Unauthorized Boots, why do SM keep wearing them?

The Air Force is simple. The regs say "Sage Green" boots with our ABU. If its green, its good.
Back when we wore tan boots, I wore Army boots as they were better quality and more appropriate for field duty. I knew some guys that wore USMC boots as they were great boots and comfortable. But the Globe and Anchor on the heel kind of stood out.

My response might rub some folks the wrong way...but here it is: We've created an "operator cult" in the modern military. Try as we may, we're all trying to be "heroes", and we don't see many films called, "Civil Affairs-The War for Hearts and Minds" starring Vin Diesel, or "Squids-Midwatch Hell" staring Clive Owen. Folks will push anything they think they can to be more "high speed", and boots are no exception.

From "coyote brown" tactical gear to Oakleys (usually 'Oakies') and "morale patches"...There's a million and one uniform infractions that get tolerated, if not "excused" downrange that end up filtering "up" range as well. I've still got my "modified" DCUs to prove it (shame on me).

Leadership has to lead the way, and that never works when undermined by leaders, whether commissioned or NCO who don't support those trying to uphold discipline and standards.

Lol, but did you die?

I think we can clearly chalk up this incident in the "I don't care" category. Based on his response he clearly knows his boots are against the regulations. Unfortunately, he doesn't have enough integrity to do the right thing without being told by his NCO.

None of the below, lets get real for a moment, when the Clothing Sales store is selling them who is going to know the difference? Lets also be honest, as long as tanker boots & jump boots, Stetsons and God knows what else some command has authorized, is comfortable footwear that big a deal? Hell we as an Army preach Safety, so in the grand scheme of things the vast majority of soldiers should get a set of coveralls and safety boots as part of their CIF issue. But they don't, why is that, if safety is paramount? We are all supposed to be able to perform maintenance, and you are going to tell me that there is a unit that doesn't have ungodly heavy stuff that can dropped on some ones foot? Grass that doesn't need to be cut, chores that need to get done?

Because they are too cool for issued boots and want you to know it.

Who walks around with the list of boots that are unauthorized?? I know I don't. I also don't have that thing memorized. Obviously if the color is off or there is a huge zipper on them they will look suspicious. I think soldiers are wearing them because nobody takes the time to check. You don't know what you don't know. There are pairs of boots out there that are unauthorized but look 100% the same as those that are.

Have things changed!
We learned to spit-shine our black leather boots and dress shoes in boot camp!
Nothing like a spit-shined pair of boots to reflect light in a combat zone!
Not to mention the training that spit-shining gave us for civilian jobs!
As Gunny said, "You have running water, 10 toilets, and a shower: You're living in a f'ing mansion!"
We soon read the regs and found out that spit-shining footwear was a violation of MCOrders. Funny how the brass wanted us to disobey orders when it suited them!

Flash forward 10 years. I joined a State Guard unit, mainly to compete in firearms competitions.

One day during a Brigade gathering, I wore my spit-shined leather oxfords. My SgtMaj tells me that as a SSgt, I'm not authorized to wear high-gloss Corframs, only low-gloss. I started laughing. You should have seen their faces when I proved that I was wearing spit-shined leather oxfords!

I think that you should also throw in that AR 670-1 is being changed a bit to often. At one point, most of us had the important parts memorized and knew what was authorized. Now, it seems like we have to go look up a lot more stuff. This means you have to go back and find the culprit, or chance correcting something that may be correct. Since most clothing sales stores have big signs telling joe what isn't authorized, why don't they just quit selling the stuff? This can go for the eye protection and a dozen other things as well. I always went by "if it was issued, it was authorized".

While I agree that their needs to be regs on uniform appearance. Their also needs to common sense used on certain items like boots when it comes to the advantage of being comfortable and functional at the same time.