<p>My son has decided that orientation is not worth the expense and the two days of absence at school. However, he does want to get his boots early. Do any of you on here have experience with what we will call the 2011 boots AND the 2013 boots? Do they run about the same size-wise?</p>
<p>I’m really not sure what 2013 will have- I think they’ll be different from 2012 since we had so many problems with ours. That being said, 2011 and 2012 boots definitely were not the same. Besides being for different uniforms, I had a smaller size with ABUs and they actually shrunk after running the A course, while the black BDU ones really didn’t after the same course (twice).</p>
<p>I remember reading in the packet that it will be Belleville 650 or a variant of it.</p>
<p>Can the boots be ordered online through the AFA?</p>
<p>I don’t believe you can get them directly from the Academy. When you find out the exact name and model # of the boots, you can order them from any on-line source or Military supply store. Last year the exact name and number was in the packet of information. It recommends you go somewhere to have your foot measured so you will order the correct size. The other option is to get them in person at Orientation.</p>
<p>Last year my daughter ordered hers and got them in 3 days: She used one of these, I can’t remember which one.</p>
<p>[Your</a> Online Army Navy Store - Military Clothing, Gear and More at SoldierCity](<a href=“http://www.soldiercity.com/index-exec/]Your”>http://www.soldiercity.com/index-exec/) or </p>
<p>[Belleville</a> - US Patriot Store](<a href=“http://www.uspatriotstore.com/Category.aspx?CategoryId=110&gclid=CKv10Yvcu5kCFQETGgodXWjN5g]Belleville”>http://www.uspatriotstore.com/Category.aspx?CategoryId=110&gclid=CKv10Yvcu5kCFQETGgodXWjN5g)</p>
<p>Good info, thanks!</p>
<p>what is the cost of boots at orientation</p>
<p>versus</p>
<p>buying them online</p>
<p>I assume they are free at orientation.</p>
<p>I think they said it would be somewhere around $90-ish at orientation, and you have to pay by cashier’s check or money order. I went to a military clothing store and bought mine for $125, so it’ll definitely be cheaper going through the Academy.</p>
<p>According to an e-mail I got after registering for orientation, the boots sold at the orientation are $88.97 a pair. It also said that as they are a new model boot from previous years, they will not need the same amount of break-in as previous models and those cadets that choose to get their boots on I-Day will not be at the disadvantage they once were. Though they list models they sell (specifically the Belleville 650 as mentioned earlier) they said that boots can be purchased and used that meet the following criteria:</p>
<p>Boots must:</p>
<ol>
<li>be sage green in color</li>
<li>have Gore-Tex (soft waterproof nylon type material) in soles</li>
<li>have rubber sole (sometimes referred to as Vibram ® outsole)</li>
<li>not have steel/safety toes</li>
<li>not have zippers of any kind</li>
<li>be 8”-10” high</li>
</ol>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Mog, just curious, when did you sign up for orientation? I signed up early Feb. and I did not get an e-mail with that information…</p>
<p>The boots are not free ever. You either pay for them at orientation, buy them somewhere besides the AFA, or at In-Processing they take the cost of the boots out of your pay.</p>
<p>Downfall, I just registered yesterday evening.</p>
<p>So can you just go to a place where they sell the boots and they will help you size your foot there???</p>
<p>Yep! </p>
<p>(Wow, I didn’t know these posts had a minimum word limit lol…weird!)</p>
<p>Alrighty then!!..Yup! (I wanted to write more cuz of the minimum word value-lol-how odd!)</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. So will they allow my 3 degree son to go in, buy the 2013 boots, and mail them to his brother?</p>