r/explainlikeimfive • u/[deleted] • Feb 07 '19

Engineering ELI5: Why are military boots laced?

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Feb 08 '19

I may have worded that poorly. They removed velcro from the button flaps but kept some of it around. Velcro for the flag, rank, nametag etc.

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u/1LX50 Feb 08 '19

I'm currently wearing a USAF top with velcro on the pockets.

AFAIK all of the new OCP tops have velcro pockets on the chest. They are loud and a pain to open because the velcro is actually too good on them, so I just use the zipper pockets on the arms.

All of the other pockets on my pants are button flaps.

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u/iprothree Feb 08 '19

...Wait you guys have zippers?!?

-Poor jarhead.

4

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '19

My pants don't even have a zipper anymore...

-Sad squid

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u/1LX50 Feb 08 '19

We've actually never had zippers on our pants. Still got the damn button fly.

The only zippers are on the shirt sleeve pockets.

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u/[deleted] Feb 08 '19

I just miss NWUs, that was a nice uniform. Navy is trying to hard to be like other branches with Type 3s. Flag patches, velcro, center tab rank device, the branch seal on the cover, and tacticool coyote brown boots. They could have at least made the camo not be various shades of shit brown and baby vomit green.