Bunny boots

Bunny boots is the widely used nickname for the Extreme Cold Vapor Barrier Boots (Type II) used by the United States armed forces. The linerless bulbous boots retain warmth by sandwiching up to one inch of wool and felt insulation between two layers of rubber and are typically worn with one heavy wool sock. These boots were originally developed at the Navy Clothing and Textile Research Center in Natick, Massachusetts, US, for use during the Korean War.

Example of Bunny boots.

Originally designed for the military, such boots have become staple cold weather gear both in civilian work and recreational environments. Bunny boots are very popular in Alaska.^[1]

Description

Type I

The black pairs, sometimes called Mickey Mouse boots, weigh 44 oz. (1.25 kg) apiece and are rated for temperatures down to −20 °F (−28.9 °C) and are made with oil/diesel resistant rubber.^[2] They are less common than the white pairs that give the boots their name.

Bata Mickey Mouse boots

Type II

The white boot is designed for use in extreme cold weather from −65 °F (−53.8 °C). It also is a little bigger and heavier (~8 oz. (0.22 kg) more per boot) than the black boot because of the extra insulation.

White bunny boots

White Bata bunny boots

Both Mickey Mouse boots and bunny boots have an air valve on each of the boots. These air valves must be opened prior to flying, to ensure that the air pressure differential between the walls of the boot and the outside air does not cause the boots to rupture. A common theory on the origins of the name of bunny boots is that they make wearer's feet look disproportionately large, like Bugs Bunny's. The extreme cold weather boot is actually nicknamed after the snowshoe hare, commonly found near Ft. Greely, Alaska. During the fall the rabbits' fur changes color from brown to white, allowing it to blend in with its winter surroundings. As winter gets closer, more and more rabbits appear with their new white "boots".^[3] These boots are manufactured by several companies including Bata, Acton and Air Boss.

Both Mickey Mouse boots and bunny boots have rubber wedges on the front of the toe and the back of the heel. These wedges lock into military-standard ski and snowshoe bindings.

The air release valve on a bunny boot.

References

↑ Charles P. Wohlforth (22 March 2011). Alaska For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-470-88871-1. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
↑ "History of Mickey Mouse Boots". October 14, 2016.
↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-05-07. Retrieved 2015-04-28.

Footwear

Men's dress shoes	Blucher Brogues Brothel creepers Derby Monks Oxfords Slip-ons (Loafers) Spectator shoes (Co-respondent shoes) Venetian-style shoes Winklepickers Wholecuts

Women's dress shoes	Ballet flats Court shoes High-heeled footwear Mary Janes Mojari Mules Peep-toe shoes Saddle shoes Slingbacks Slip-ons (Loafers) Venetian-style shoes Winklepickers

Other shoes	Driving moccasins Flip-flops Galoshes Platform shoes Sandals Self-tying shoes Slides Slippers Veldskoens

Wooden footwear	Bakya British clogs Cantabrian albarcas Clogs Getas Klompen Namaksin Padukas Pattens Sabot Träskor

Military footwear	Ammunition boots Bunny boots Combat boots Jackboots Jump boots Jungle boots Tanker boots Trench boots

Sport-related footwear	Athletic shoes Ballet shoes Boat shoes Climbing shoes Cross country running shoes Cycling shoes Football boots Hiking boots Ice skates Inline skates Jika-tabi Kung fu shoe Minimalist shoes Motorcycle boots Mountaineering boots Plimsolls Racing flats Riding boots Roller shoes Roller skates Safari boots Skate shoes Ski boots Swimfins Water shoes Wrestling shoes

Fashion boots	Chelsea boots (Beatle boots) Chukka boots Go-go boots Knee-high boots Over-the-knee boots Platform boots Thigh-high boots Ugg boots

Work boots	Australian work boots Cowboy boots Engineer boots Hip boots Rigger boots Steel-toe boots Waders

Other boots	Jodhpur boots Wellington boots

Traditional footwear	Abacas Abarkas Alpargatas Avarcas Balghas Bast shoes Clogs Espadrilles Galesh Giveh Haferlschuh Hnyat-phanats Huarache (shoe) Hwas Jorabs Moccasins Mojaris Mukluks Opanaks Peshawari chappals Snowshoes Valenkis Warajis Kolhapuri chappals

Historical footwear	Areni-1 shoes Buskins Caligae Chopines Crakow (Poulaine) Hessians Pampooties Pirate boots Sabatons

Shoe construction	Bespoke shoes Blake construction Goodyear welt

Lists	List of shoe styles

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/10/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.