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Footwear

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 12:06 pm
by Controversialrogue
What shoes would you recommend for night opping?

I wear light volley tennis shoes, i love them because they are light and have very little in the way of soles and are perfect for climbing and jumping, although they have just broke on me, and wondering what to get as a replacement. what type of footwear do you guys prefer to wear?

Re: Footwear

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 1:56 pm
by Xanatos
Depends on the op location. Most of us like opping in combat boots for ease of travel over rough terrain, although if the ground isn't as rough I usually wear either diving boots or tabi. Dark sneakers seem to be a good all-round choice, just be sure to cover up any bright/reflective parts.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 12:19 am
by Shade
I suggest getting a toe shoe, it offers waterproofedness, grip, and most importantly silence. You can get em in black or camo, so it's sneaky.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 5:56 am
by Xanatos
Ah yes, Vibram toed shoes. They're essentially a glorified sock with toes, so don't expect to be stomping over broken glass anytime soon. However they offer tremendous dexterity and make climbing & sneaking much easier.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 10:38 pm
by Lynx
Image

Normal day in the life of an opper

Re: Footwear

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 11:46 pm
by Shade
If you're stepping on glass, you've screwed up your op. XD But Vibram isn't that great from what I've read, I use body glove.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2015 7:34 pm
by Shade
So how do you guys use boots? They're messy, loud, and are terrible for climbing.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2015 8:33 pm
by Xanatos
They're not so bad once you get used to them and know how to tread properly. The afforded protection is invaluable for ops in rougher terrain. Also handy for booting down doors if need be.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2015 9:11 pm
by Shade
But isn't it better to be able to scale a wall than to kick a door?

Re: Footwear

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2015 9:15 pm
by Xanatos
You can still do that. And it's not like there are a lot of walls to scale in, for example, an abandoned house in the forest. Plenty of doors that need kicking though.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2015 9:18 pm
by Shade
I guess I can see that. I still feel like I'm more mobile with minimalist shoes, and can get a wrecking bar for the rest. XD

Re: Footwear

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2015 1:14 pm
by Psychlonic
"Boots" encompasses a huge range of footwear for various needs. Many have ultra silent soles that are in fact excellent for climbing and won't weigh you down. Some of my first operations were in leather boots with hardened vibram soles and I made do just fine, learning to "roll the sole" forward and at an angle on hard surfaces like a tire to mute the sound completely. As long as it's not blatantly ass (like a cleat) there's few explicitly bad choices for night ops.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2015 8:38 pm
by Shade
But I've never seen someone able to quietly move in boots. And granted, sole rolling works and works well on flat hard surfaces, but it about halves your speed from my experiences. So if someone's coming, you're screwed. Although, can you send me a link to your boots? If they're flat on bottom they may work better.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2015 9:22 pm
by Xanatos
Maybe you just haven't seen anyone trying to move quietly in boots yet.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2015 10:30 pm
by Shade
Yeah, but I prefer ball-heel rather than heel-toe in most cases, and that doesn't work well with boots.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2015 1:33 am
by Absent
I alternate between boots and regular black sneakers... Depends on where I'm planning to go. Well-fitting boots can work well, but as stated there are more than a few kinds of boots... It's a big category with lots of differences.


They make quite a few tactical boots that Special Operations / combat troops wear, and are pretty good for your general all-terrain Op. I hear underarmour makes some pretty good ones.


Kind of a cheesy video:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrrp-18gxJo


Not sure if that specific one is any good, but it has good reviews. I usually just go with sneakers though... Urban environments and such.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2021 2:59 am
by V-S
I personally use these boots (in the attachment), they are comfortable and silent. Otherwise I also use a lightweight combat boot or pair of Nike's like an Eshay.

Google "MGS Sneaking Boot", I've always wanted a pair of those.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2021 5:01 am
by Vengeance
I've just been using minimalistic Tabi boots.
Been thinking about upgrading, however I'm still undecided.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2021 1:29 pm
by Xanatos
If you want maximum stealth for minimum expenditure (min-max loadout) I suggest simple aqua shoes. Can be got for dirt cheap from a variety of stores and offer tremendous grip, flexibility, comfort and silence for ~$20 (for a decent branded pair). If the soles are too thin for you for rougher terrain, just wear thicker socks - the top part of aqua shoes is elastic so there's plenty of stretch room for extra sock. They will wear out over time, but you're not gonna be wearing them every day like sneakers so for the few hours of opping you do in a year they'll still be a bargain.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2021 8:22 pm
by Nightstalker 1
this is very helpful for me in creating my SOL

thanks

Re: Footwear

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 7:38 pm
by Nightstalker 1
what do you guys think about hiking shoes? I live in an area that has more road than gravel.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2021 7:27 am
by Xanatos
Hiking shoes work too. Like combat boots but more flexible.

Re: Footwear

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2021 4:05 pm
by Nightstalker 1
perfect thanks