Our feet are complicated musculoskeletal machines which keep us mobile if we look after them but can incapacitate us if we mistreat them, writes Bob Morrison.
Did you know that you were born with 20 bones and 33 joints in each foot, assuming you do not have polydactylism or a sixth toe, all of which are linked by a very complex network of ligaments, tendons and muscles? Even the slightest misalignment or damage to the foot structure can sometimes severely limit one’s ability to walk properly or even maintain good balance when walking or running.
Cross section of the foot inside a cutaway HAIX combat boot [© BM]
This morning after visiting the podiatrist at my local hospital for some very minor corrective work to be done on my feet, which I have to pay additional care to as I am diabetic and therefore run the risk of potential foot loss if I were to injure myself and not have speedy treatment, I remembered this ‘infographic’ which combat boot manufacturers HAIX have been distributing to troops and the blue light services. The information the leaflet contains is not exactly rocket science, just common sense, but it is still worth having a read and a think about whether or not you are still following those basics that almost every soldier around the globe is taught during basic training.
At the end of a day in the field, the first things one should take care of, after your personal weapons, are your feet and your boots as you can pretty much guarantee you will need them to be functioning well tomorrow. Naturally HAIX have concentrated on their own make of footwear in their infographic, but I feel sure every other good combat boot supplier will echo what the Bavarian company says.
{ Original images © Bob Morrison }
