The U.S. Army is testing new jungle boots with Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) based in Hawaii this month, according to the Army News Service which posted the story in early March 2017. This is actually surprisingly fast as the U.S. Army was directed by the Army General Mark A. Milley to work on new design of jungle boots for soldiers last September 2016.

Before this, the Army has been trying out commercial jungle boots but with mixed results and PEO Soldier put together a plan to make it a reality. In October 2016, the Army put out a request for the industry to respond to, going over the requirements; and by December, a contract was awarded to two companies to produce 36,700 jungle combat boots which is enough to provide footwear to two BCTs in Hawaii.

Nowadays, most soldiers are more familiar to the combat boots that are worn in the fields of Iraq and Afghanistan. But those boots are not appropriate for the jungle which are also hot but are wet environments. If feet are not properly protected in the jungle, soldiers will be prone to trench foot that if not treated properly, can lead to gangrene which may require amputation.

For those old enough to remember what jungle combat boots look like, many will be familiar with the jungle boots that were used in Vietnam or the M1966 which has a green upper and black leather toe. The new jungle combat boots take inspiration from the M1966 but with the look that present soldiers are familiar with such as the same color scheme of the boots used in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unlike the M1966, this has shock absorbing features with the added midsole.

The sole is puncture proof, which is a very important requirement for jungle boots as soldiers operating in a jungle boot may usually step on sharp objects which are either natural or man-made such as the hunting, such as punji sticks --- pointed bamboo sticks placed upright in the ground. It is even worse when operating in swampy areas, soldiers don’t get to see what is at the bottom of the murky water.

Other features of the new jungle boots are the following: lower height to avoid snagging the heel in the vines that can twist the ankle are cause tripping; more drainage holes to quickly drain the boots of water when they get fully soaked; speed laces; and an internal lining for better breathability and quicker drying.

The issuance of the new jungle combat boots will start this month with the first BCT then another BCT will be equipped by June. By the December 2017, the Army will then ask the soldiers of the BCTs how they find the new jungle boots. Further tweaking, if need be as based on the feedback, will be done before a final purchase description will be issued between April and June 2018. By 2019, the U.S. Army will then issue a contract for multiple vendors once they have the final version of the boots.

Video below about the new jungle boots from Military.com: