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Blog 483 – 12.02.2016
A Tribute To Mickey/Bunny Boots

It may come as a surprise to some of you that a man who has been married four times has nevertheless suffered from cold feet throughout life. My wives too had cold feet but since I work outside it has been more of a problem for me. I had heard of the military boots that were developed as cold weather gear but never really thought much of them till a traffic guard in Indiana a couple of years ago highly recommended them. I got on line and ordered a pair of the white artic ones good to minus forty degrees Fahrenheit.  A winter in Indiana,  two cold  months in Wyoming and two cold months in Illinois with lows to the minus mid-twenties was enough to prove these boots inestimable worth. This past summer I order a pair of the standard black Mickey Boots good down to minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit for wintering in Wisconsin. I have them on right now.

Mickey or Bunny Boots got their cute names from the G.I.s who loved the way they kept their feet toasty but thought the large size of the boots made their feet resemble Mickey Mouse or a big bunny. The technology behind the boots was developed because of the large number of frostbitten foot cases during the Korean War. The boots are made mostly of rubber with multiple layers of felt that is encapsulated in rubber creating a compartment in which the foot will sweat but not become cold. The instruction card with the government issue boots recommends that the boots be worn with only wool boot socks, cushion soled, also government issue. The same ones we were issued to wear with our combat boots and also Vietnam jungle boots. The jungle boots had holes with grommets just above the treaded soles to allow the water to drain out. Mickey Boots are designed that if you step in icy water over the tops for your feet to warm the water. They do state on the instruction card in the minus forty rated white ones to take your socks off and to wring them free of as much water as you can and then put them back on and then to put your Bunny Bootsback on. The the boots will do their magic to keep your feet warm cold wet socks becoming warm wt socks in no time at all.

It seems does feel a bit strange are first having damp feet all the time. And the card warms that the skin may turn white from prolonged dampness but assures it will return to normal when you are able to put on dry socks and stay out of the elements where the boots are not needed. I wrote about the wonderful P38 mini can opener also developed by the military a while back. The Army while I was in the service issued a down sleeping bag that was also pretty phenomenal at keeping one warm in very cold outdoor temperatures. But Mickey Boots and Bunny Boots take the prize for cold weather foot protection. That design is about as old as I am but I know of no boot that I would trust my little piggies to sooner.

The cold weather is barely begun in Wisconsin but I will be wearing my Mickey(s) anytime the temperature nears freezing down to minus twenty and I have a slightly used set of white Bunny(s) in my work truck to slip on should the temperature drop below that down to minus forty. As the song says, “Button up your overcoat when the wind is cold. Take good care of yourself…” I saw a few snow flakes on the way home from work last night. I am still expecting that birthday snow I ordered last week. The weather man is saying it is on its way.

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White