Canadian Forces Boots
 

I have been looking online but can not find anywhere to buy CF boots, can anyone point me in the right dirrection??

Check out Army Issue, he's got both the goretex and the old issue boots.
http://www.armyissue.com/Gallery/thumbnails.php?album=9

If you want a good pair of boots, don't get the MKIII Combat Boots, they are shit. I only wear them when I have to(in garrison).

And don't use the goretex below 0 degrees or you will be falling on your butt all the time!

Don't buy jungle boots...the sole is coming off my right boot and i only had it for like three months

Thats because you bought the shity chinese made knock offs. I've had my american made ones for awhile now and they are still in great shape.

Seeing as you're in BC I'll direct you to my frequented local shops.

New Westminster has Dave's and Westleys. Dave's is great if you're after some of the higher-end quality civvie boots, but Westley's is best if it's military issue goodness that you're after. Last time I was there they had everything from jungle boots to garrison boots.

I bought a pair of premium Altama's and they were utter shit. Fell apart the first time I wore 'em.

Don't go issue, you know what they say "issue gear is made by the lowest bidder"

Get a good pair of Magnums, I know many people who have them, and I will be getting them shortly.

ToRN, wierd, Magnums lasted me less than 6 months while CF combats started to fall apart only after about 2 years.

Yeah, I got some used CF issued boots at a surplus store long long time ago. Got them on sale for only $10, lasted me 4 years. Weren't comfortable at the beginning, so I put some dr. scholls cushions in and they were fine.

i personally use mk111 cf issue boots i love them for airsoft. altho for hiking and suck i have a good pair of magnum boots they are awsome i just dont wanna wreck them playing air soft they are like 250 to 400 depending on the style

The jungle boots I have look nice and feel very good at first and then one day they decided to fall apart internally and externally. The soles wore out very quickly too.

My jungle boots are doing fine aside from the toe being worn down everytime I go out for a weekend. My Prospectors (lowest bidder my arse!) are excellent for any cooler weather and naval action.

Do you have the OD Jungle boots or the leather ones? I have the OD ones and they are utter crap now...

the mk3's are the best made combat boot in the world!!! this is what you do,
get a used pair of mk3's that has good leather, then take them to a shop that does resoling of shoes ask them to slap some vibram soles on, it was all the rage in my unit befor the iecs crap came out.

Thats really bad quality control on their side. I thought Altama's were supposed to be pretty good, especially for the price of some of their boots.


I have Welco Jungle and Desert boots, I've never had a problem with them.

The cdn combat boots are great if you re-sole them... Vibram... there are several shoe repair places that do this and the boot is VERY comfortable... I've had pairs last years.

As for the jungle boots... I still have a couple of pairs that were issued to me in Cyprus that are holding up very well. Problem with JB's are that the soles are hard and if walking on a hard surface for long periods they become uncomfortable (go figure, designed for soft jungle floor)... My desrt JB's have lasted constant wear since issued in '90-'91...

A lot depends on whether or not you take the time to look after your boots as well, like any other kit will fall apart/malfunction if not looked after... just a thought.

Oh yeah... Army Issue good place to find boots... have actualy seen some of the re-soled pairs there.

Was that directed to me? Yes I've got the OD boots. I'm paying for some new black boots on eBay though...about $30 shipped :-)

I had mine for 9 years. They finally bit the dust due to an outside problem - I lent them to someone who neglegted to tell me about his foot disease. They're probably still ok, but I didn't want them back after that.

Wow, thanks guys

Its funny because the boots haven't seen any airsoft action for me and they're already worn down...from everyday walking and such

The CF MkIIIs are very nice temperate weather combat boots. The goretex prospectors are very nice, but wear them when it's warm out and your feet will be sweatin' up a storm.

ya got first hand with that.... first time i got my issued wet weathers, i wore mine on a ruckmarch, not smart, my foot almost drowned. but overall they're much more comfortable compared to the black cadillacs

Give me footwear, any heavy-use footwear. If it hasn't fallen apart after three months of use, I mark it off as good.

So far, I've yet to find a good pair...

Mk IIIs
 

Persoanlly I hate my MkIIIs- no support for the foot (mind u i'm flat footed) unlike my new IECS boots (I love these but too hot for summer wear- I call em my combat Nike).

My advice is to look at what you can afford becuase for the dollar- there is a boot that will work for anyone if you throw enough cash at them.

MkIII's with a good after market insole and like already posted, a good Vibram sole, they will last you a long time, a lot of the "old school" troops still have theirs from way back when. Good thing is any half decent decent army surplus store will carry them.

The IECS boot from Prospector I like, if you dont mind hot, sweaty feet, this is a good boot. If you want to wear when its cold out, again, get them resoled or else your ass will suffer from SIS (sudden impact syndrome). Great support for the foot and quite comfortable- GORTEX helps:)
Just dont use boot polish on them- clogs the pores on the Gortex!

Danners are a good choice although pricey, they too come in Gortex and well liked- I dont own a pair- those I know who do - love em.

Hope this helps you decide...way too may boot options out there!


Cheers!

Mud

I'm very happy with my CF Goretex boots with the Vibram sole. Got a pair of Birkenstock insoles, and now they give as much support to my over-pronating feet as my New Balance shoes. And yeah, on wet weather boots, only use wet weather boot paste.

I have a pair of Danner Ft. Lewis boots in Goretex, and they don't compare with the CF goretex as far as warmth is concerned. They do however have a little more traction.

If you have the cf gortex boots you should definatly wear teh sock system. If you dont and your boot is semi loose you run the chances of wearing away at your foot. Also change your socks regularily and make sure you put lots of foot powder in your socks and boot. Get foam insoles because they will last you longer. In my mkIII's i havent had a chance to get them resoled but i have a spenco insole with a 2 year warranty and if it dies they give me new ones and hte gortext insole on top of that. Happy feet make a happy soldier.

What's the point of a goretex insole?

Where'd you get your Wellco Jungle boots? Tuffcushion or DMS?
I waited for a pair of those for about 6 months before I cancelled...
Chinese Jungles, been through 3 pair, they are crap (at least they were cheap). US Jungles, still going strong after much up-to-my-knees-in-filth kind of use.

The Porspector Goretex CF boots I sometimes use for heavy-ruck hiking (good for that, although a tad heavy- there's some civvie boots that do everything they do at half the weight, like my Merrells, -fwiw, ymmv, imho), but I found they're a bit cumbersome for airsofting. Jungles for wet, Magnums for dry.

Anyone ever use Bates or Bellevilles?

Has no purpose other than fitting my boot better and adding extra cushion.

I got mine from a friend in Supply; they're DMS.

Daves Surplus sometimes has them in stock, they also carry Atama Jungle Boots, but they're $150 each I think.

As far as CF issue boots go, how do you tell what is what (ya, ok, have seen the Goretex ones), but how you ID what the Mk III look like, etc. Info would be appreciated by many on here that either have CF boots or are looking to buy some.

Here's a set of my MKIIIs

Any other boots you need/want pics of?

How about posting a shot of the soles...that's usually a good point if you find unaltered boots.

Hard to tell if mine are the same with all that shine on them. Can you take pics of the soles and the sides? They look like the ones I got anyways. Just will have to go back through the threads to see how long I should expect them to last (have my old pair of garrison boots I got new in '93, that served me damn well through mud, rain, concrete, snow, you name it and have finally come to their end last year.)

I'll take the pics in a few mins, my soles are pretty worn down though(worn them a lot since I joined up in Feb '03).

Well, don't go to town with it, but the boots i have have the lightening bolt zigzag type sole on them, and no toe caps (like my garrison boots do). Am 90% sure the pics you posted as the same as mine, in which case, they last roughly...................? I use them on rainy days to go to work, out & about, and for airsoft. I dont' use them as a hardcore work boot though.

The lightning boltzigzag style sole pattern is what is on the MKIIIs. Chances are, if you buy a pair of black leather combat boots at a surplus store, they're gonna be canadian.

That helps. I have new Mk IIIs then. Didn't need to know they were CF, already knew, just wanted to know how long and what to expect out of them in the years to come with use. With a smirk am expecting them to be as "fun" in winter as my garrison boots with Vibram soles, like having ice hard soles on hardpacked snow, slip & slide! Lol

Hopefully these pictures will help everybody out. They are a collection of current and former issued DF boots ranging from the old MKIII to the current Gortex. All are official issue that I've picked up after 15 years of service and a few tours.

http://www.pbase.com/jakster/gallery/inbox


Let me know if you need more detailed photo's
Jakster

If anybody is looking for issued CF Gortex boots and you have large feet you might be interested in this link to ebay that I found

http://cgi.ebay.ca/CANADIAN-MILITARY...QQcmdZViewItem

Good luck
Jakster

Is there anyone from the Toronto area that has had Vibram soles put on their boots? If so, could you let me know where you went?

dude snake on metal gear solid fuckin rocks so does rydin

Wicked, was that really necessary? Atleast spell Raiden correctly. Thanks for posting a picture of your boots Mikel. Those are the same boots i used to have for everyday use back when i didnt like shoes, and i used them for Grouse Grind too. Bought them used, but served me well for over about a year until i outgrew them. Lerch, you mentioned Westleys for issued stuff? Would someone be able to give me the address? Im going to be making a trip to go back and look at Daves in the next couple weeks, so i may as well check Westleys out too.

Much appreciated.

Any shoe repair place will be able to resole your combats with vibram. I think if you want the upgrades on the foam mid sole and vibram outersole you'll be paying $60-80
You could also pick up the latest CF issue Goretex boots surplus for $90.00
Cheers

( Yes, I know its an old post but still relevant, sorry Greylocks :-D )

About the CF Gortex boots. I picked up a pair at army issue before and I loved them. I can write a book review if you want ;).

Is it going to be as intelligable as everything else you've written?

....I think everyone here's aware of the pros and cons of the CF Gortex boots. Being that there's a large majority of us serving, or who have served, and those who haven't, have heard from others....

I had my Mk III's resoled with Vibrams and it was an awesome decision. I have fewer knee problems now. As for support, I find they give more then enough ankle support. Or at least more then the Gortex Prospectors do. Combat boots do need to fit a little tighter then normal footwear with less play in the toe area. Mk III's also come in different widths as well de-noted by the letter after the size. I would also reccomend Spenco "walker/runner" insoles. They're machine washable and provide very comfortable padding. A little pricey at $30, but you get what you pay for.

I haven't had mine resoled, but some of the guys I work with have, and they say it's like walking on air. I just put a good set of insoles in mine and I don't have any problems with them, even on a longer exercise, or any time I'm on my feet all day. I actually enjoy wearing my MkIIIs. Personally, I find if you just get a good set of insoles, they're not that bad.

The big problem some people might have with the Prospectors is that they're fairly heavy. And having huge feet, I can say, heavy shoes suck. My Mk IIIs are lighter than a lot of boots I've owned in the past, and it's a pleasant change.

Jungle Boots + Vibram Sole = best boots ever


*hugs his boot chit*




For temperate weather, the MKIIIs are good(with vibram soles, or atleast a very good insole). The Goretex boots aren't bad, but for the summer I'd recommend against them since they are insulated an your feet will sweat a lot. But it is personal choice, I know of guys who wore those boots in Afghanistan(mbrs of 3VP Op Apollo)

The boots the issue in the CF are pretty cheap, honestly there are muuuch better choices out there. Very few guys in the military are very fond of them. The best boots I've ever worn are without a doubt Magnums. A little pricy but they are comfortable as running shoes and last forever.

Magnums are alright in Garrison an FIBUA, but in the woods, they suck IMO. Sole is too soft, last time I wore Magnums in the field I thought I was gonna sprain my ankles or something. Plus they can't be resoled.

In the Mississauga area there is a place in the Erin Mills town centre that re-soles CF boots, I find that they are the best boot for the warmer seasons. The gortex ones are great, but too hot to wear in the summer. Otherwise I suggest Belleville's.

I'm not a big fan of Magnums... sole not very flexible and the boot is too warm in the temperate months.

Does anyone know if you can get CF Goretex Wet Weather Boots (WWB) in sizes smaller than 5 (245/104)? I have been having serious issues finding a pair that fit! Been dealing with Surplus IG and he is AWESOME, but smallest size available is a 5.

Any help on finding WWBs for small feet would help. :)

Check with Army Issue...or the Army ;)

Hello guys,

I have canadian army boots issued used but in excellent quality for only 35$ and wholesale is available.

I also have magnums, garrisons, issued parade boots (BOULET) in new and used, desert boots issued to US or Canadian armies NEW and USED with steel toe or without, GORETEX issued boots used in excellent condition and i can even get them new if you really want me to. USED goretex in excellent condition are only 75$ and the new ones are 150$ available in special orders only.

PM for more specifications and price quotes :)

Danner Striker's
 

I have had these boots for over 3.5 years now, 8 inch with gortex and light running shoe sole.

Good arch support, I have extremely flat feet, and Garrison or field ready.
http://www.danner.com/product/strike...iform+boots.do
These are my field boots and I would not trade them for any issue kit,

MD

For anyone else interested - this is a list of available sizing in CF WWBs.

Sizing is in Mondopoint (length/width of the foot in millimeters).

most random question ever, but how long has the mk IIIs been in the service? (since OD combats?)

also, how do you guys, especially vets and anyone who's been in the forces, find the mk IIIs overall? your opinion? goods and bads? i hear a lot of mixed opinions so far. i'm building a CF impression so naturally the mk IIIs will be my go-to. however with the mixed opinions, combined with my flat-feet that requires orthotics, i'm not sure if i should pursue the mk IIIs, or if i do, what maintenance opinions should i pay attention to. and is it possible to find the mk IIIs with vibraium that you guys mentioned?

or should i get the cf military issued gortex? and i've seen online there are mark IVs too?

thanks!

If you're going for a current member impression, get the boots you find to be comfortable to you. You'd still do a CF impression with non-CF boots, as majority of the guys avoid issued boots anyway, especially in the field. CF issued goretex boots are heavy and not the best thing to wear in the summer.

I did 6 1/2 years in. Only time you really wore issed boots were parade and course. With the unit guys usually tend to wear what they like. I personally liked the magnums with side zipper in the field. Though they wore out prematurely they were ideal for quick boot change on a march or dryout after mucking around in a swap. Mint for QRF on larger ex also. The gortex are great to keep water out but they are also very warm and somewhat heavy. In sub temp the soles freeze like a hockey puck so any time you have a little ice present you feel like bambi lol.

Nothing bad to say about any set of issued combats all served their purpose and worked great, just what you prefer ultimately.

I have two loadouts CSOR I wear trail running shoes and current CF cadpat since I have wore though all my magnums and haven't snagged up a new pair I wear just the general use combat with that loadout

I did 8 year in the Primary Reserves, the boot were shit, once when I reached the M/CPL (no one gave me chicken shit about it) I would wear Jungle Boot because they would dry out faster....

When I got into MILSIM Airsoft 9 years ago I wore the Canadian Armed Forces Goretex Boots because I hated when my feet were wet, still got them, yes they were heavy but I got use to them. Last year I changed over to Danners Goretex Boot, lighter and better...comes down to what you like and can afford...I know alot of guys on my Team wear Rocky's...but alot of them hate it when it is "wet" or "raining"...those boots don't dry out fast enough, besides the sole of the boot were made for the sandy and dry conditions.

Technically speaking the Mk3 have not been issued for over a decade. They are still worn, I own a few pairs and like them.

All the kit shops around Gagetown sell a variety of different non-issued boots. Everything from Swats, Magnums, Rockies etc. People still wear the Mk3 or Mk4 boots (in both black and brown).

A lot of people have switched to the latest issued boot, the 6 inch tall nu-buck tan, but I won't even factor that in since you will not be finding them on the surplus market any time soon as they are limited and next to impossible to get outside of an Army base. They are a massive step forward however and have become my new go to boot after my Magnums wore out.

we just got issued some new junk tan boots and I am still rocking my Swat's...majority of guys are wearing rocky's or swats in my unit

Hey Q - Tell the guys to get some Sealskin socks to wear inside of the Rocky S2Vs. When the weather sucks that's what I use (best $50 I've spent in a little while). This keeps the feet nice and dry so it really doesn't matter how long it takes for the boots to dry out. I wear a Thorlo backpacking sock over the Sealskin to provide cushion and warmth.

I like the socks better than goretex lined boots because one can wash the socks when the membrane gets saturated with perspiration. With the boots, when the lining gets compromised the boots are impossible to restore to the water proof breathable state.

The new LOTB boots did ok during the test phase, but QC went to shit once they started mass producing them to the point where the word is the contract was neckshot and so we're back to square one. Got my Matterhorn 1949s, Danner Desert Acadias, and j-boots though so I'm good.