Here is a pretty interesting boot article, but you really need to print it to read it.
Multi-Component Boot System
For anyone who cares, the authors found the all leather speedlace boot caused fewer foot injuries than the jungle boot.
"Boots must...be fitted and checked for both arch length (measured heel to ball joint) and correct foot length (measured heel to toe). It is important that a soldier be fitted for the larger of the two measurements...
The best foot-measuring device available is the "Branock Device"... (you can pick these up on e-bay pretty cheap, so you can measure your foot at the end of a hike--see below)
It is our recommendation that a soldier road march or run three to five miles before having new march boots fit, to adjust for swelling...
He should wear both a thin inner sock and a thick outer sock during fitting...
He should wear a rucksack weighing as close to his combat load as possible and should stand on the shoe sizing device leaning slightly forward, with some of the weight on the balls of both feet...
The person fitting the boots should ask the soldier if he feels the tops of his toes touching the toe cup or pressure along the sides of the sides of the great or small toes as he leans forward. If he does, the boot is too small...
The length and width of each foot should be measured two or three times to assure accuracy..."
The article recommends Poron insoles 1/8" and 1/16" thick and recommends changing from the thicker to the thinner midsole when the foot swells.
"A sock for marching must be dense enough to prevent abrasion of the foot, especially in areas of high compression; it must cover the entire foot with a uniform thickness; and it should have no seams, especially at the area of high pressure. The thickness of the sock becomes critical during prolonged marching; the thicker the sock, the longer it will protect the foot agains point friction. In addition, the sock must be able to transfer moisture away from the skin surface.
***
This sock should be worn over a thin inner sock...even during the high ambient temperatures of summer, this sock causes a negligable increase in perspiration, yet it significantly increases the foot's protection from friction."
"The...black 13-inch Gore-Tex sock made by ROCKY....keeps the foot completely dry in the harshest of conditions....it also prevents the onset of immersion and trench foot. When a soldier's feet are saturated for prolonged periods, they become tender, and marching ling distances becomes difficult. This is simply not the case when the soldier wears his Gore-Tex socks."
The article goes on to talk about the usefulness of the issue Gore-Tex gaitor in cold or wet conditions.
The article also says foot powder or spray antiperspirant containing aluminum chlohydrate will stop 70% of the sweating in the feet.
"During the winter months, the feet should be sprayed two or three times a day for one week and then once a day for the rest of the winter..."
The author also talks about blister treatment and foot care...
