The Marine Corps has updated its list of authorized boots, officially giving leathernecks the go ahead to try out several new types of footwear in uniform.
Marines can now choose from 16 different combat, rugged all-terrain or optional boots. The list of approved styles was released in a service-wide administrative message last week, which was signed by Lt. Gen. David Berger, the head of Marine Corps Combat Development Command.
Seven boots on the list had not previously been included on any formal footwear guidance for Marines, said Barb Hamby, a spokeswoman for Marine Corps Systems Command.
"The driving factor of the updated MARADMIN is to inform and clarify which boots are certified for optional wear and [are] in line with the commandant wanting Marines to have options for affordable, high-quality boots," she said.
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These are the boots that were added to the list of officially approved footwear:
Combat:
- Bates style No. E30502 (hot weather)
RAT:
- Bates style No. 29502 (hot weather)
- Wellco style No. E114 (temperate weather)
Optional:
- Danner Reckoning boot style No. 53221
- Bates lightweight style No. E50501 for men and E57501 for women
- Danner's Marine Expeditionary Boot style No. 53111 (temperate weather)
- Danner's MEB style No. 53110 (hot weather)
The Marine Corps first authorized Danner's Reckoning hot-weather boot last year. Even though it wasn't formally publicized, word spread quickly when the service started selling the boots in the exchanges, Hamby said.
The last time the list of authorized boots had been formally updated was in March 2016.
Commanders still have the authority to require special-issue footwear, such as safety or flight boots, that are mission specific, according to the MARADMIN, but they won't satisfy the minimum boot requirement if they aren't on the authorized list.
Marines can check out the full list of authorized boots here.
-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ginaaharkins.
