Is it frowned upon for a leader to continue to wear the old uniform until the wear out date?

CW3 Harvey K. - The Bates low quarter shoes are indeed comfortable once broken in. I have resoled my black shoes 2-3 times before they are shot....they look good take a good shine. My BatesLites browns also great comfortable take a good shine and wear like iron. I refuse to wear the patent leather dress shoes....uncomfortable, they dont give etc etc.

Edward Samsen - I'll have to give them a try. Thx for the tip.

CW3 Harvey K. - Plain black or brown dress shoes are business appropriate anywhere. As a volunteer at a museum ship, our uniform of the day was the ship's golf shirt, tan khaki slacks and appropriate shoes. I wore NAVY issue BROWN SHOES reflecting the ship we were aboard....slways with a proper shine. The head of the docent volunteers was a retired BLACKSHOE never said anything but he knew I was taking a jab at him.
When I wear a civilian suit, NAVY black shoes properly shined are far more comfortable than my wingtips and a bit less stuffy in southern CA. My tan suit gets the brown shoes...they wear like iron and once broken in are terrific.

Edward Samsen - I remember one of the guys in my Army Reserve unit who was a veteran serving as a civilian DOD employee of the Army. He was processing out troops, one of whom he heard making a remark to a buddy about him that "This guy doesn't know s ___t about the Army".
He stood in front of that critic, and asked him "What year were you born in?" The soldier replied "In 1968". My friend pointed to the shoes he was wearing, his original Army issue shoes of 1966, that had been re-soled and re-built several times over the decades.
He told this salty young soldier "The Army issue shoes I'm wearing are older than you are. What does that tell you about how much I know about the Army?"

Damn. Fine. Answer.

That's funny. I wear the old stuff everyday and no one has an issue. Of course I am in the field a lot and we have more important things to worry about. It really doesn't matter. The close minded seniors in the Army do not care about what affects a young joes wallet, I do. I remember being poor.

I have been getting the new one piece by piece. Every other month I will get something until I have everything. And I do use the allowance money to maintain my uniform and it's just not enough to replace 4 sets and boots, hats and getting everything sewn on. I don't care people think. I alternate between new and old depending on what's going during the week.

If the order comes down to change uniforms, phase in the new uniforms over time....do not go out and buy a full issue of the uniforms all at one time. Buy one set and wear them when activities in the field are not required....pave the new uniform/uniforms for non field activities until you have phased in all of the new uniforms over a period of months. Wear the older uniforms foor days where rough duty/dirty activities will take place but at the same time serving as a good example for those under you by wearing BOTH versions of the uniform properly.

SSG (Join to see) - so true

Thanks for the confidence building. You all make good points. I guess that sometimes you just see the trends in the unit you're in and forget that not every leader brushes their subordinates aside.

do you honestly believe no one cares what you say ?

SMSgt Thor Merich I attended my last formation in 'green fatigues'. BDUs were the 'uniform of the next day'!