Desert boots are the traditional foot wear of soldiers who work in hot, dry places. They in popularity after Desert Storm. A company called Clarks even made an everyday version. Both styles are tan, one is more for work than the other, but both remain popular.
For many reasons it's wise to wear desert boots when walking in the desert. First of all they're high. People don't realize how bad it can be to have sand in your shoe. It can ruin your feet. The military style boot allows pants to be tucked into the neck so that sand doesn't make its way into the boot. Deserts get very cold at night, to the boots are also insulated. But it's also important to insulate against the dry heat when the sun is beating down on people.
There was a special kind of desert boot in the science fiction novel Dune. These were the stillsuit boots that had all the features of real desert boots and more. Water pumped through the still suit cools the wearer. Pumps, which made this possible, were contained in the heel of the boot. The pumps were powered by the person's own walking motion. That's pretty clever, but there's nothing like that yet in the real world.
Back to the Clarks. These wouldn't be appropriate for marching in the desert. They aren't made for work at all. They are more for casual wear. They bring the look of boots and jeans from the 1970s into the modern world. For Clarks it was mission accomplished. Many folks love to wear them because they look good. And they can at least pretend to be doing something useful.
No soldier would have thought of all the uses and possibilities of his boots when he first placed them on his feet. Their minds were on the next mission. But it was these soldiers who brought back the idea of wearing desert boots. It caught on and took off from there.
From the battlefield to everyday use, desert boots are amazing.
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