Boot, General Purpose (Mk III acting/interim replacement)

[niceasdrhuxtable]

I've heard rumours that the Cadpat boots are now available at clothing stores in Esquimalt, although getting anything from those guys is like pulling teeth. I did see the general in charge of the reserves and cadets wearing a nice pair though. He was in town for the CFSAC award ceremony.

The fellow I talked to at supply in Shearwater said those were only be trialled and in the end they decided not to go with them. I hope he's right cause those things are damn ugly.


Thanks for setting me straight, Vern. I'm not too worried about who makes my boots as long as they don't bother my feet. I do agree with you that an allowance system would be an ideal way to solve everyone's problems. I remember working with some USN personnel on exchange and one of them mentioned that they're giving a sum every year to buy whatever items they see fit including boots. I think that would cut out a lot of the hassle.

 

[geo]

I read somewhere that in the UK, troops are provided an allowance for their footwear.
Given that everyone's feet are different from others, it only makes sense to offer a variety of choices (all black).
Instead of stocking em ourselves, have someone like "Logistik unicorp" carry same said variety on a national level.
Use your points to "buy" your boots, shoes and underwear.... it only makes sense.

 

[medaid]

I've heard rumours that the Cadpat boots are now available at clothing stores in Esquimalt, although getting anything from those guys is like pulling teeth. I did see the general in charge of the reserves and cadets wearing a nice pair though. He was in town for the CFSAC award ceremony.

I want CADPAT boots  ;D I just like the thought of them, not necessarily the implementation of something so horrid. I wouldn't mind getting the AR CADPAT combat platforms either

 

[sigtech]

Last year, I started having a problem with my regular combat boots which resulted in a chit stating "member requires boots to fit orthotics". When I brought this chit to the supply section at NDHQ, all they did was prepare a work order for me and send me to a civilian company that sold all sorts of industrial products. I just went down to their store, picked out two pairs of boots that I liked and they billed the cost to the supply section. I thought this was pretty straight forward and simple and my feet certainly feel a lot better.

Personal experience , I to have a chit that states "member requires boots to fit orthotics". I spent two years having them make me so called custom boots that tore the hell out of my feet. It took a shin splint operation and a ortho to write me a chit for Bates or Danner boots.

When i went in to clothing they looked at me and said we can't get them for you. Now here is the secret , I had a quote with me showed it to the supervisor and said the custom boots you want to get for me cost how much. Replay near $1000.... I say well these cost $320 .... supervisor turns to the boot guy and says get them. Bin Rats understand saving a buck, wish I knew this flipping two years ago  ;D

 

[geo]

Office mate has problems with her feet.

Has RX for Orthonics & chit for boots.
QM types say, get the Orthonics & we'll fit them to boots
Ortho types say, get the boots & we'll fit them to the Orthonics

Catch 22!

 

[armyvern]

Personal experience , I to have a chit that states "member requires boots to fit orthotics". I spent two years having them make me so called custom boots that tore the hell out of my feet. It took a shin splint operation and a ortho to write me a chit for Bates or Danner boots.

When i went in to clothing they looked at me and said we can't get them for you. Now here is the secret , I had a quote with me showed it to the supervisor and said the custom boots you want to get for me cost how much. Replay near $1000.... I say well these cost $320 .... supervisor turns to the boot guy and says get them. Bin Rats understand saving a buck, wish I knew this flipping two years ago  ;D

Yep we understand it all right. And at this location (and most every other location I know) we wouldn't have made you custom boots for orthotics. We get custom combat boots made for people with irregular SIZED feet or feet that are too small, big, wide, narrow etc for the issued boot. Guess what?? You don't even NEED a chit for that!! If you don't fit, you get custom.

The guy with normal sized feet, but wearing orthotics, should always be sent downtown to the supplier to test theirs out. More common sense there eh??

Saying that, don't be shocked next time that you visit clothing stores either and fins yourself walking out of there with MkIVs that will accomodate your orthotics.

Oh, and that chit with the specific manufacturer of boot listed ... ain't supposed to be happening any more as per that Ottawa medical direction I noted earlier. By the medical worlds own words ... they (as in physio or medical staff) do not have the authority to prescribe a "specific manufacturer's boot."

 

[armyvern]

Office mate has problems with her feet.

Has RX for Orthonics & chit for boots.
QM types say, get the Orthonics & we'll fit them to boots
Ortho types say, get the boots & we'll fit them to the Orthonics

Catch 22!

They prescribe and issue the orthotics, then we buy and issue the boots.

We can NOT buy you boots until you have the orthotics. Kind of silly wouldn't it be for us to send her downtown to try on and  buy boots to "accomodate her orthotics" when she doesn't have the damn orthotics yet.

It happens DAILY ... "Can I have the paperwork to go downtown and get boots to fit my orthotics please?? Here's my chit..."

Vern: "Where's your orthotics??"

"Well I don't get them for another 2 weeks but I need my boots now!!"

Vern (while beating head off wall for 3rd time that day): "Oh, so you want the Crown to spend 800 bucks or so, to get you boots to "accomodate" your orthotics ... NOW, but in 2 weeks when you get the orthotics how exactly do you know that the ones you pick will do that??"

"But I need boots now."

Vern (by now having aneurysm): Good then, if you're willing to sign this little memo here (yes, I have a memo on file ... just add name and service number) stating that you'll re-imburse the Crown for the costs of that purchased footwear the day you get your orthotics and discovered that those boots don't work, I'll sign the 2227 to let you go downtown."

Sadly, no one ever takes me up on it.

They also make orthotics at the Base Hospital here, and the troops come over to clothing with the chit & the orthotics (well, as per above most of them wait until they have their orthotics - the ones that don't come back again when the actually have them).

There's no Catch22 at all. Physio should be making orthotics based on the soldiers needs and foot requirements ... certainly not based upon the boot. What the hell is physio going to do in 6 months if buddy's boot is ruined and he needs a new pair that has been discontinued or is not available at the location where the soldier is on course or something?? If that's what physio at your location is doing ... I see the problem, and it's not in Supply.

Edited to add: I have seen orthotics that are a good 1.5-2 inchs deep in the instep, what if this girl bought boots that were not able to accomodate an orthotic that deep along with her foot?? If that's the orthotic that she needed that would fix her problem?? Physio just going to make them thinner (thus not really fixing anything then) to fit in the boot she bought?? This scenario baffles the shit out of me.

That makes no sense to me, and I've never seen it happen here.

 

[geo]

Don't dissagree with you Vern - but my partner was given THAT runaround.
to her - it was Catch 22

From a personal perspective, I agree with you, it makes 100% more sense to have the orthonics to adjust your feet - and then get a boot that can support & encase your foot - but then again, that's just me

 

[armyvern]

Don't dissagree with you Vern - but my partner was given THAT runaround.
to her - it was Catch 22

From a personal perspective, I agree with you, it makes 100% more sense to have the orthonics to adjust your feet - and then get a boot that can support & encase your foot - but then again, that's just me

Thursday, when I get back to work Geo ... I'll send you the ref.

It states that once a member has been fitted with orthotics, from then on, the orthotic is to be considered as a permanent part of the members foot. The orthotic documentation shall be placed on the members clothing docs (forever!! - no more chit required -- just the orthotic -- to get boots), and all future sizings and fittings of footwear will be done with an orthotic being worn as that permanent part of the foot, and with caveat to accomodate it.

Something is wrong at your location ...

 

[geo]

Thanks much Vern
will pass on the ref to my partner... It's her feet afterall

 

[armyvern]

Pas de problemo ... it's what I do.

 

[Snaketnk]

We get custom combat boots made for people with irregular SIZED feet or feet that are too small, big, wide, narrow etc for the issued boot. Guess what?? You don't even NEED a chit for that!! If you don't fit, you get custom.

Would it be possible for you to let me know how this works exactly? I'm wearing 15 EEEE, and have to get my footwear from the states from a very few companies, with a very limited selection. I actually had to stop playing soccer because no-one would custom make shoes for me, so I'm a little worried about Boots once I get to St Jean.

 

[armyvern]

Would it be possible for you to let me know how this works exactly? I'm wearing 15 EEEE, and have to get my footwear from the states from a very few companies, with a very limited selection. I actually had to stop playing soccer because no-one would custom make shoes for me, so I'm a little worried about Boots once I get to St Jean.

I'm not sure what Saint-Jean does with it's recruits and their footwear when they do not fit into a NATO standard sized item. I will contact them for you when I get back to work on Thursday to find out what their process is.

The custom boot is not going to suffice for you, as we mold your feet at Clothing Stores, then send them off to the contractor and they can take months to be made as the company needs to make the tool press dies custom for you to make the footwear with (thus the expense, initial though -- the die only has to be made once!!). Your mold is retained indefinitely so that each time you need footwear after that, we just order and they come in quite quickly.

The National Contract is held by XXX XXXXXX in Montreal, so Saint-Jean may have a priority process set up with them. I suspect however, that you will find suitable footwear being purchased for you, given the circumstances of training.

Vern

 

[Snaketnk]

Thanks for shedding some light on the situation, Vern, I really appreciate it. I guess there really isn't much I can do at this point in time other than do some research on who carries boots in my size...

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

They prescribe and issue the orthotics, then we buy and issue the boots.

Well that's one of the dumbest things I have read today [ though it is still young], its a lot easier to amend new orthotics to fit footwear, pretty much darned impossible to amend footwear to fit the orthotic.

I ordered my Bates from the catalogue FROM THE ORTHOTIC PEOPLE, which would make a whole lot more sense since they should know the characteristics of the footwear a lot better than anyone else, and then they make the orthotic to fit the boot with me walking in it.

EDIT:
Mind you, this is the civi system.......

 

[armyvern]

LOL.

Well,

They get their orthotics then they go out to the supplier to purchase combat boots that work for them (in some cases we get custom combat boots made -- some of the orthotics I've seen are not normal ... and there's no way they can be accomodated in a "stocked boot", either civvie or CF).

Then we make the mold of their feet with the orthotic, and get them custom made parade boots/ww boots/oxfords etc that are made to accomodate the orthotic as well if required. They make the footwear to work with the orthotic so that's it's interchangeable from one type of footwear to another. The molds are kept, the tool dies made ... and we just reorder new boots from those dies as required.

 

[niceasdrhuxtable]

Any word if there's going to be an aircrew version of the new boots?

 

[Sub_Guy]

Tried to get myself a fancy new pair of boots here in Winnipeg, and was told until all the size 11's (old ac combat boot) are exhausted I won't be getting any new ones....

Doesn't make sense to me, from my side of the fence if you have new improved kit why make guys wear the old stuff.....  Especially if the old stuff is no longer being acquired, and the new stuff is designed to replace the old stuff.... 

I did manage to get a new fancy pair of wet cold weather boots (aircrew) though....

 

[niceasdrhuxtable]

I did manage to get a new fancy pair of wet cold weather boots (aircrew) though....

Do they still have the wide eyelets and non-existent tread?

 

[Sub_Guy]

No...

These are actually quite nice, made by terra, good soles (hopefully they won't be too slick here in winter happy land)