I am reading a lot about the RU logistical nightmare during the current war in UA. With all those additional hundreds of thousands of troops being mobilized, it seems they cant even afford to properly equip the ones already on the warfare. I have even seen soldiers that are wearing sneakers instead of combat boots.
My question is, why does it matter? Especially in a warmer months. Why cannot all soldiers just wear the “trail running” shoes or basic “hiking shoes”. How can it be that worse then proper military boots? Cannot it be even better, since it is usually lighter and more comfortable?
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You’ve gotten a lot of good answers already but to add on some personal anecdotes…
>Why cannot all soldiers just wear the “trail running” shoes or basic “hiking shoes”
These are fine for trails. Wars are not always fought on trails. They’re fought everywhere, mud, rubble, snow, and brush. Having done some work off trail in deep brush, standard running/trail running style shoes are insufficient. Also, in the Starks are right, Winter is Coming. Properly protective footwear is critical importance during a Eurasian land war in the winter. Trail runners are not great for deep snow.
> since it is usually lighter and more comfortable?
Lighter is not more durable or protective. My lightest low boot/hiking shoe is comfortable, breathable and light on the trail, but doesn’t have support as a tall boot for off trail, or the protection to stop things stabbing through it. Even with gaiters(coverings around the top) on they are insufficient for off trail brush work. Light is not always the best in adverse conditions.
That being said, some units have been known to wear different boots(like waterborne troops oddly favor convers type shoes, supposedly they fit in swim fins, and dry pretty well. While some Special forces will wear lighter boots depending on the mission, but that’s selecting their specialized boots, not just trail whatever is available) and some are authorized more liberally during combat.
A very minor consideration too that I haven’t seen brought up, and might be a bit too far into the weeds(even more so given the state of Russian forces), but some clothing appears “reflective” in night vision. It’s a very specific consideration but US forces are moving to specific[ materials to avoid this exact issue. ](https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-57886fa6ba5ff0e8e226363a55ff18d9-lq)
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