15 December 2009
NZDF personnel will soon be wearing the latest general purpose boot after two and half years of development and testing.
One hundred New Zealand Army soldiers from a variety of units field tested the ‘Kiwi Combat Boot’ (KCB) across a range of different climates and activities, with 88 percent rating the boot as fit for purpose and endorsing its introduction.
The initial evaluation was conducted by personnel from 10 units throughout New Zealand. Validation trials were then conducted by 1 RNZIR and 2/1 RNZIR.
Trialists noted the boot was a significant improvement in the areas of slip resistance, ankle support, reduced lateral roll, durability, waterproofing, breathability and comfort. Some testers said the boot was the “best they’ve ever worn”, and others stated that they “can’t wear the current GP boot but found these ones comfortable”.
The trial ran for three months with 44 percent of the testers wearing them for the full time. Of those that did, some were quoted as saying “the more I wore the boots the better they became.”
- Breathable full buffalo leather upper is designed to resist water (without being waterproof) and to dry quickly when wet
- Oxford toe and shaped back strap
- Moisture wicking lining gives greater comfort and improves air circulation cutting down in perspiration
- Speed lacing and closed anti slip lace hooks
- Penetration resistant stainless steel midsole plate
- Metal shank helps to absorb shock and support the foot over broken ground, as well as provides torsion strength for ‘edging’ across slope
- Heavy duty heel and toe counters help to resist pronation and maintain proper joint (ankle, knee, hip) alignment.
- Rockered last gives proper ‘strike and roll’ when moving fast
- Tread design provides excellent traction with little effort to release snow and mud
- Wide self cleaning cleats guarantee a solid grip on wet asphalt and concrete, flexibility and a ‘foreign object debris’ friendly design.
- Available in a safety toe version
- This boot is moulded over an ergonomically designed last with plenty of room across the front of the foot and excellent arch support
- Sizes 3-14 (UK ½ sizes included) and available in Medium (D), Wide (E) and Extra Wide (EE) fittings
- The self moulding innersole can be removed if orthotics are required
After field testing was complete and a few recommended tweaks made, the boot was then sent to the Leather & Shoe Research Association (LASRA) for technical testing and assessment.
LASRA are an internationally accredited laboratory and the leading Australasian centre for leather and safety footwear testing, they reported the boot was very stable, free of rolling or twist, and had excellent slip resistance.
“It has a high comfort level and gives excellent thermal and perspiration control which reduced fatigue. The boot has a ‘bounce’ response in walking and gives a ‘live’ response to flex and heel strike,” LASRA said in their report.
“This boot is among the best of the military boots we have tested.”
The final version of the KCB being released into service has taken several years to develop and has targeted specific historical areas of concern, says Mr Tom Hirst, EM Soldier Systems.
“I believe the boot will offer significant improvement over the previous model.”
Mr Hirst says the aim is to get troops back into durable combat boots that they have confidence in and reduce the current dependency on alternative options.
“This new boot is certainly a step towards that vision and all feedback from its introduction into service will be passed back to the supplier to ensure improvements continue to be made in future models.”
The KCB is designed to be a general purpose field boot suitable for the majority of terrains a soldier will face. Sizing stock is now available at clothing stores around Camps.