Russian Military Ordered To Switch To Socks

warnewsupdates ^ | January 15, 2013

[JoeProBono]

Near the end of World War II, Soviet and American soldiers met at the Elbe River in Germany. Lacking a common language, they compared their boots.

The Americans wore socks and lace-up boots. The Russians wore something that boggled the minds of their allies from the West: pieces of cloth twirled around their feet and inserted into bulky, knee-high boots.

The cloth strips, called portyanki, have been a signature element of the Russian military uniform since the 16th century. On Monday Russia’s minister of defense issued an order for a militarywide switch to socks.

[JoeProBono]

[GraceG]

Wow, didn’t know the russians lagged behind in footwear technology...

[Dr. Sivana]

Well, maybe it was like a U.S. helmet, useful for numerous things. IT could double as a tourniquet, bandage or scarf. In the modern LGBTQXYZ U.S. military, it could also be used as a babushka.

[9YearLurker]

They look warm anyway.

[JoeProBono]

[Doogle]

[JoeProBono]

"This system of footwear had its principal advantage in military-industrial planning and logistics, freeing up Soviet factories from sewing millions of socks and allowing soldiers to tear wraps from old sheets in the field, if needed. During the Afghan war, however, Russian soldiers soured on the heavy boots; officers allowed soldiers to shed them for nonregulation running shoes."

http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/14/russian-military-ordered-to-switch-to-socks/

[Carriage Hill]

[yldstrk]

I read somewhere that when the Russkies got to Berlin, they thought toilets were foot washers...............

[yldstrk]

I am Russian so it is okay for me to crack Russkie jokes

[JoeProBono]

[yldstrk]

My great grandmother hated the Communists, so she dragged my grandmother and great aunt clear across Russia, train station to train station to get closer to where they could cross to China, then they did cross to China.

However, they were all in China when the Japanese invaded and they got to spend 3 years in a Japanese concentration camp along with my dad who was 10 then and my uncle.

It was quite the ordeal.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

It probably works like taping your ankles in addition to warmth. Less foot fatigue.

[varyouga]

Before WWII, the vast majority of Russians still used outhouses.

[CrazyIvan]

I am inclined to take anything that the Russian infantry uses to keep their feet from freezing seriously

[libstripper]

In WWII the Germans did their best to steal Russian POWs’ warm boots. The Germans’ boots were horrible in cold weater while the Russians’ really worked well.

[JoeProBono]

[blueunicorn6]

Another one of our military secrets compromised.

[JoeProBono]

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***Before WWII, the vast majority of Russians still used outhouses.***

So? Our kin used outhouses up until 1960 on the High Plains. And I used an outhouse up until 1956, and I’m NOT talking about National forest pit toilets which are the same and still in use.