M54 Army Shoe (Themiclesia)
| File:Shoe.fw.png Schematic (3rd party) of the M70 | |
| Type | Shoe |
|---|---|
| Material | Calf leather, kid leather, duck canvas, Maracaibo rubber, copper, steel mesh, beeswax, copper nitrate solution, cotton, glue |
| Manufacturer | Sjinh-lang Crafting Centre (1854–1976), Worldwide Shoe Company Ltd. (since 1976) |
The M70 Army Shoe was the primary standard-issue footwear for Themiclesian infantrymen between 1854 and 1977, intended for use with the Field Dress of the day. It has since been phased out in favour of less costly designs, though they are still very common in Army, particularly when training and exercising. The monicker M54 was given by individuals who appreciate its use in the armed forces; when it was officially issued, it was called the "suburb-use shoe" (郊用鞋).
Origin
The M70 can trace its origins to the "rubber-soled sandles" that the Themiclesian Marine Corps wore in the 18th century. These were Themiclesian grass-woven sandles with a thick mesh of knots, dipped in rubber then cured, to serve as a sole. The rubber offered much-needed grip to shoes worn on the Navy's slick decks, making it immediately popular with the Marines, who needed to move on deck frequently. Prior to this, the Marines, like all individuals on ships, civil or military, were barefoot to avoid slipping on deck; however, since they also needed to work while not on board, and often walking in saline environments, the rubber also prevented salt and sand from irritating their feet. The same technique was adopted by the Sjinh-lang Crafting Centre, when they were commissioned to produce a new shoe for the Army in the 1830s. Because the Army traditionally used leather cleats that often cracked due to excessive marching, the rubber was applied across a perforated layer of leather sewn onto the bottom of the shoe body. This created a shock-absorbent shoe that became popular not only in the forces but for urban wear as well.
The design was improved incrementally from then, since the government actively encouraged research that would improve an infantryman's availability, which would allow the Army to remain as slim as possible. The improved shoe was such an element, meant to protect his foot against debilitating injuries from punctures and sprangs.
Current design
The first design objective was to give better support to the wearer's ankle and other foot joints without relying on the rigidity of the leg, as the shoe had to terminate just above the ankles. The designers substituted the flat of the foot for that same purpose, theorizing that any torsional energy sustained at the ankle, the place most likely to sprain, could be transmitted to the flat of the foot, where torsion is less likely to effect a sprain. Torsion was transmitted through laces that ran around the body of the shoe like a corkscrew, beginning at the ankle and angled to rotate around the heel, making five full revolutions before terminating at the widest point around the sole; another lace went in the opposite direction. The five loops were also tied to each other via shorter pieces of strings, staggered from top to bottom, to ensure the helical laces became taught at the introduction of torsional energy. This novel design forced the flat of the foot to turn in time with the ankle when it was rotated along the diagonal axis, while permitting the joint to bend, so as not to interfere with walking. The body of the shoe was made from a single piece of folded calf's leather, also intended to introduce more rigidity to the shoe; as opposed to most shoes and boots, there are no seams in the shoe body at all. Copper strips inserted lengthwise also serve the purpose of "forcing" the foot to turn with the ankle when twisted.
The design team insulated the leather body with duck canvas treated with beeswax, both hydrophobic and unabsorptive. To inhibit mould from growing on canvas, sheets were treated with copper sulphate, noted for its antifungal and antibacterial properties. This gave it its distinctive blue colouration, though that was not a intention at the design stage. Designers elected Maracaibo rubber to sole the shoe, recognizing its remarkable flexibility and resilience to cracking, under any climate. Its slight tackiness in mild warmth, from the wearer's foot, may have helped to stabilize soldiers' footing when moving on slick terrain. Vulcanization of rubber had by then not been discovered, so the rubber sole was air-cured after it was moulded onto the shoe body. The rim of the sole extended past the widest point of the shoe, and the thinner coat of rubber cooled and shrunk ahead of the rest of the sole, causing it to cling onto the shoe body; the curing process took two to three months to complete. Between the sole and the shoe body, copper strips would dull sharp objects puncturing the rubber sole; having penetrated the copper strip, it would be caught by a steel mesh, unable to cut through it. The tip of the shoe was protected by a web of small copper pyramids with flattened tops facing inwards, connected to each other by hemp and later piano wire. This network permits the shoe's toe to bend relatively freely outwards, but the larger dimensions of the faces away from the wearer prevented excessive deformation of the toe towards the wearer. This design protected both the wearer's toe against both external trauma and gradual injuries generally seen in toes repeatedly colliding with rigid guard pieces.
Structure
- Shell made from one sheet of full-grained leather, pressed into the shape of a shoe, with excess leather not trimmed off but folded to form the sole, 4" tall in profile
- Surface covering made from three layers of duck canvas, each dowsed in beeswax and secured to each other and the shell with animal glue, then treated with copper sulfate for antibacterial and antifungal properties
- Sole protection made from copper sheet and steel mesh inserts
- Sole made from cured India (natural) rubber, mould-formed, then cured
- Inner lining made from one sheet of kidskin leather, press and formed as shell, and treated with copper sulfate, blind-stitched to the shell
- Inner surface made from fine linen
- Laces made from grain of leather, rolled, then braided with silk strings, finally clamped with thick copper dots, threaded through the sole itself and then into holes on the vamp
- Insole made from pressed cork
Reception and use
Advantages
Widely considered to be the best available combat footwear during the PSW, it was possibly one of the few things the Themiclesian soldier had over his allies and enemies. It earned the nickname "blueccasins" (a portmanteau from blue + moccasin) from several countries' troops for its bright blue tinge, which was deemed attractive against the natural-coloured India rubber outsoles. Exceedingly durable and providing excellent support to the wearer's ankles and an unprecedented amount of protection against punctures of the soles. A retired Army officer stated that the shoes represented the government's "commendable empathy and attention" to common soldiers, who were often injured and impaired by inadequately footwear; this is particularly notable, according to the same source, in Ostlandian soldiers' rout at Turov.
Disadvantages
Cost of manufacturing has remained high throughout the shoe's production lifetime, and the degree of specialization found in its manufacturing process has, by and large, prevented an adequate supply of them from existing at any point during the war. The main manufacture at Sjon-rjang only dispatched as little as 133 pairs a day, far too little to supply the nation's growing conscript army. New factories were established during the war, but then shortages in Maracaibo rubber, post-1943, placed a bottleneck in sourcing materials rather than the recently-improved manufacturing capacity. To give the Army a more public profile and extra income, undistributed M70s were retailed to civilians for $200—, mainly to those who wished to display their support for the Army by wearing Army apparel. The civilian version had soles that printed "benefactor" (義捐) whenever the wearer took a step on impressionable terrain. Briefly, celebrities took to wearing them to make the public more aware of the difficulties at the front and demonstrate their concern for the country's safety.
Replacement
A series of policy changes in the 60s and 70s impacted the Army's finances in favour of air and naval defence against Maverica; these cuts were initially borne by eliminating wasteful routines and pursuing economies in staffing. Yet in 1976, the faltering Themiclesian economy and, with it, shrinking budgets required the Army to sell off the Sjinh-lang Crafting Centre, which made the M70, in 1977. This was not entirely unexpected, as the entire defence forces had been transferring a lengthening list of responsibilities to soldiers, particularly those involving up-front payments in cash, in order to maintain solvency under pressure to procure a F-15 fleet. A substitute, the C-100 (pictured on right) was issued with haste, but only to new recruits who did not want to pay for their M70s. Serving soldiers purchased their M70 shoes (at a steeply reduced price) for the remainder of their service.
Current use
The M70 remains a popular choice for many servicepersons, and because the Army's code of conduct generally prohibits soldiers from leaving garrison with non-dress uniforms, they have not been as visible as they were during the PSW. They are still seen in international exercises, worn by some Themiclesian soldiers and by a few from other nationalities. Though, as some commentators have noted, in the age of camouflage, the blue hue will probably "need to go" so soldiers remain less visible, as blue tends to stand out against most backdrops.
It is notable that many movie productions acknowledge the blue M70 as a characteristic trait of Themiclesian soldiers, and celebrities occasionally wear the M70 to evoke the image of the same. For its vibrant colouration, it is also seen in discoes and black light raves, where the chemicals present in the shoe's shell exhibit a particularly brilliant reflection. In the 2018 Saintonge Crisis, M70s were handed out in the hundreds to refugees for its superior qualities. The manufacturer donated 10,000 pairs pro bono and accepted around 30,000 donation orders from the public; additional orders were declined due to insufficient production capacity.
Continued availability
Since the Army was under financial pressure to abandon the factory, that a group of former employees there offered to purchase the premises and tooling for the M70 was greatly welcome to the Army leadership. They did not make unreasonable demands for the crafting house and sold it for value in land only. The Army, in later decades, continues to order special commemorative editions of the M70, given out as prizes to the public. The Army also has an contract with the company, Worldwide Shoes Company Ltd., to depict their products in promotional artwork, and soldiers (but not members of the other branches) receive a 30% discount when purchasing the M70, which partly explains its lingering presence in the Army. In return, the manufacturer annually donates 10% of their net profits to the Army to use the Army's registered marks. As in the war, these shoes are still worn by people who wish to express their support for the Army, particularly in the context of inter-service rivalry, much like scarves are worn by supporters of the Navy and Marine Corps, and berets by those of the Air Force.
Variants
| Variant | Features | Year intro. |
Used by | Price | Patent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1854 original | 1854 |  Themiclesia Army |
$799 | No | |
| B | High-top, available in 5", 6", 8", 10", or 12" | 1961 | Civil only | $799 | No | |
| C | Low-visibility, several patterns in muted colours | 1990 | Sylvan, Aversgard, Hanhae, Eisenmaat Army | $799 | No | |
| D | High-visibility, LED-display panel as outer shell, can be addressed as screen to display images | 2014 | Civil only | $1,299 | Yes | Adaptive camouflage for military use under consideration |
| E | PSW-memorial, reproduction of PSW-era charity version with "Benefactor" footprints | 2015 | Civil only | $1,935 | Yes | Price is reflective of year of PSW commencement |
| F | Non-metallic parts for electrical hazards | 2015 | Civil only | $849 | Yes | |
| G | Breathable, with mesh panels for ventilation | 2016 | Civil only | $799 | Yes | |
| H | Cruelty-free, with artificial leathers and silks | 2018 | Civil and military | $799 | Yes | Recently adopted in some states in interest of vegetarians servicepersons |
| M | Maracaibo, jackboot version | 1970 | Maracaibo Blue Guard | $799 | No | |
| Z | Made-to-order, available on the manufacturer's website | N/A | Civil only | varies | varies |