ABU Boots?

[KASSRCrashResearch]

As Murphy states... No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection. No inspection-ready unit has ever passed combat

Given that the eponymous Murphy was literally an engineer in charge of scientific instrumentation on the rocket sled tests at Holloman AFB and Edwards AFB, I somehow doubt he knew much about combat.      If you're going to go with rules, probably the most reliable one is Stapp's ironical paradox: "The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle".   Oddly enough, my day job is largely a direct continuation of the work that Stapp and Murphy helped to pioneer.

Plus, the "no inspection ready unit" myth is like the rumor that no one with clean turnout gear can be considered to be a "real" firefighter.  Funny how the guys that believe that are dying in high numbers from cancer since smoke and debris at a fire scene is basically a carcinogen chowder.  There's a line between the "eh....**** it" avoidance of looking good and the "for display purposes only" approach that has to be located and maintained.

That said, I happen to enjoy shining boots but at the same time, my experience in the military taught me- thanks to an NCOIC with all the ethics of an Einsatzgruppe commander- that appearances can be extremely deceiving so I have mixed feelings about the "need" for shined boots etc.

[HGjunkie]

Here's a mind  blower : they don't issue leather shoes in basic anymore. Patent Leather/ Corfram all the way


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They aren't patent leather. The current name (since Dupont vacated the IP on Corfam) is poromeric. I'll call them plastic, since I don't feel like typing poromeric any more.

I found out a while back, when pricing a new pair of oxfords (dress shoes), that the leather ones are now significantly more expensive than the plastic shoes. Pay now, or pay later. Life on the plastic is noticeably shorter than the plastic ones, so you'll be replacing them more often. The best I ever got out of the plastic ones was about 18 months, and wore out the soles before the uppers. Spent 6-7n hours a day walking in them on industrial carpet (short pile), and it ate the soles. Other times, I managed to GR up the uppers to the point where they weren't wearable. My current leather ones are about 5 years old, although I only wear then 5-10 times a month.

My first set of chloroplastiframs lasted... well, 7 years now. I can still wear them if I need to. A little buffing and they look presentable. Your mileage will vary.

[KASSRCrashResearch]

Here's a mind  blower : they don't issue leather shoes in basic anymore. Patent Leather/ Corfram all the way


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

They aren't patent leather. The current name (since Dupont vacated the IP on Corfam) is poromeric. I'll call them plastic, since I don't feel like typing poromeric any more.

I found out a while back, when pricing a new pair of oxfords (dress shoes), that the leather ones are now significantly more expensive than the plastic shoes. Pay now, or pay later. Life on the plastic is noticeably shorter than the plastic ones, so you'll be replacing them more often. The best I ever got out of the plastic ones was about 18 months, and wore out the soles before the uppers. Spent 6-7n hours a day walking in them on industrial carpet (short pile), and it ate the soles. Other times, I managed to GR up the uppers to the point where they weren't wearable. My current leather ones are about 5 years old, although I only wear then 5-10 times a month.

My first set of chloroplastiframs lasted... well, 7 years now. I can still wear them if I need to. A little buffing and they look presentable. Your mileage will vary.

Hell, if it weren't for my shoe size changing on my left foot (major surgery to basically reconstruct the thing) in 2010, I would probably still be able to wear the "fake leather" dress shoes I was giving in 2001 when I went through AF basic.   They were practically indestructible.

[Eclipse]

My first set of chloroplastiframs lasted... well, 7 years now. I can still wear them if I need to. A little buffing and they look presentable. Your mileage will vary.

Mine lasted nearly 16, until one day the heels literally disintegrated while I was at a meeting.

"Where the heck are all these little crumbs of rubber coming from?"

Still deciding if I should resole or replace.

[NIN]

They aren't patent leather. The current name (since Dupont vacated the IP on Corfam) is poromeric. I'll call them plastic, since I don't feel like typing poromeric any more.

And I've been calling them "Corframs" for so long that I don't feel like calling the "poromeric"

I found out a while back, when pricing a new pair of oxfords (dress shoes), that the leather ones are now significantly more expensive than the plastic shoes. Pay now, or pay later. Life on the plastic is noticeably shorter than the plastic ones, so you'll be replacing them more often. The best I ever got out of the plastic ones was about 18 months, and wore out the soles before the uppers. Spent 6-7n hours a day walking in them on industrial carpet (short pile), and it ate the soles. Other times, I managed to GR up the uppers to the point where they weren't wearable. My current leather ones are about 5 years old, although I only wear then 5-10 times a month.

The current pair I have look like the low-quarters the Navy used to issue with a taller toe-box. I noticed that it seemed like the older Bates Lites shoes I had in the past, the toe area would lose its "roundedness" as the shoe aged.

Current pair:


Older Bates Lites:

[stillamarine]

Here's a mind  blower : they don't issue leather shoes in basic anymore. Patent Leather/ Corfram all the way


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Are you talking about Boots or Dress Shoes?

Probably meant both because that is the truth. I was issued a pair of leather lo-quarters, all leather boots and a pair of leather jungle boots. But.....that was a long time ago.

[Eclipse]

The current name (since Dupont vacated the IP on Corfam) is poromeric.

Interesting how a generic term lives on well past it being a "thing".

Just for my own edification, I went and looked up the trademark.  It appears to have expired back in 1987, and the cleaner I
bought with mine in 99 or 2000 is called poremeric cleaner.

So it's been quite a while (29+ years) since that was the official name.

[Okayish Aviator]

Why do I get the feeling that in this thread...

That every time SAR makes a parry with his sword he draws blood, while others hit his shield or just beats the air?

"Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill."

I learned it as "Old age and treachery will always beat out youth and inexperience."

[grunt82abn]

I learned it as "Old age and treachery will always beat out youth and inexperience."

This very quote was used by my House Captain today during an AAR when one of the new firefighters stated " I can't believe the old guys figured it out". This will always ring true!!!