'Toe shoes' get the boot, Army-wide - Army News | News from ...

‘Toe shoes’ get the boot, Army-wide An Army message about footwear certainly stepped on some toes.The wear of shoes that feature “five separate, individual compartments for the toes” is prohibited in All Army Activities message 239/2011. Such shoes “detract from a professional military image,” the message said.Soldiers are not allowed to wear them with the individual physical fitness uniform or when conducting physical training in military formation.When Army Times first reported the rule, it drew an immediate response from runners. Many said the Army was forfeiting safety and performance for aesthetics.The decision was made by Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler and his board of directors, which is composed of key command sergeants major. “The decision was based on the lack of conformity with the Army’s conservative professional appearance,” said Hank Minitrez, a spokesman for Army G-1. “The Army continues to foster a professional, conservative, nonfaddish image in its soldiers, and they believe this type of shoe detracts from this appearance.”Minitrez said the issue is not likely to be addressed again. And that is not sitting well with some <a href="http://www.airmaxseller.com/products_new.html"><strong>New Nike Shoes</strong></a> soldiers.“Wow,” said one Special Forces field grade officer who runs in such shoes daily. “I’ve been an avid runner for 20 years and have never had something as good as these. Bad call.”The Army stands alone in that decision.The Marine Corps allows local commanders to ban the shoes, but there is no servicewide ban. In fact, the headquarters battalion for the Corps’ top brass and support troops has approved <a href="http://www.airmaxseller.com/nikefreenikefree70-c-0151_155.html"><strong>Nike Air Max</strong></a> them for PT. The Air Force has taken an identical stance. The Navy on Aug. 5 gave the green light for sailors to wear the shoes. One sailor who does is Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SW/AW) Rick West, Chandler’s counterpart in that service.Although the shoes certainly boast a unique look, the mimicry of barefoot running reduces the likelihood of injury and increases the runner’s performance, said Anne Tommasi, spokeswoman for Vibram, the maker of FiveFingers.“Vibram FiveFingers follow the biological design of the foot, which encourages full range of motion, increased muscle stimulation and a natural running and walking gait,” she said.The shoes are built without a heel lift to discourage the typical heel-strike running form and encourage a more natural forefoot strike, Tommasi said, pointing to medical studies that show this form to be less impactful than heel striking, and the possibility that this may reduce the chance of knee- and hip-related running injuries.‘Two steps back’While Vibram FiveFingers shoes lack support for your heel, they certainly have it among the rank and file. <a href="http://www.airmaxseller.com/nikeairmax2009nikeairmax2009running-c-18_169.html"><strong>Air Max Running</strong></a> When Army Times dropped news of the ban on its blog “Outside the Wire,” readers quickly responded. Here are some comments:LongTabSigO: “They get the beret right. Why not this as well? What real harm accrues from their use? None. Just some Sergeant Major who wants to assert some legacy thinking. One step forward; two steps back.”CavScout02: “I don’t understand what the big deal is. I’ve got kids wearing basketball sneakers with little support but since they look like shoes they’re OK while I am motivated to run … in my [FiveFingers] but aesthetically I cannot wear them?”cj.bad: “If these shoes help people in fitness training, who cares what they look like? Makes me wonder if the ethos is right since the policy makers disregard their own ethics, more specifically, always place the mission first. Seems here instead of looking at worrying about what is better for results, they are to busy looking at people’s feet.”SSG Holman: “Total BS!!!! I see soldiers in Neon Pink Nikes, and that’s completely OK. I see soldiers wearing Air Force Ones and that’s OK. Put on a pair of [FiveFingers] and all of a sudden you don’t have a military appearance? Why is it that the most elite soldiers like SF/Rangers are all wearing them? Take a look around the Army, and the units with platoons full of people on profile and some CSM b------ about shoes. You know what detracts from military appearance? Your whole unit falling out of a battalion run, or your unit’s pathetic 240 PT average.”J Dickenson: “I find it ironic that they are going through all the time and effort of changing the APFT in order to facilitate ‘functional fitness,’ but the first time some SGM gets a bee in his bonnet they put out an ALARACT. Make up your mind guys — do you want us to be functionally fit/have less injuries or do you want some SGM to sleep well at night knowing that we all have matching shoes?”CW2 Mack: “These shoes <a href="http://rooyee.org/view.php?id=43929"><strong>Blogs » homepros1.com</strong></a> improve balance and stability, they strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs that you don’t normally use with traditional running shoes. The idea that they detract from a professional military image is ridiculous. They stand to do more good than bad.”———Staff writers Mark D. Faram and Jon R. Anderson contributed to this report.