How to Wear Military Lace Up Boots

Combat uniform complete with boot and proper blousing.

The new combat uniform replaces the old jungle green and desert tan battle dress uniforms (BDU) for all services. The combat boots required for this new uniform is a nine-inch, seven-eyelet safety boot in either black or tan, with color-matching front laces. The boot color depends on the military branch and deployment requirements. The wear and lacing of the combat boot is the same throughout the various military services. The lacing requires a diagonal, left over right-crossing pattern.

Things You'll Need

• Combat uniform
• Combat boots
• boot laces

Instructions

1. Tie and blouse the pant leg using the drawstring on the bottom of the pant leg. Tie a bowknot in the drawstring. Tuck the drawstring excess into the pants leg.

2. Tuck the bloused pant leg into the top of the boot. The bloused pant leg should not fall below the third eyelet from the top of the boot.

3. Insert the bootlace ends through the toe eyelets. Start from the outside of the boot and work inward towards the tongue of the boot. Cross the right bootlace over and insert up through the next left eyelet. Cross the left bootlace over on top of the right bootlace, and up through the next right eyelet. Continue in this diagonally crossing fashion until the third eyelet.

4. Insert the bootlace from the third eyelet on the left side and insert it into the fourth eyelet on the same side. Do the same with the bootlace on the right side. This allows the ankle to flex for easier wear of the boot. Some boots have an ankle cut-out that also helps in the flexing of the ankle while walking in the boots.

5. Cross the right bootlace from the fourth eyelet over and insert it up through the fifth eyelet on the left side. Cross the left lace over the top of the right bootlace and through the eyelet on the right side. Continue this diagonal crossing of laces up the boot using all the eyelets.

6. Tie bootlaces with a half hitch. Wrap the excess bootlace around the upper portion of the boot just under the seventh eyelet. Tie bootlaces in a bowknot at the front of the boot. Tuck the excess bootlace and bowknot into the top of the boot under the blousing. Bootlaces and knots should not be seen.

References

• U.S. Army: Army Combat Uniform (ACU) Ensemble
• U.S. Navy: New Navy Working Uniforms
• U.S. Air Force: AFI 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel