| vtsaogames | 08 Jul 2015 7:12 p.m. PST |
It seems that every army in WWI used puttees most of the time. 20 years later only the backward nations use them. Anyone have an idea why this popular leg-wear went out of fashion, and when? |
| platypus01au | 08 Jul 2015 7:35 p.m. PST |
From wikipedia "Puttees generally ceased to be worn as part of military uniform during World War II. Reasons included the difficulty of quickly donning an item of dress that had to be wound carefully around each leg, plus medical reservations regarding hygiene and varicose veins. However the cheapness and easy availability of cloth leggings meant that they were retained in the Japanese and some other armies until 1945." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puttee |
| Jemima Fawr | 08 Jul 2015 9:32 p.m. PST |
There was an earlier thread on this subject. As I said then: I was still wearing issued puttees in 1990… |
| Martin Rapier | 08 Jul 2015 10:51 p.m. PST |
As noted, the British Army was still wearing puttees until relatively recently, albeit short ones. |
| Tarleton | 09 Jul 2015 2:05 a.m. PST |
The Royal Marines were using them in the late 70s. Bloody awful things to get right, too loose and they slipped down, too tight and they cut off circulation to your feet! Which was a  on a 61/2 mile run…… |
| Reactionary | 09 Jul 2015 3:05 a.m. PST |
I seem to recall in the HAC we lost the puttees and got the High Boot in 1981. |
| Jcfrog | 09 Jul 2015 3:54 a.m. PST |
Everyone was sticking to puttees? |
| Jeff965 | 09 Jul 2015 7:15 a.m. PST |
Puttees were worn with the short DMS boot which the combat high boot replaced after the Falklands War. However because we did so much running in boots and the fact that the DMS boot was like wearing slippers compared to the combat high, lads in our unit tended to hang on to the DMS for as long as possible ( especially for runs lol). I still had a pair in 1991 when I finished. |
| Jemima Fawr | 12 Jul 2015 5:57 a.m. PST |
I was issued with DMS in 1989! :) |
| Supercilius Maximus | 12 Jul 2015 9:25 a.m. PST |
Probably about time you took them off and changed your socks, don't you think? |
| number4 | 16 Jul 2015 9:05 a.m. PST |
For non-British readers, DMS refers to the short, ankle boot with a rubber sole cast on, not stitched. Hence "Direct Molded Sole" Universally known to the troops of course as 'Dem's My Shoes' |
