Purpose of raised heel combat boots for marching/hiking?

[mickb]

Hi I know a lot of combat boots are not first choice for hiking and this is not an entirely relevant question, but just wondered the purpose behind the higher heel style combat boots back in the day? As compared to more flat soled designs for combat/tactical footwear today.

For example typically shaped , almost high heeled 1970 Army GP boot( and I was still wearing the green version of these as late as 2001)

http://www.taipanfootwear.com.au/produc ... 02254.html

Always wondered what the supposed advantage of this heel and high arch was and never though to ask. Durability? Endurance advantages hiking or on the march? just an archaic fashion ?

[Gadgetgeek]

Probably a holdover from the horseback days, although it would have worked for those who rode motorcycles as well. I suspect that since most shoes would have been raised-heel, it just made sense back then, as its what everyone wore. Now that we have a more heel-less design for most shoes, it makes sense that combats have lowered the heel (although I think most garrison or dress boots still have it)

Id be interested if anyone knows any other reasons, or if I'm totally off base here.

[mickb]

Thanks gadget geek, a horseback holdover not a bad stab just thinking. We were told the original GP sole was designed back in 1905 so this is still definetly cavalry era(not sure if this was a realistic date though or soldiers just taking a dig at their equipment). Also I was thinking in the days before ultralight materials the cut out area maybe lightened the sole and overall boot a good deal. Total stabs in the dark though. This style is still around yes, even for combat models but much less popular than previously. Must be a reason

[Giddy_up]

Don't hold me to this but I think a heel on a shoe or particularly a boot (heel break) is designed to stop you slipping forwards on steep terrain. It also facilitates attachments to footwear such as crampons, snowshoes and gaiters. The comments above are accurate too, with heels on shoes preventing your foot slipping through the stirrup on a saddle. Moulded soles are a pretty new thing. Once upon a time all shoes had a leather sole and the only way to get arch support was with a raised heel or heel lock.


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[Moondog55]

I would not have called the heel on the "GP" boot tall myself but it was taller than the heel of the short leather soled boot it replaced.
I think it may actually have been for economic reasons; the army boot had a wooden insert in the heel for some reason [ stupid but there it was] as well.
Some fellers loved that boot others hated it, I hated it because it wasn't made in sufficient size variations to fit my feet

[slparker]

I suspect that tradition and aesthetics have a fair part to play.
You'll see that even the modern combat boot, although eh heel is proportionally lower, has a very high shaft compared to walking boots. I suspect this is tradition. probably why many special forces soldiers, if thay can get away with it, use trail runners these days.

On tradition; before I left the army in 2011 my uniforms still had labels in them that said 'do not boil or wring'. Boiling and wringing have not been used in laundries since WW2.....