4 Footwear Mistakes Most Survivors Make!

So you want to be prepared but you don't know what you should have on your feet. Do you want sandals, tennis shoes, boots! What on earth should you have on your feet?

The truth is there is no set footwear that survivor should wear. Anything can work. It is all about where you are and what you were trying to do.

Today I am going to talk about a few of the most common types of footwear and what their pros and cons are in a survival situation. For the purposes of time and link, I will be really discuss how these different forms of footwear would function in Woodland environment.

 The Cowboy Boot:

Cowboy boots are great, and very common in much of the North America.

There are some definite pros and cons to this form of footwear. While these boots are great for a day in the saddle, they are not often the best choice for the Woodland environment.

There are two big cons to the cowboy boot: They have virtually no tread, and they take an incredibly long time to dry once they get wet.

The cowboy boot does have some serious pros as well however: leather shank will protect your lower leg from things such as thorns, sticks, and snakebites. And the hardy souls are usually tough leather and will last much longer than many other forms of footwear.

While cowboy boots would not be my first choice, A good pair of these boots would not cause me much distress if I had to use them in a survival situation.

The Tennis Shoe:

In my opinion the standard tennis shoe is the worst option in a survival situation. Though comfortable and light, tennis shoes have little to no protection for your foot from things such as nails, thorns, and snakes. They do not last very long due to their light weight construction, and they provide virtually no ankle support. Though they are good for running and walking long distances, they deteriorate much faster than the standard boot. I would not consider tennis shoe a good option at all in almost any survival situation.

 The Work Boot:

 Work boots are a pretty good option in a lot of ways. They often have good tread and therefore will allow for a decent grip on slippery or uneven terrain. They are constructed of heavy duty material due to their use in blue-collar jobs, and therefore will hold up for a long period of time before they begin to deteriorate. Some, but not all, offer decent ankle support. The downside to work boots is that they are usually very heavy, and they do not dry quickly at all. Though these are not make it or break it factors, They can contribute to a lot of discomfort in the back country.

 The Combat Boot:

I'm not talking about the fake ones people wear for costumes, I'm talking about the heavy duty, mil-spec, combat boots that are made for duty. These are probably your best bet in a bug out situation. The fact is, combat boots were made for survival situations and therefore provide everything you would want in footwear for the back country. They are tough leather with good tread, and they usually have complete ankle support. Depending on the boot you buy, they often have small vents in the side to allow water to drain, and though they do not dry as fast as tennis shoes, they dry much faster than work boots or cowboy boots. Combat boots can be bought with steel toes or standard leather toes and provide all around protection for your foot and ankle. While I am definitely bias to Marine Corps boots, the fact is, combat boots are a form of footwear that were specifically made for survival situations.

So What Does This Mean?

OK, so these are a few of the common types of footwear and a few of their pros and cons. I know there are thousands more forms of footwear from sandals to rubber boots, but I cannot discuss them all. In the end, survival often comes down to whatever you have on hand, but if you have the chance to get the right foot wear it will make your life a whole lot easier. So when SHTF and you get the chance to raid a shoe store, remember to look for the combat boots first! And everything else second.