vibram outsoles, tan brown leather upper, canvas fabric tubes; the quintessential US army boot... thirty years ago.
i live in a place that is not the United States to say the least, and, when these little fuckers do make their way here, they're usually sold for an expensive price (for me). so seeing that some of these desert storm boot seem to go for as low as 30-40 dollars (my budget lmao) on Ebay, from high-rated sellers and good conditions, i've been seriously considering them.
how have these things fared with time? do they actually last? are they durable? can you wear them without your feet turning into minced meat? can they be resoled if they wear out?
keep in mind i also don't know jackshit about these things, just some second-hand knowledge and info acquired by osmosis. A vague jerking-off gesture about Vibram, Belleville this, Rocky that. I don't know who makes the durable ones, the comfortable ones, or the bad ones so i'd appreciate any and all info, recommendations or a slap in the face if it's actually a bad idea
The one time I was issued DCU boots, the soles melted off when I was in Iraq.
I don't mean "they wore out really really fast" or "they melted... ha ha" I mean literally, walking around in hot sand and on metal equipment that had been soaking up sun all day caused the soles to literally melt off.
I didn't find them any cooler than wearing my basic black leather combat boots when in a desert. Did notice that they wicked sweat away from feet in ways that the basic leather can't... so that could be a plus.
Do you have any local shops that do boot/leather repair? You'll need to call them to figure out what can and can't have their soles replaced. An actual boot shop, a boot/shoe repair shop (harder to find), equestrian tack shops might have some ideas where you can take boots in to have soles repaired and maybe even have the panels restitched.
If they're dirt cheap (including shipping) go for it. Elsewise, go bargain shopping at junk stores, consignment shops, and Pawn/Army & Navy Surplus shops (especially near National Guard armories and Active Military Bases/Posts.