Soldiers performing PT around Fort Belvoir have new marching orders: no five-toed running shoes are allowed.
Its not just locally - a new rule has been laid down Army-wide, saying the newly popular "minimalist" running shoes, with five separate toes meant to simulate the feeling of running barefoot, do not look professional enough for the U.S. Army, Foreign Policy reported.
An excerpt of the new guidance from Foreign Policy:
"There are a variety of minimalist running shoes available for purchase and wear. Effective immediately, only those shoes that accommodate all five toes in one compartment are authorized for wear. Those shoes that feature five separate, individualized compartments for the toes, detract from a professional military image and are prohibited for wear with the IPFU or when conducting physical training in military formation."
It seems like the Army has been especially image-conscious over the past weeks. In mid-June, the service branch announced that the patrol cap would be added as regulation headwear to the Army Combat Uniform, in addition to the black beret. Army officials also changed policy to allow soldiers to sew, rather than velcro on, patches like name tags and rank insignias.
