Air Force Backtracks on Boot Height Standards

Two months after rolling out an eight-inch minimum height requirement for combat boots, the Air Force is cutting the requirement down to six inches to make compliance easier for more Airmen.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David A. Flosi announced the news in a post on Instagram on Sept. 6. An Air Force spokesperson confirmed the change for Air & Space Forces Magazine.

The Air Force measures boot height from the bottom of the heel tread to the top of the back of the boot. In July, the service announced it would require boots rise to at least eight inches but no more than 12. Previously, there was no rule on the height of the boot, only on the height of the boot soles, which was up to two inches, creating a loophole allowing Airmen to wear low-cut boots or even sneakers.

The change would have gone into effect 90 days after the new guidance came out. Airmen now have 12 months to meet the new requirement. Commenters on social media had pointed out that high-top boots don’t clear eight inches in small sizes, leaving smaller-footed Airmen in the wind. The new change appears to respond to that kind of feedback.

“Some issued boots don’t meet the new mark, even though they meet the spirit and intent of the new standard,” Flosi wrote about the eight-inch requirement.

The change came too late for some commenters who said they had already bought new boots to meet the new standard, just to find out their original boots fit the revised six-inch requirement. Flosi said the 12-month implementation guideline gives Airmen time to use their annual clothing replacement allowance on the new boots. 

That allowance is $567.48 for male Airmen with more than three years of service and $582.96 for female Airmen with the same time in service. For Airmen with less than three years of service, its $397.20 and $408.20, respectively. The popular Garmont NFS boot costs about $185, while the OCP camouflage uniform—which troops must replace every so often due to wear, tear, and colors fading with sun exposure—can cost another $100 or more.

Flosi did not preview any other changes to the July update on dress and appearance standards. The update ended a four-year experiment allowing eyelash extension for female Airmen, except for women with certain medical conditions who can seek waivers for extensions up to 12 millimeters long. It also let Airmen roll up the sleeves of their uniforms so that the cuffs are not visible.