Authorized Army Boots under AR670-1 Guidelines

When the Department of the Army published the AR670-1 uniform guidelines back in March, most of the hubbub was over grooming and appearance issues. Everybody was talking about leadership breaking out rulers and cameras to document tattoos. Little mention seemed to be made over the actual uniform regs. However, a single powerpoint slide has recently made the rounds on the web. This slide has made senior NCOs smile and the rest of us roll our eyes. Unfortunately it's all true.

You probably just bought boots that aren't authorized. Click to enlarge.

These Boots are Not in Order

So what gives? Why are these boots unauthorized? See page 122 of AR670-1:

As an option, Soldiers may wear commercial boots of a design similar to that of the Army combat boot (tan), as authorized by the commander. The boots must be between 8 to 10 inches in height and made of tan flesh-side out cattlehide leather, with a plain toe and a soling system matching the color of the tan upper materials. Rubber and polyether polyurethane are the only outsole materials that are authorized. The soling materials will not exceed 2 inches in height, when measured from the bottom of the outsole, and will not extend up the back of the heel or boot or over the top of the toe. The exterior of the boot upper will not contain mesh but will be constructed of either all leather or a combination of leather and nonmesh fabric. Soldiers may wear optional boots in lieu of the Army combat boot (tan), as authorized by the commander; however, they do not replace issue boots as a mandatory possession item. 

Give up? Manufacturers have been advancing footwear technology by producing lighter and more breathable boots, but in order to maximize those traits they have often used more synthetic materials. Most of the boots on the slide above commit the sin of using synthetic leather, not the rough-out cattle hide of the issue boots. Some also use mesh instead of nylon. Those materials are not seen as durable by the Big Army. So that means the extremely popular Nike SFB and Rocky C4 Trainers are out.

The last big gotcha is the sole itself. It has to be rubber or PPU (polyether polyurethane) and can't be over 2 inches in height. It must now also match the color of the upper and not extend up over the heel or the toe. That means your Lowa Zephyr boots are out.

AR670-1 Footwear Guidelines

So to recap. Here is what you need to look for in your next Army boot purchase:

• Beef - It's not just what's for dinner, it has to be on your feet. Specifically, it must be tan rough-out or suede style leather. No synthetics.
• Mesh - the boot upper must be a leather or leather/nylon material, like Cordura. No mesh.
• Sole - Rubber or PPU only. Must match color of the boot upper.
• Heel/Toe Bumpers - Sole cannot extend over the heel or toe.
• Boot Height - 8-10 inches tall, but you already knew this didn't you?

Final Notes & Where to Find Authorized Footwear

U.S. Cavalry will continue to monitor this situation and provide an up-to-date list of authorized footwear that meets the criteria set forth in AR670-1. You can browse that list here.

Keep in mind that according to the regs, any commercial, off the shelf purchase is considered an option, not in lieu of the mandatory issue boots you are supposed to possess. Lastly, please check with your command to be absolutely sure you are spending your hard earned money on something this will NOT sit in the closet.

Prepare for Winter: U.S. Cavalry's Late Fall 2012 Catalog Available Online

Check out the latest gear to keep you toasty all winter long. Under Armour, fleece, softshells they're all there.


U.S. Cavalry Late Fall 2012 Catalog • Under Armour ColdGear

EXCLUSIVE: Pelican 1065CC Tan HardBack Case

Exclusively at U.S. Cavalry is the new Tan Pelican 1065CC HardBack Case w/Liner.

This case is perfect for any version of the iPad even with the smart cover and also fits most other tablets. The interior dimensions are 9.96" x 7.76" x 0.81" (25.3cm x 19.7cm x 2.1cm). A gasketed seal and automatic purge valve keeps water, sand and dust away from your device. The molded shock absorbing liner works with the polycarbonate copolymer outer shell to offer outstanding crush and shock resistance.

The Tan 1065CC is made in the USA and only available at uscav.com. If black is more your thing the regular 1065CC is also available, and if you like to keep a charger or bluetooth keyboard with you the i1075 has room for those accessories too. Check out all available tactical iPad cases here.

Just In: Sand Storm Light Fighter Combat Boot Review

Thanks to doctorrich from lightfighter.net for giving us his feedback - 

Just finished the GORUCK Challenge Class 247 in Manchester, New Hampshire. I did the Challenge wearing a set of Sand Storm Light Fighter boots. I was the only challenger wearing military footwear, the others were wearing a combination of track shoes or trail runners.

The Light Fighters are LIGHT. I wore them to one drill weekend prior to the GRC so I could break them in. Initially, the area around the balls of my feet immediately in front of the arch was tight and uncomfortable. After some adjustment and walking around for about 30 minutes, the material seemed to loosen up and was no longer uncomfortable.

As I stated earlier, I was the only Challenger wearing military footwear. The Light Fighters are very lightweight but less nimble than running shoes, which is to be expected. However, they were not uncomfortable doing bear crawls and running up multiple levels of a parking garage over and over. I recently blew out an ankle on an O-course 2 months earlier... the added support of the ankle padding on the Light Fighters was a welcome addition and better than I could have expected if I had worn running shoes.

For the 10+ miles of the GORUCK Challenge, I didn't roll my ankle once. The ankle support was excellent. In addition, I wore a set of Vermont Darn Tough wool socks with these boots and spent the entire Challenge wet from multiple trips into rivers and lakes. At the end of the Challenge, I didn't have a single blister. No shit.

The soles of the boots showed absolutely no wear or separation from the uppers, even with extremely tough use while soaked. The only noticeable wear was at the toes with a single popped stitch on the toe and horizontal abrasion noted to the "epidermis" of the leather. This was from doing push ups in the Merrimack River with my toes balanced on sharp river rocks. For comparison, I weigh 180 pounds and this evolution was performed at least 4 times over a 9 hour period in the river.

The drain holes are were freaking awesome. Whenever we would leave Duck Shit Island and cross through the river to begin carrying our picnic table or log ("what rolls down stairs, alone or in pairs, runs over your neighbor's dog? It's Log-Log-Log!"), the water squished out of my wool socks, out through the arch drain holes, and the boots didn't fill up or retain any appreciable water immediately after hitting the road.

In summary-

The Sand Storm Light Fighters are light with excellent water drainage. They are so light that they can easily be used as trail runners.

They showed only mild wear after a grueling 9 hour ruck event and multiple tests while completely soaked.

There were no rub spots on my feet and I didn't have any foot injuries while wearing them.

Log. It's better than bad, it's good.

More Savings with Lower Shipping Rates

We know shipping prices play a big part in your online shopping experience. That's why we are proud to announce that in an effort to provide you with better service and more reasonable shipping rates we have made the move to UPS as our primary carrier.

We felt Fed-Ex's home delivery wasn't delivering the best value to our customers and UPS stepped up in a big way. Now you can check out the comparative savings here.

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Here's another example… Say you're in Afganistan (an APO address) and you want a pair of our new Light Fighter Combat Boots and maybe a new knife. A 5 pound package shipped using UPS APO PlusNow costs $3.34 less at $16.28.

Using the same package as above shipped to Florida via UPS Ground is also going to be $3.24 less at $10.66.

Delivery times are also pretty quick too. UPS Mail Innovations, UPS Surepost and UPS Ground all have a max 5 day in-transit time for the U.S. UPS Ground is even as little as 1 day depending on your location.

Of course we offer UPS 2nd day air and Next Day Air if you need your gear even quicker.

So if you've been putting off an order due to high shipping cost head over to uscav.com today to take advantage of the new savings.

Swiss Tech: Micro EDC Utility

If you're the kind of person people always look to to have the right tool they forgot, Swiss Tech makes some great new products for you.

The variety of tools Swiss+Tech manufactures in pocket sized or keyring portable designs is pretty impressive. Screwdrivers, scissors, flashlights and even pliers fold out of these micro multi tools to save the day.

The popular Swiss+Tech MIcro-Mstax 19-in-1 features 2 hex wrenches, 6 screwdrivers, pliers, wire cutter, wire stripper, wire crimper, hand drill, file, bottle opener, 2 rulers (mm & inch) and 2 ruler extensions.

Built out of stainless steel, the folding design clamps around your keyring and locks in place so it won't come open unintentionally. At less than 2" long, it's handy on the road or at home.

The Micro-Pro XL1100 is another unique tool that offers some of the most commonly used tools and adds a micro sized LED flashlight.

The durable and precision crafted 11-in-1 multi-tool includes pliers, wire cutter, wire stripper, sheet shear, #2 Phillips and #2 flat screwdrivers, #1 Phillips and #1 flat screwdrivers, ultra-bright Micro-Light, 1/4" rule markings and key ring, and weighs in at only 2.2 oz.

For even more utility in a larger package, the Swiss+Tech Pocket Multi-Tool 12-in-1 makes it easy to carry in your pocket, purse, or keep in your kitchen drawer. Precision crafted with solid stainless steel tools. Ribbed side-grip handles allow for comfort and stability. Comes with nylon carrying case for protection and can attach to belt.

If you're the minimalist, Swiss Tech's got you covered too. The lightest and most compact multi-use tool ever developed is the Swiss+Tech Utili-Key 6-in-1. It has a straight knife blade and a serrated cutting surface, a flat screwdriver, a Phillips screwdriver, a micro-sized screwdriver, and a bottle opener. Weighing in at an amazing 0.5 oz anyone can carry this on their standard keyring with no extra hassle.

The micro sized pocket tools from Swiss+Tech are great to keep in your pocket wherever you go and make the perfect gift for those you know need it. Check out the entire selection at uscav.com today.

Sand Storm: Pre-Order Today

Check out the hottest new line in combat boots - Sand Storm - found exclusively here at U.S. Cavalry. We just launched the brand and are available for pre-order today. Take a look at the product video premieres for each of the three new styles, the HooDoo, an all purpose garrison boot, the Stinger, a ANSI certified composite toe, and the top-of-the-line Light Fighter, with will re-define value in the lightweight assault boot category.