What are Desert Boots?

Desert boots are popular for soldiers who work in the desert.  In the 1990s they became very popular because of Desert Storm.  A company called Clarks even made an everyday version. Both desert boots 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.  Insulation keeps feet warm in the cold during desert nights.  Insulation is just as important against the heat.

Dune, a science-fiction series, featured a special kind of desert boot.  Still suit bootswere something to behold.  In these books a stillsuit was cooled by pumping the wearers own sweat throughout the system.  The pump was in the boot heel.  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.

Now onto those Clark Desert Boots, usually called Clarks. No soldier would wear these on duty. In fact no working person would or could wear these on the job. They’re made for look and recreation, not for function. They were an effort to convert the popular boot and jeans look from the 70′s into something that could work in an office setting or for a casual night on the town. For Clarks it was mission accomplished. Many people like the stylish look of these boots. And they can at least pretend to be doing something useful.

Many soldiers would be a means at the wading boots have become so popular.  There would be even less thought about it after a long march in the heat.  But they did become very popular.

So in a way it was soldiers who brought desert boots from the battlefield into the fashion world.