I remember reading about the contemporary Soviet Army, in the 1980s. Its latest tanks had laser range finders on their main guns. But the crews were issued triangular pieces of cloth to wrap their feet in, because the USSR could not afford to issue socks soldiers who did not have to march...
From what I have read, the triangular pieces of cloth foot wraps are traditional in the Soviet Army. Saw a film clip many years ago of an old vet from WWII demonstrating how they were used. Suppose the custom goes back to the days of the tsarist armies when they were mostly peasants.