Desert Boots
Written by stevehuna on March 20, 2009Desert boots are popular for soldiers who work in the desert. These became popular particularly after Desert Storm in the 1990′s. But now there aren’t only the standard military looking boots, but also Clarks style work casual or recreational loafer type half boot. Both are quite popular for every day use, but don’t use Clarks if you need to hike in the desert.
Desert boots are well adapted to use in the desert. Number one their very high. Sand is a menace when it gets into shoes. It can ruin your feet. Pants tucked into the boot form a shield against the sand. Deserts get very cold at night, to the boots are also insulated. Insulation is just as important against the heat.
There was a special kind of desert boot in the science fiction novel Dune. These were the stillsuit boots that had all the features of real desert boots and more. Water pumped through the still suit cools the wearer. The pump was in the boot heel. The pumps get their power from the energy produced when a person walks. Too bad we can’t buy those now.
Lets get back to a discussion of those Clarks boots. No soldier would wear these on duty. They aren’t made for work at all. They’re made for look and recreation, not for function. They bring the look of boots and jeans from the 1970s into the modern world. For Clarks it was mission accomplished. People love their comfort and style. And they can at least pretend to be doing something useful.
No soldier would have thought of all the uses and possibilities of his boots when he first placed them on his feet. They thought about the long march that day. But they did become very popular.
So in a way it was soldiers who brought desert boots from the battlefield into the fashion world.
