Corcoran desert jump boots

[diroco]

I don't know about the new ones,but the black leather ones will put blood blisters real quick.

When I got to Repo Co. from Benning in 65 --This Ist' lowie fell us out for a inspection at about 0300 --I had new boots on .The SOB got PO'ed and ran us for hours,half or more droped out,I kept running with blood trails from the damn new boots.Guys were hurting and several passed out in front of the Med. Bldg. --this brought out a Col. who locked the Lt's heals at 0700 and went ballistic on him.When I got to our MP co. a week or so latter, I drove the route in a jeep that we had taken ---15 miles ! not fun in new boots with field gear.

[boutaswell]

Jump boots don't belong any place there is dirt. As has been said many times, garrison use only. I hated leg boots, just never felt right but wore them anyhow cause they were better in the field.

I remember when Desert Shield was gearing up and a couple of days before I flew out, myself and several others from my FIST platoon went down to Gen Jackson's and the Cav store(was it the Cavalry Store then or something else?) looking around for nice to have crap to take(I was lucky, I had a Hummer I could pack stuff in). They had just gotten in a big shipment of Rocky's and I tried on a pair w/6" uppers I think it was. Liked them so much I bought 2 pair and threw them in my Hummer for the flight over and that's just about all I wore over there. They held up for the whole deployment, they may not have held up to the conditions troops are put through over there today but in 90-91, they felt pretty damn good. Plus, there were a whole bunch of people wearing them when we got back. Nobody at the moment really said anything but I'm sure things changed eventually.

While I'm hijacking the thread, I bought my AG Russell 8" Bowie at the same time. I wanted something other than the bayonet and my Leatherman and it caught my eye at the time and it was there at the moment of "need". I bought so much shit before I left, people probably thought I was in the Air Force. I don't like thread jacking but I never think of this stuff anymore unless something reseats my memory.

[zanshin]

During AIT we had some Cadets from West Point show up, one of them (assigned to a different platoon) had some huge after market soles attached to his jump boots. I don't recall much about them other than they looked ridiculous.

Saw a lot of those in the 4th and 8th ID - we called 'em "Frankenstein boots" cause guys would have them stacked up almost 2 inches taller. I don't recall ever getting my feet chewed up by wearing jump boots in the field, but then I was riding on the back of a gun jeep much of the time in the 82nd in my first tour. After a while, I retired them to dress boots only because at $125/month, you don't want to be buying extra pairs of Corcorans at $44 because you got them scarred in the motor hole or woods.

I was prone to stone bruises at Carson, and had boots resoled to help prevent that. Leg boots at the time ('80) hadn't changed since I got my first pair in '70, and the sole was clearly the lowest cost option available to DA. Despite what I've seen written about how great jungle boots were, the pair I was issued in Vietnam was not ideal, and I was glad I never had to hump in them like the true warrior grunts of that conflict.

Best and most comfortable black boots I ever had in the Army were Hanwag Special Forces mountain boots while serving in Germany in '83-84.

[zanshin]

PS --besides $145 for size 14 DDD is a damn good price !

D -- You trying to pick up chicks with that size comment?

[brothers all]

I was a peace time guy. Corcorans were the "Jump boot". Thats what we wore. Garrison true. In the woods it was a different story. And we as Airborne Infantry spent a lot of times in the woods -training. I remember people how was jump school- piece of cake compared to the training undertaken at group level. We did train. We were combat ready. We were PARATROOPERS. Can't answer/attest to what is worn now or battle ready dress but we were good with our boots.

[diroco]

D -- You trying to pick up chicks with that size comment?

I wish I could Z --the problem is that I wore size 13's until I was your age.There is no justice in old age --the feet get longer and the penis gets shorter. It just ain't right,why would a caring and loving God do that to us in our later years ?

Got the boots the yesterday ---was not expecting much,but to my surprize they are just like the old ones,but much softer and came spit shined out of the box.The nice thing was they are made in the USA !!!

[zanshin]

.There is no justice in old age --the feet get longer and the penis gets shorter.

Well, thanks for letting the cat out of the bag...

[Para-327th]

Well, thanks for letting the cat out of the bag...

Damn, I thought my hand was getting bigger.

[Ops NCO]

Damn, I thought my hand was getting bigger.

I just thought I was getting short-sighted.


I'm going to stick with that theory.

[GERONIMO]

In my experience in the 501st and 509th zippers were an absolute no no. Zippered jump boots would get you kicked off of the manifest in a heartbeat. Many only wore Cocarans in garrison as yhet didn't hold up well around water and briars and you didn't want to waterproof them because then they couldn't be spit shined. The only problem I had with jungle boots was that the bottoms were so hard and it was difficult to cross "monkey" bridges. AIRBORNE! GERONIMO!!