Info on flight boots

[t-train]

S2v are officially flight approved. Started ordering them for the unit last year. 

[HuggyU2]

What does the brain trust know about excellent black flight boots?

USAF Approved preferably but not required. 

[Danger41]

Need to be ejection rated or not? Prior to the most recent uniform guidance, Solomon makes some good boots that a lot of AFSOC folks wore that were nice.

[Siegzy]

Look up the Danner Acadia boot, Huggy.

[HuggyU2]

I seem to recall the Navy's flight boots had steel toes... but the AF didn't allow steel toes in theirs.  Am I remembering that right?

[Hacker]

I just broke out a pair of new-old-stock Addisons that I've been hoarding for like 15 years so I can get out of the "warbird-pilot-athletic-shoes-and-flight-suit" club.

[McJay Pilot]

38 minutes ago, HuggyU2 said:

I seem to recall the Navy's flight boots had steel toes... but the AF didn't allow steel toes in theirs.  Am I remembering that right?

Correct Huggy, steel toes are not approved for flight in the AF, and I think Navy required it only if you had ops on carrier flight decks. (It’s been a long long time since NAS Corpus Christi though!)

[billy pilgrim]

I can’t believe we are on another iteration of this.  My first black leather boots were broken in (in basic training) and worn forever. Super comfortable and awesome.  Now after another decade my green boots are getting broken in and we have to change again?!

Can someone please cite the last steel toe injury that came from an aircraft egress?  They keep good records at AFSC.  I would bet $100 there has never been one for the last 20 years.

If we get in a shooting war, I am grabbing my black boots.

[Sprkt69]

2 hours ago, billy pilgrim said:

I can’t believe we are on another iteration of this.  My first black leather boots were broken in (in basic training) and worn forever. Super comfortable and awesome.  Now after another decade my green boots are getting broken in and we have to change again?!

Can someone please cite the last steel toe injury that came from an aircraft egress?  They keep good records at AFSC.  I would bet $100 there has never been one for the last 20 years.

If we get in a shooting war, I am grabbing my black boots.

I can envision the Chiefs chasing after you now

[di1630]

How long can we wear the green boots with a bag?


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[Breckey]

April 2021

[Orbit]

Just get your green boots that are super comfy dusty as shit and you should be good to go. I don't think i've seen two boots that look the same color yet.

 

[HuggyU2]

The USAF Safe to Fly boot list has a handful of "authorized" boots. 
For those of y'all who actually wear any of them, which ones do you like?  Which ones do you not like?

[CaptainMorgan]

The USAF Safe to Fly boot list has a handful of "authorized" boots. 
For those of y'all who actually wear any of them, which ones do you like?  Which ones do you not like?

I wear the Belleville 330 STs, I had a pair of cold weather Rocky’s that were issued when we switched from green, and they were horrible. Not sure if the non cold weather ones are any better.


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[brabus]

Why does anyone care what some arbitrary list says? Wear what’s functional and comfortable (with exception color matches uniform requirement). Haven’t known one occurrence in my entire career where model of flight boots were questioned.

[M2]

I have two sets of S2V Rocky's, one cold weather with the Gortex lining and the other being summer weights.  I actually prefer the cold weather ones as they are a half size larger (Rocky's typically run small) and wides, whereas the summer weight ones (which are still heavy) chew into the back of my Achilles tendon. 

Based on recommendations of some Army buds, I've tried the "hot soak and wear" method of breaking them in which helped but still didn't completely resolve the problem. 

I do have a set of these Nike SFB Field 2 boots which are extremely comfortable and rugged, not sure if they're USAF approved for flight as that doesn't matter to me anymore...

I also have a set of Belleville Coyote C320 Ultra Light Assault Boots which are also very light and comfy to wear but again, not sure if they are approved for flight.

 

I also have a lot of Army aviation buds who love the Belleville C793s which are very similar but run smaller from my experience.  I believe these which are on the Safe to Fly list are essentially the same boot...

[Danger41]

9 hours ago, brabus said:

Why does anyone care what some arbitrary list says? Wear what’s functional and comfortable (with exception color matches uniform requirement). Haven’t known one occurrence in my entire career where model of flight boots were questioned.

Any concern for ejection in non-approved boots?

[AC&W]

9 hours ago, M2 said:

I also have a set of Belleville Coyote C320 Ultra Light Assault Boots which are also very light and comfy to wear.

 

 

Been wearing these for about decade...love em.

[brabus]

31 minutes ago, Danger41 said:

Any concern for ejection in non-approved boots?

Nope. Ops tested. 

[HuggyU2]

10 hours ago, brabus said:

Why does anyone care what some arbitrary list says? 

Because my squadron RA pushed back when I asked for a specific boot to be ordered.  It wasn't on the Safe To Fly (STF) list.  It was never a problem in the past.  Now it is.

So... I am asking because there are about 20 pairs of boots on the list, and I really don't know the difference in comfort between the ones on the STF list, and the ones I wanted to buy.

Instead of dropping $475 for a pair of Dehner boots that a former Thunderbird friend said was what they wore on the team, I figure I'd ask some other professional military pilots what they thought, and if something worked well, I'd try them... for free.

Does that answer your question?

Edited November 16, 2023 by HuggyU2

[Mark1]

3 hours ago, HuggyU2 said:

Because my squadron RA pushed back when I asked for a specific boot to be ordered.  It wasn't on the Safe To Fly (STF) list.  It was never a problem in the past.  Now it is.

So... I am asking because there are about 20 pairs of boots on the list, and I really don't know the difference in comfort between the ones on the STF list, and the ones I wanted to buy.

Instead of dropping $475 for a pair of Dehner boots that a former Thunderbird friend said was what they wore on the team, I figure I'd ask some other professional military pilots what they thought, and if something worked well, I'd try them... for free.

Does that answer your question?

Normally I'd not be on the side of the bureaucratic RA who can only accommodate what the almighty memorandum says, but if you came into my office trying to get me to purchase a set of these I'd tell you to goose-step your fancy ass out of my office too.

Edited November 16, 2023 by Mark1

[brabus]

@HuggyU2 So the short answer is you don’t want to pay for them yourself. Now we’re all going to have to not only Go Fundme sunglasses for you, but also boots!

[Day Man]

12 hours ago, Danger41 said:

Any concern for ejection in non-approved boots?

I'd be more concerned about the seat failing 

[cragspider]

On 11/15/2023 at 1:15 PM, M2 said:

I also have a lot of Army aviation buds who love the Belleville C793s which are very similar but run smaller from my experience.  I believe these which are on the Safe to Fly list are essentially the same boot...

I’ve had these for years and love them. Tried on the Rocky’s and couldn’t get my foot in them, but those boots are great. Now only if we could go back to the black boots. 

[StoleIt]

Not on the flight list but I wear these (self sourced) and love them:

https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/xa-forces-mid-gtx-lg3466.html#color=43177