Canadian Army Boots

[Winz]

Black boots haven't been issued for a decade and died with the General Purpose Boot (ver 2 proprietary unisole, ver 1 was Vibram Sierra outsole+midsole) which was often erroneously referred to as the Mk IV. The Wet Weather Boot was also scrapped. Following that, there were also two styles of brown boots available (and both "copies" of other brands). Since 2018, a CANFORGEN (aka "BOOTFORGEN") allowed for individual purchase up to a value of $340 + tax/shipping (frequency depending on the type of organisation. Basically if you are in a field unit, every year. If you are in a HQ, every 2nd year, if you wear service dress daily, every 3rd year, etc)

However, as others have mentioned, new (brown) boots are still in the system largely for the purpose of issuing to recruits. Troops are only entitled to receive reimbursement under the (latest) CANFORGEN when they are OFP.

CANEX has been offering Altberg Defenders since before the original CANFORGEN was released. This was entirely intentional since the same senior staff officer who crafted the reimbursement programme entitlement also works on soldier clothing and sought to source a quality boot offering to bring to CANEX. In the future, the idea is to provide troops with the ability to order a variety of boots directly through Logistik Unicorp. The offerings won't be random shoddy boots but rather common offerings that people already buy using the reimbursement programme. This means that troops will be able to get the same boots they already buy from various suppliers like Millbrook without even having to pay upfront and seek reimbursement.

(Also, the reimbursement programme is regularly abused and chintzy folks have been known to "buy" boots to re-sell as a small discount to pocket a couple hundred dollars)

 

[Winz]

On the note of older black boots, ie Mk I - III, Greb was the most popular maker but not the exclusive maker of these boots. There were a handful of footwear suppliers making them under the same design pattern. They have essentially been out of service for the last 2 decades. They are solid quality as far as old school designs go but what was good for 1970 is not always good for 2025, or at least outside of garrison/office duties.

 

[MapleSugar]

yup I got 2 pairs of those and 3 more pairs of lighter weight Lowa boots. also 2 pairs of Magnum desert boots but the Lowas are better

Thanks! I don't have a clue of what are good boots to buy anymore. The technology has changed so much since I was young.

I used to wear Matterhorn hiking boots during my first year of tree-planting/slashburning in 1988. I hated the speed-laces on them. in less than one year, I wore the tread on the soles down to nubs.

Then I switched to logger's caulk boots for subsequent seasons. Those boots are hell on your feet, but they're great for walking on logs and through mud bogs and puddles.

The last pair of leather boots that I ever wore were J.B. Goodhue 5 Star General's. Unlike the Matterhorn's, they're steel-toed.

I coated them in Logger's World Wax Oil to make them as waterproof as possible.

They're OK out in the bush, but when I worked in a factory I found that my feet would sweat too much.

 

[MapleSugar]

I can recall the USMC dropping the requirement for spit-shining their black combat boots decades ago.

IIRC, the reason given was that the shiny boots lit up in infrared scopes.

I don't know if they even approve black boots for combat anymore.

I see these Belleville 500 USMC Waterproof Combat Boots that are approved for use.

Have any of you guys tried them?

https://dutybootshop.com/belleville...-boot/?searchid=21055&search_query=usmc+boots

FWIW, I'd really like a pair of these for the bush (but with a better sole.)

Belleville 330 ST Wet Weather Steel Toe Flight Boot

https://dutybootshop.com/belleville-330-st-wet-weather-steel-toe-flight-boot/

I used to have a pair of black jungle boots that I thought were really cool. Then a geologist I was working with told me that no one would ever wear them in the jungle when he worked in Honduras. He said that the locals preferred high and thick leather boots to protect them against venomous snake bites. He said that they would usually just wear cowboy boots when they were stomping through the bush. I can't even begin to imagine wearing them in muddy and slippery conditions.

 

[AlbertaBandit]

My Lowas are usually trashed after only 4 years. But they are slippers so we'll worth it.

 

[MapleSugar]

My Lowas are usually trashed after only 4 years. But they are slippers so we'll worth it.



View attachment 979676

Those look like they'd make great hunting boots.

Do you know how are they for walking in light snow and temperatures down to about -20 °C?

 

[highlander]

Funnily enough, I like the standard US Army jungle boot and have gone through 3 pairs while working as a crop adjuster. The boots don't keep water out, but they do drain and dry fairly quickly. They are no good when it turns cold.

Call me old fashioned but siutable boots and other personal equipment should be issued by the quartermaster instead of by online shopping.

Same here. I've worn the US issue jungle boot for years, and still do.

 

[HeadDamage]

I used to wear Matterhorn hiking boots during my first year of tree-planting/slashburning in 1988. I hated the speed-laces on them. in less than one year, I wore the tread on the soles down to nubs.

I used these back when I was forest fire fighting around 1990, one of the best steel toe boots I've ever used for hiking and bush work. They had a free replacement warranty at Mark's Work Warehouse, used it two times before they stopped carrying them.

 

[AlbertaBandit]

Those look like they'd make great hunting boots.

Do you know how are they for walking in light snow and temperatures down to about -20 °C?

-15 is the max I usually go with them, With Darn Thought merino wool socks.

I have Wolverines for Cold Werther Hunting.

 

[MapleSugar]

I used these back when I was forest fire fighting around 1990, one of the best steel toe boots I've ever used for hiking and bush work. They had a free replacement warranty at Mark's Work Warehouse, used it two times before they stopped carrying them.

I didn't know that you could get them in steel toe, or that they had a free replacement warranty back then. I would have cashed in on it.

I bought mine in the spring of 1988 and wore out the soles by screefing with my feet when I was tree-planting. A shovel or caulk boots are much better for that.

I didn't mind the boots, but I hated how the speed lacing always came undone. I used to lace them up to the top, then wrap the laces around the top of the boot a couple of times before tying a double knot.

That was the only way that I could make it through the day without having to continually retie my boots.

When I bought the 5 Star General's in 1997, the salesman at Mark's told me they were just an improved version of the Matterhorn's.

I still have them, I just don't wear them anymore.

 

[MapleSugar]

-15 is the max I usually go with them, With Darn Thought merino wool socks.

I have Wolverines for Cold Werther Hunting.

Thanks!

 

[hondroid]

I can recall the USMC dropping the requirement for spit-shining their black combat boots decades ago.

IIRC, the reason given was that the shiny boots lit up in infrared scopes.

I don't know if they even approve black boots for combat anymore.

I see these Belleville 500 USMC Waterproof Combat Boots that are approved for use.

Have any of you guys tried them?

https://dutybootshop.com/belleville...-boot/?searchid=21055&search_query=usmc+boots

FWIW, I'd really like a pair of these for the bush (but with a better sole.)

Belleville 330 ST Wet Weather Steel Toe Flight Boot

https://dutybootshop.com/belleville-330-st-wet-weather-steel-toe-flight-boot/

I used to have a pair of black jungle boots that I thought were really cool. Then a geologist I was working with told me that no one would ever wear them in the jungle when he worked in Honduras. He said that the locals preferred high and thick leather boots to protect them against venomous snake bites. He said that they would usually just wear cowboy boots when they were stomping through the bush. I can't even begin to imagine wearing them in muddy and slippery conditions.

These USMC Belleville and the CAF MKIV GP boot (and the Cold, Wet Weather boot) have the same vibram soles right down to the pattern. The USMC boots aren’t any better in 5c or below temperatures in terms of sole grip on slippery surfaces.

 

[MapleSugar]

These USMC Belleville and the CAF MKIV GP boot (and the Cold, Wet Weather boot) have the same vibram soles right down to the pattern. The USMC boots aren’t any better in 5c or below temperatures in terms of sole grip on slippery surfaces.

Thanks for the info!

I take it that they suck then?

FWIW, I wouldn't be wearing them in cold temperatures. More like moderate to hot weather.

 

[hondroid]

I’ve been in the CAF 26 yrs now and I’ve gone through the Greb Mk IIIs, COLD, Wet Weather (CWW), MkIV GP, the discouraging Royer fabric boots and now using Salomon boots as my dailies.

I remember the Prospectors. The liners wore through too fast as they were not designed for extreme use.

The Logistik Unicorps boot range is still not finalized so the troops can still use the CAF ‘BOOTFORGEN’ purchase reimbursement authority through their respective unit chains of command and supply staff.

My Grebs were moccasins by the time we were told to exchange them for the GP and CWW system, but I retained mine with being resoled to Vibram soles as they fit better and didn’t hockey puck in fall/winter weather.

Hopefully the procurement system gets it right going forth.

 

[hondroid]

Thanks for the info!

I take it that they suck then?

FWIW, I wouldn't be wearing them in cold temperatures. More like moderate to hot weather.

The bellevilles are great 3 season boots as long as you understand their limits. Hell, I keep a pair in my ruck for field use. But they are backups to my Salomons.

 

[hondroid]

 

[MapleSugar]

The bellevilles are great 3 season boots as long as you understand their limits. Hell, I keep a pair in my ruck for field use. But they are backups to my Salomons.

Thanks! I'd like to know what model of Salomon that you wear.

I didn't know that they made hiking boots. I remember that they used to make really good ski boots.

As for limitations, I hate having cold and wet feet. When it gets too far below zero I usually put on my -74 °C Sorel's.

I used to have a pair of -74 °C oil patch boots with neoprene uppers. I think they were Sorel's. Those were great in wet and cold conditions.

 

[MapleSugar]

View attachment 979954

Ha! You read my mind while I was typing out my reply.

Those boots look really nice, too!

I remember some of the guys I worked with at Brinks in the early 90's wearing the Prospector's. One of them was a former airborne artillery sergeant.

They looked nice and they polished up really well, but they were too rich for my blood back then.

But they wouldn't have gotten the hard use that you put them through in the field.

 

[dan belisle]

Who remembers the good old Greb work/combat boots? Even worse were the garrison boots.

Wore both. The combats were better, but that's not saying much. - dan

 

[hondroid]

Thanks! I'd like to know what model of Salomon that you wear.

I didn't know that they made hiking boots. I remember that they used to make really good ski boots.

As for limitations, I hate having cold and wet feet. When it gets too far below zero I usually put on my -74 °C Sorel's.

I used to have a pair of -74 °C oil patch boots with neoprene uppers. I think they were Sorel's. Those were great in wet and cold conditions.

The pictures from Salomon Tactical boots is the model I wear. I’m the dark earth brown