Desert Boots - Sizes not the same as Assault boots.

[BuggerAll]

I wondered if anyone else has found the sizes of desert boots odd.

The desert boots I'm talking about are the British light weight patrol boot similar in style to the jungle boot.

I take an 8L in assault boots but have had to go for a 9L in desert becasue the 8L was far too small. The 9l desert looks to be the same size as the assault boots. The sole is the same size etc.

The other odd thing is that the toes are a 'snug' fit but the uppers are almost loose. I can almost close the laces over my foot and the speed lacing does close on the leg (if that makes sense) personally I'd prefer more room in the toes and the possibility of tying the boot a bit tighter on the leg.

As as side issue I cannot wear any of the other issue boots - Meindles, Lowas etc because the are too narrow.

 

[paratus]

I had the opposite problem with the Meindl Desert Fox, I usually take a 9L but needed 8L in these as the 9L were miles too big

 

[kitmonster]

I'm not sure which boot you are talking about? Do you mean the Lightweight patrol boot by magnum?

In any case every manufacture specify their own last shape. A last is the mould that is placed inside the boot as the upper is stitched or glued to the footbed. The shape of the last dictates the shape of the inside of the boot. These are expensive as hundreds are needed as a boot starts the production cycle with the last in and it only comes out at the end before the laces are put in and the box is shut. If there are 50 stages of the production cycle thats 50 lasts. Multiple by the number of mens sizes, multiply by childrens sizes, multiple by female sizes and every footwear manufacture is full of lasts!

So......Itturri the CAB manufacture uses one shape of last so if you are a 9L in a CAB you will be a 9L in all the Iturri boots. Magnum, if that's what you have, use a different shape last so it fits slightly different which can mean that you will prefer a different size. The only guarantee is that the length of the boot (in inches) will be the same.

DC IPT are moving to multiple manufactures in the procurement of boots so that there is less of a chance that someone will not get on with a single manufactures last shape (that and security of supply). Ops means it happened first on the desert boot and why people now have a choice of Miendl, Lowa or Magnum. PECOC will extend the principle to the temperate combat boot.

 

[BuggerAll]

No not the Magnum Amazon. I take an 8L in the black version of that so I assume that the desert one would be the same. I mean the one that is similar in style to a jungle boot. The box also called them Lightweight Patrol Boots.

The 8L in that was much shorter than the assault boot. The 9L desert is the same as the 8L assault boot in length and width although the upper is clearly different as I explained above.

 

[General Melchett]

Just get Altberg to make some for your mong feet.

 

[kitmonster]

You are probably talking about the Original Desert Lightweight which was made by Itturri (the CAB manufactures). It was made under licence I think in the Far East so it will have been made on a completely different last to the CAB.

If it is these boots we have not issued them for years! In fact if these have been recently issued there is a high probability that they are well past their shelf life. If they are when you start wearing them the sole will shred and come away in bits as hydrolysis will have set in.

Look for manufacture dates on the boot, might be on the tongue (or on the box), and let me know by PM or this means.

 

[skullmucked]

The jungle boot is procured from an american supplier so the boots are a size bigger. This is probably the same with the desert version of the boot.