction: Exertional heat stroke is a pathology well known to military doctors because it is not uncommon for our soldiers to regularly make intense efforts in difficult training or operational missions. Idiopathic etiology and genetics are by far the most described. We report for the first time a case of exertional heat stroke secondary to amphetamine use in the military environment and here, let’s raise the issue of ethics in the Army. Case Presentation: A young parachutist soldier presented an episode of general convulsions complicating an exertional heat stroke during an 8 km race in battledress and combat boots. After further investigations, laboratory results found amphetamine in the urine. Even if the soldier only allowed branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) supplements, this exertional heat stroke was due to amphetamine use. After a review of the physiopathological effects of amphetamine, we will recall the various means of screening with their limits. Many of our soldiers consume dietary supplements to be able to better endure the constraints to which they are exposed in internship or operations. Conclusions: Doping, willingly or not, is a reality in our Army, even though we still struggle to understand it. Health and command chains must be vigilant to these lines to preserve the health of our military on the one hand and enforce a code of ethics on the other.

Effects of modern military footwear on the oxygen costs of walking in US Army personnel

Warfighters complete strenuous physical activity on their feet throughout their military careers. While greater physiologic costs of walking have been demonstrated with older models of military combat boots versus running shoes, these quantitative differences may not be applicable for contemporary military footwear. The purpose of this study was to quantify and compare physiological responses to walking when wearing modern military combat boots versus running shoes. In this randomized, counterbalanced crossover experiment, 34 active military personnel (29 men and 5 women; age, 26 ± 7 years; height, 1.74 ± 0.08 m; body mass, 77.9 ± 15.1 kg) completed an incremental walking test (4.18–7.08 km.h−1) on separate visits in running shoes (mass, 0.6 ± 0.1 kg) and military combat boots (mass, 1.2 ± 0.3 kg). Oxygen uptake (V̇O2), carbon dioxide production (V̇CO2), heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), and metabolic energy expenditure (Ṁ) measurements were collected and averaged over the final minute of each walking speed. The oxygen costs of walking were 6–9% higher when wearing combat boots versus running shoes (p < 0.01 for each comparison). Other cardiorespiratory indicators of exercise intensity, specifically V̇CO2, Ṁ, HR, and RR, increased by 2.7–9.9% (p < 0.02 for each indicator). Walking in modern military combat boots incurs noticeably increased metabolic and cardiorespiratory strain as compared to walking in running shoes. These physiological consequences emphasize the trade-off between the intended versatility and protective characteristics of military footwear and the economy of traditional running shoes. This strain must be considered when selecting footwear to maximize warfighter health and performance during military exercise interventions.

Effect of different combat boots on peak ground reaction forces during walking

Effect of different combat boots on peak ground reaction forces during walking

Effect of different combat boots on peak ground reaction forces during walking

Effect of different combat boots on peak ground reaction forces during walking

Influence of combat boot types on in-shoe forces and perceived comfort during unloaded and loaded walking

IntroductionCombat boots are essential protective gear for military personnel. The purposes of the present study were to examine (1) the influence of combat boot type on ground reaction force (GRF)...

Comparison of the influence of supportive and sensorimotor insoles in the muscle activity of tibialis anterior and peroneus longus in combat boots

IntroductionFlatfoot is a very common static deformity. It occurs frequently in soldiers and causes problems in the lower extremities. There is a lack of data regarding therapy with insoles, especially with sensorimotor insoles. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence in muscle activity of supporting/correcting and sensorimotor insoles in combat boots in the muscles of the lower limb and thus to draw conclusions according to the benefits of insole therapy in military footwear. Methods73 patients (12 female, 61 males; average age: 30.8 ± 7.9 years) with pes planovalgus deformity were included in this prospective randomized placebo-controlled study. For intervention supporting (N = 23), sensorimotor (N = 28) and placebo insoles (N = 22) were used.During gait analysis muscle activity was measured by means of surface electromyography (EMG) of the tibialis anterior and peroneus longus muscle in combat boots with and without insoles. Statistical evaluation was performed using two-factor ANOVA with repeated measures. ResultsEMG measures (amplitude, integral, maximum, mean) showed mainly activating effects in the peroneus longus muscle in the case of sensorimotor and activity reductions in supporting insoles. Comparing effects of different kinds of insoles to the peroneus longus muscle, significant differences could be shown. No significant differences in muscular activation were observed for the tibialis anterior muscle. ConclusionEven in combat boots effects of sensorimotor insoles on the peroneus longus muscle can be detected. The expected effects, attributed to the different kinds of insole, could be observed, too. While sensorimotor insoles had an activating kind of effect, supportive insoles reduced muscular activity of the peroneus longus. In contrast for the tibialis anterior muscle no clear conclusion could be drawn. Its muscular activity seems not to be influenced by insoles in combat boots. However, it remains unclear whether clinical long term effects, e.g. pain and function, can be improved.

Prescribed footwear and orthoses are not prophylactic in preventing lower extremity injuries in military tactical athletes: a systematic review with meta-analysis

IntroductionMilitary members are exposed to high cumulative physical loads that frequently lead to injury. Prescribed footwear and orthoses have been used to prevent injury. The purpose of this systematic review...

Changes in Plantar Pressure Levels Generated Using Military Backpack During Standing Position: An Experimental Study

Introduction: The feet are one the main anatomical site affected by injuries arising from load carriage tasks and can negatively affect the soldier mobility reducing the operational capability of an entire military troops. Objective: Identify the changes in the plantar pressure distribution during standing position carrying a military backpack with 15 kg, 20 kg, 25 kg, and no-load (NL) always comparing with control group; and examining if the combat boots contribute to decreasing the plantar pressure. Methods: Twenty-four active-duty male military (26.4±5.6 years; 171.5±3.6 cm; 75.2±6.0 kg) were evaluated in standing posture using an insole baropodometry system wearing a military backpack. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to check for differences and the Dunnett post hoc test to determine which groups were different from the control (p≤0.05). Results: Data showed a significant decrease in plantar pressure in the forefoot no loaded when we compare barefoot (control = 54.02±19.56 kPa) versus wearing combat boots (35.30±13.00 kPa). With loads there was a significative increase in the plantar pressure only in the rearfoot (control = 74.18±3.80 kPa vs 15 Kg = 89.19±15.49 kPa, 20 Kg = 102.81±15.01 kPa, 25 Kg = 94.20±26.60 kPa). Conclusion: Rearfoot is most affected by the load and boot promoted a significant decrease of plantar pressure in the forefoot in the NL group. Midfoot does not change the plantar pressure. This information can help to minimize the soldier's discomfort.

Comparison of Ground Reaction Forces between Combat Boots and Sports Shoes

It is unclear whether military shoes (combat boots and sports shoes) attenuate loading rate or affect force transfer during walking. Therefore, this study compared ground reaction forces (GRF) related to impact and force transfer between combat boots, military sports shoes, and running shoes. Ten army recruits walked over a walkway with two force plates embedded. GRF were measured when walking barefoot (for data normalisation) and with combat boots, military sports shoes, and running shoes. Loading rate, first and second peak forces, and push-off rate of force were computed along with temporal analysis of waveforms. Reduced loading rate was observed for the running shoe compared to the combat boot (p = 0.02; d = 0.98) and to the military sports shoe (p = 0.04; d = 0.92). The running shoe elicited a smaller second peak force than the combat boot (p &lt; 0.01; d = 0.83). Walking with military shoes and combat boots led to larger force transfer than running shoes, potentially due to harder material used in midsole composition (i.e., styrene-butadiene rubber). Combat boots did not optimise load transmission and may lead, in a long-term perspective, to greater injury risk.

Effects Of Modern Military Footwear On The Metabolic Demands Of Walking

Quantifying the metabolic costs of carrying or wearing various military uniform components is essential for accurate assessment of the metabolic cost of warfighters performing military tasks under scenarios and environmental conditions. PURPOSE: Evaluate the metabolic demand of walking at incremental speeds in a controlled laboratory environment while wearing military-issued combat boots compared to athletic sneakers. METHODS: In this randomized, cross-over study, nineteen active military-age men (age, 24 ± 5 years; height, 177 ± 6 cm; body mass, 80 ± 13 kg) performed an incremental treadmill walking test in combat boots and athletic sneakers on separate visits. Treadmill speed started at 4.18 km/h for 3 min, then increased by 0.23 km/h every 2 min. Tests were terminated when volunteers either completed the highest treadmill speed (7.08 km/h), reached volitional fatigue, or exceeded a respiratory exchange ratio of 1.0. Volunteers exhaled into a laboratory metabolic cart that measured expired gases. Metabolic demand was quantified as the average oxygen uptake (V̇O2) over the final minute of each walking speed. RESULTS: Across all speeds, walking in combat boots resulted in significantly higher V̇O2 than walking in athletic sneakers (0.63 ± 1.05 mL·kg-1·min-1; p = 0.01). Regression analysis determined a V̇O2 difference between footwear of 0.31 mL·kg-1·min-1 at 4.18 km/h that increased by 0.22 mL·kg-1·min-1 with each 1 km/h increase (R2, 0.68). Regressing walking V̇O2 when wearing combat boots on walking V̇O2 while wearing athletic sneakers revealed both a positive offset and slope (Trendline, V̇O2boots = 0.04 + 1.04·V̇O2sneakers; R2, 0.97). CONCLUSIONS: The metabolic demand of walking in military combat boots is greater and more pronounced at increased walking speeds than when wearing common athletic sneakers. The views expressed in this abstract are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

Put Yourself in My Combat Boots: Autoethnographic Reflections on Forms of Life as a Soldier and Veteran

The link that current and former service members have with the governments they serve is unique. Following Giorgio Agamben’s work on forms of life, this paper argues that those who choose to take part in military service exist as a unique, emergent form of life. This form of life often stands at the intersection of nationalistic mythmaking and the lived realities of service members prior to, during, and after their service. The author employs content relevant non-fiction vignettes. These sections follow Leon Anderson’s notion of “analytic autoethnography.” Topics explored include liminal experiences in military service and military operational realities. The paper also explores mechanical allegories of the soldier and veteran their implications on the life of the veteran. This research was conducted between August 2016 and May 2017. The author is a veteran and sole researcher for this work. Through the autoethnographic method, the work decodes and organizes the author’s personal military experience, highlighting service member and veteran voices that are often filtered through more traditional academic work on the topic as a means of demystifying military service and experience. The author concludes that by developing our understanding of service members and veterans as a form of life we can make the notions surrounding them more intimate and contextual, allowing us space to understand those individuals outside of the images and myth that often precede them.

Houseboat

Houseboat Susan Heeger (bio) One summer, as part of his campaign to win their mother back, their dad took the three of them down the Sacramento River Delta on a houseboat. It was breezy on the water. Their craft, a thirty-five-foot, diesel-powered RiverCoaster, trailed smoke as they chopped along between banks of farm fields spread like quilts under a vast, bleached sky. Marshes rustled. Trees nuzzled isolated houses. "Look," Shelley said, "a horse." It stood in an empty meadow, as if helicoptered there. Dad, wearing a captain's hat with his usual beat-up combat boots and Bermudas, a cigar clamped in his teeth—like a man who'd boated all his life—throttled up, throttled back, maneuvering smoothly around a jug bobbing in a snarl of wire. The kids argued over beds—who got which one bolted atop each other on two walls of their floating motel. A miracle of efficiency, it offered everything they'd need for a week. Besides those sleeping berths—which were to be their one scrap of privacy apiece—they had a closet-size bathroom and an alcove kitchen Dad called the galley, crowded with bags from a Stockton market. A dinette with benches doubled as a lounge. On its Formica table, they'd laid out a deck of cards and Dad his Carefree Angler and Life on the Mississippi. He loved Twain, loved water and boats, had always promised to take Joey fishing—Joey, now ten. He whistled for quiet and assigned the bunks, which, anyway, Shelley thought, weren't worth fighting for. Each had a porthole and a cushion that would work, the boatyard manager had explained, for flotation, "just in case." Outside, there was a foredeck and a roof deck, where, this same manager (longhaired, tattooed, missing a pinkie) had promised, they could "sleep out under the stars." A CB radio ("emergency hooter") hung in the captain's nook beside the wheel, which was wood-spoked and buttoned in the middle by a horn. Dad tooted it as they chugged across the blue-glass stream, which, he informed them, was full of sturgeon and bass, seasonal salmon and shad. Was it the season? It wasn't. But the other fish ran all year, according to the Angler. Lizzie, the eldest, who'd brought a Delta wildlife guide so she'd know what she was looking at, said, "You shouldn't fish for fun, Pops. Only to eat. Otherwise it's cruel." Big, square sunglasses covered her eyes. Her straw-blond hair was straight like their mother's, her face red from sunlamp treatments. Tetracycline, also for [End Page 121] acne, had whittled down her appetite and she had almost no hips, plus long legs tapering to wide, flat feet—her only, besides her skin, bad feature, which she exaggerated, Shelley thought, by painting her toenails pink. "Oh, we'll eat 'em, Liz-Wiz," Dad assured her, "Miss Fish-and-Game Police." "Oh yeah," echoed Joey, "Miss Fish-Witch Stupid Hag-Face." "Easy, Joe." "Not me, Pa," Lizzie said. "Not me," Shelley echoed. They bumped fists. Six rivers converge on the Sacramento Delta, according to the brochure Shelley had picked up in the boatyard's shop. The water pours south a thousand miles to San Francisco, slowed by dams and islands, swirling past Gold Rush towns and marinas, narrowing here and there to quiet lakes called tules and loops and trickles that don't show up on maps. Where you decided to go depended on what you were "into," the boatyard manager had explained, ticking off on his three good fingers, Fishin? Swimmin? Watchin birds?, which drew attention to the stub. Dad had winked at Shelley (Who was this clown?) and taken a seat in the makeshift office of the shop, which sold gear and snacks and reeked of fuel oil and fish. Some scratchy, hidden speaker played "Something Stupid" by Frank and Nancy Sinatra. While the manager scribbled notes on a map, Shelley, Lizzie, and Joe sipped Cokes he'd all but forced Dad to buy ("Kids look thirsty") and Dad had called "cavities in a bottle" as he dug for pocket change. Fishnets draped the walls with...

Effect of Walking with Combat Boots on the Muscle Tone and Stiffness of Lower Extremity

Background: Shoes cover the feet and ankle joints and come into contact with the ground directly during walking, and the shape of shoes is related to the muscle tone of the lower extremity muscles. However, no study has been conducted on the muscle tone of the lower extremity after wearing combat boots.Objectives: To compare and analyze the effects of walking in combat boots and in athletic shoes on muscle tone and stiffness, to identifying the effect of the characteristics of shoes on the muscle tone.Design: Randomized controlled trial.Methods: Thirty subjects were randomly divided into a combat boots group and an athletic shoes group, and interventions were implemented. Both groups walked for 30 minutes on a treadmill at 4.2 km/h. MyotonPRO was used to measure the muscle tone and stiffness of the lower extremity. The measuring sites were set to five muscles on both legs.Results: In the combat boots group, muscle tone and stiffness of the medial gastrocnemius on the dominant side, the muscle tone and stiffness of rectus femoris, and the muscle stiffness of hamstring on the non-dominant side significantly decreased after walking. In the athletic shoes group, there was no significant change in the muscle tone and stiffness.Conclusion: The results of this study can be used to inform the wearing combat boots while walking on a treadmill reduces the muscle tone and stiffness of the lower extremity compared to athletic shoes. It indicates that the restriction of joint movement occurring when wearing combat boots influences reducing muscle tone and stiffness.