<p>Ok, so just to make sure before I go off and spend a bunch of money: Are we allowed to buy our own boots ahead of time so we can wear them in before Beast?</p>
<p>If so, would you all recommend doing so? I’ve heard the new boots aren’t at all difficult to break in, but wouldn’t it at least help some?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Yes, but it is very early. You will be in ACU's and the green suede will be standard, but USAFA will have a selected boot. While it should be the same manufacturer and model as last years don't count on it. </p>
<p>You will have an opportunity to purchase the correct boots and in the correct size at Orientation in April. The will have the boots available in all sizes and you wont have to worry about getting the wrong boot. This will give you plenty of time to break them in.</p>
<p>ya really, don't worry about it now. Enjoy the time of freedom you have :D</p>
<p>ds meant ABUs i think :) we arent the army!!</p>
<p>yeah, i'd just wait. orientation is a good time to get them: you can try them on as much as you need to, and they dont take any effort to break in. i only got 1 pair and wore them a couple times before basic and they were fine. the other pair that i got issued here worked fine as well. but, when you get to beast, you may wanna alternate which ones you wear so they can both get broken in</p>
<p>Also, if you bought them now, the vibram soles are very durable, but they wear down in the back very quickly (four months and the back is worn down completely). Also, each boot has a different rubber sole above the standard vibram sole. I know the Wellco boots will pit in the front whenever they come in contact with the ground.</p>
<p>I just hope they dont issue the wellco's again, those are crap. Half of my flights boots were falling apart by jacks. The one advantage to buying boots on your own is that you can get Belleville's or Bates. But its probably too early to get them. You dont want them to be all dirty for basic now do you? ;)</p>
<p>Yes I did mean ABU :) it is still early in Las Vegas. That said it is way to early to worry about boots. I do have a suggestion to pass the time between now and I-Day though. First enjoy every minute you have with family and friends. You will appreciate it later. Second begin a very serious exercise regimen. Everyone thinks it will be OK, and the Academy does work you into things during BCT, but you don't want to be sucking wind. Worse you just get through BCT and end up on Recondo because your arms or legs are burned from BCT.</p>
<p>I hope we have you thoroughly convinced that it's too early. My s didn't get them til I- day and had no problems with blisters, etc. He said the only upside he saw to having them early was not having to wait in line for them on I-day. The downside might be having to tote them on the plane w/ you on your flight out. (unless you live close enough to drive)</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be at orientation, though, since I've already been to the Academy for summer seminar and an IC recruiting trip. Is there anything else that goes on at orientation that I'd really need to consider going for?</p>
<p>for everyone to tell you not to go ;)</p>
<p>if you've seen the place and don't have burning questions, then not really. there is a lot of information passed out, namely for people who don't understand the academy or what exactly does on there. the other plus is getting to go to dinner with us Sunday night and getting to meet future classmates.</p>
<p>oh, and even if you've committed, you can always just stay on the bus too... lol. j/k</p>
<p>I never had problems with my boots until second beast or so. In fact, they were easier to break in than the black combat boots were, and I had those and wore them before I got here. October is too early; it's not even Thanksgiving yet! (I love that cartoon)
And yes, make sure you get in shape before you get here. You will not have time to acclimate before they force you to run the AFT (it's done within the first two weeks of basic). And for people from lower altitudes, it is very difficult.
Are you recruited (since you said IC recuriting trip)?</p>
<p>I can speak from experience on the AFT thing. We ran our first AFT I think the 3rd day of basic. I'm from close to sea level, and needless to say, I was dying! The more distance running you do now, the better. I was a distance runner for 6 years before I got here, so I thought I'd be fine, but take it from me, don't sit around before you get here. And don't worry about the boots yet! Judging from my experience so far, if you get them this early, they'll probably just fall apart anyway!</p>
<p>We ran ours the day after we inprocessed.</p>
<p>I just got my boots here on I-day. I never had a blister or any problems with them. I also had been here to the Academy 3 times before orientation, but I still came just to come. I got to meet some cadets, so they now 'take care of me' and I met my sponsor brother (2011 class pres.) and I actually stayed in the room I have right now! That was pretty lucky though! As for training before Beast, I ran 4 miles every morning at 4:30 for a month before I-day, and was at the gym playing basketball and lifting weights for a couple hours every day. But then again, I'm from a ridiculously small town where the only place to hang out with friends besides our houses was the gym! I actually was more out of shape at the end of Beast than I was going in!</p>
<p>I recommend getting boots at least a month before I-day. wear them around like they were your normal shoes, and do a few 5mile jogs with them. They'll feel really nice when you inprocess, because they will be broken in and adjusted to your feet. My black Bellevilles gave me one or two blisters, but that was at home. By the time BCT rolled around, my boots felt better than the athletic shoes I was issued. (Then again, those issued court shoes still make my feet hurt...?!)</p>
<p>Yeah, even though the new boots are easy to break in, I would practice doing some running in them, because that was one of the hardest things to get used to. They really affect your running but if you are used to them, you will feel like you are flying when you are wearing athletic shoes (even the AWFUL issued ones) and it won't feel too bad when you do your first 5 mile run in ABUs</p>
<p>when the time comes, i'd wear your boots and get them wet. people say you don't have to with the gortex boots, but i'll tell you that after i fell in the water obstacles a couple times and still had to wear my boots, the became infinitely more comfortable and fitted to my feet.</p>
<p>really? hm, mine got worse after i got them wet.. but who knows! haha.. mine seem to've shrunk</p>
<p>true, they did shrink. to conform to my feet :)
but that is a good thing to keep in mind...</p>
<p>yeah, so did mine. they got so hard to put on near the end of Basic! i now only wear the new pair they issued right before Jack's.</p>