Our friends over at FreeMilitaryPhotos.com sent over this great close-up this morning of a combat boot squish-squishing along the soppy ground. According to the photo caption, the boot belongs to a U.S. Soldier from Red Platoon, Combined Security Force who is conducting quick response force rehearsals at the Emergency Response Unit Compound in Kirkuk, Iraq.

Now it’s time to test your boot knowledge. Can you guess what brand of military boots is pictured above? Is it Bates, Converse or Danner? How about Tactical Research, Rocky or Oakley? Check back tomorrow for the answer.

No, this isn’t the best way to wash your boots. However, @lamontcaldwell says it’s the first step to break in military boots. He tweeted to “jump in the shower in ‘em” yesterday evening along with the picture above.

But before you blindly follow his advice, do check out some additional resources. According to eHow, the first step to breaking in boots is to wear them around the house. Essortment agrees with eHow’s advice because testing the boots at home  will prevent typical wear and tear.

For those who have gone far beyond breaking in their boots, why not enter to win free military boots for life? MilitaryBoots.com is searching for the most busted pair of boots out there. All you have to do is send a picture of your boots to us by March 31, 2010. For more details, check out the official Converse Military Boots for Life page.

Other than to look cool, one obvious reason for tucking BDUs into your boots is too keep out any unwanted creepy crawlies and any other sort of debris that can be flying around. Can you imagine how uncomfortable that would be?!

Moreover, soldiers are constantly on the move, and they don’t want to get pants caught on anything that might slow them down. And it sure keeps in the heat during cold weather missions.

There’s also another big reason why soldiers stuff their pants in their boots: It’s a requirement.

According to Army Regulations 670-1: “Soldiers will wear the trousers bloused, using the draw cords or blousing rubbers, if the trousers are not tucked into the boots. Personnel will not wrap the trouser leg around the leg tightly enough to present a pegged appearance. Soldiers will not blouse the boots so that the trouser leg extends down to the ankle area. When bloused, the trousers should not extend below the third eyelet from the top of the boot. When soldiers wear the sleeves of the coat rolled up, the camouflage pattern will remain exposed. Personnel will roll the sleeves neatly above the elbow, no more than 3 inches above the elbow.”

Now that you have to do it, here’s how: First put on socks, pants and boots. Tie your boots and bring your pant leg to just above the combat boot. Pull the blousing string tight around your leg so it’s sitting right above the top of your boots. Tie the string in a knot, and tuck it underneath the pant cuff. Pull down the rest over the boot.

And then there are trouser blousers. You can use those, too. Or if you plan on wearing leather with your boots, check out the how-to demonstration below.

(Image via D Sharon Pruitt)

If you didn’t watch 60 Minutes on Sunday, then you missed an excellent profile on Kathryn Bigelow, director of The Hurt Locker. The movie about a bomb tech in Iraq is receiving oodles of Oscar buzz and is said to be the front runner for the top award on Sunday (with Avatar’s blue people trailing right behind).

Even though the critics adore The Hurt Locker — calling it “the best war movie in years” — and its female director, there’s been a backlash about the movie, especially in the military community. While some have pointed out inaccuracies, others say the underlying theme, that war is a drug, has a lot of truth to it.

We watched the movie a few weeks ago and couldn’t take our eyes off all the military boots. That, and the realistic approach to film making. Bigelow used four cameras simultaneously to capture scenes, and actors never knew where the cameras would be — guerrilla film making for guerrilla warfare. This tactic is what’s earned her much acclaim.

There is a very dizzying, immediate reality to it all — a reality that brings most audiences closer to the war than they’ve ever been. However, because of this stark, authentic feel, plot inaccuracies truly are a blow. Maybe if they would have just untwisted the plot some, did a little bit more research … but as everybody knows, nothing is perfect in Hollywood. Movie makers train for years to totally distract us from these mistakes by pairing lots of pretty people with exciting explosions. So tricky!

Do you think The Hurt Locker will win best picture? Rooting for anybody else? Or do you even care? Until Sunday!

• Know how much ammo you’ve got with the EMA Tactical countdown magazine. (Kit Up)
• Concealed carry now welcome in National Parks. (ITS Tactical)
• Military movies on the rise. (Not Your Average Brooklynette)
• ACU blast from the past. (Soldier Systems)
• BDUs, DCUs, ACUs … times change right along with the uniforms. (Army Blogger Wife)
• From Fort Redneck to the Truckmahal, this picture is ripe for captioning. (Military Times)
• Reporting live from the Department of You Have to Be Kidding Me. (Abu Muqawama)
• Best letter to the editor. Ever. (Stars and Stripes)
• Looks like someone’s got a hankering for military vehicles. (Daly History Blog)
• There’s love in the milblogosphere! (Bouhammer)
• *Ring, ring* Hello? It’s a Cyber War Wake-Up Call!! (Defense Tech)
• There’s a new armored capsule for Humvee in town. (DoD Buzz)
• And now it’s time for a nice, relaxing mud bath. (Line of Sight)

Danner Women's Dessert Arcadia Boot

Danner is moving into a new factory in Portland, Ore., the company’s parent company LaCrosse Footwear announced earlier this month.

According to The Oregonian, this announcement came a week after the boot manufacturer posted record fourth-quarter sales,  a result of increasing demands for military and outdoor boots.

Located one mile from its corporate headquarters, the 59,000-square-foot facility is twice the size of its previous factory, which was also located in Portland. The company said the new facility would enable to meet a growing demand worldwide for its customers in the work, military, law enforcement, outdoor recreation, hunting and Japanese markets.

“Danner is an iconic brand, whose boots have been hand-crafted in Portland since 1933, incorporating the highest standards of design, materials and construction,” said Joseph Schneider, president and CEO of LaCrosse Footwear, in a prepared statement. “Our new facility will enable us to extend this great tradition of superior craftsmanship.”

According to BusinessWeek, Lacrosse posted sales of $139.2 million for 2009, a 9 percent year-over-year increase.

From Free Military Photos: Thor, a military working dog, and his handler, Cpl. Deano Miller, walk through a town at Combat Center Range 220 Jan 31. The dog and handler are part of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., and will deploy with the unit.

Last month Gear Scout posted a sneak peak of a new water combat boot from Oakley. The boot, which is not yet listed on Oakley’s website, will join its Tactical Six ($130) and Elite Assault Boot ($500), both newer boots from the military/duty line. According to Gear Scout’s sneak preview, the boot features strategic slits that allow water passage and improved traction. The boots debuted at SHOT Show, so expect more details in the coming weeks.

Oakley's New Water Combat Boot

The second isn’t necessarily a new boot as much as a new boot color. For those already familiar with Belleville’s Tactical Research combat boots know that it comes in desert tan, sage green and black. And you can now add MultiCam to that list. With the new color, the boot still touts all the same features like an “over-lasted” EVA midsole for shock attenuation and a stabilizer strap for the heel and ankle.

Tactical Research MultiCam Kiowa

Introduced less than a year ago, the boots sport a low profile much like footwear seen in wrestling, Nascar and outdoor markets. This type of boot improves the grip and feel, said Glen Becker, president of Tactical Research for Belleville Shoe Company, in the video below.

UPDATE: Love these boots? They’re now for sale at MilitaryBoots.com for $89.99.

Manufactured to meet U.S. Army Regulations, the boots come in two styles — Paladin and Kiowa. “With the Kiowa pattern we are going after that market that is highly involved in light assault operations,” said Becker. “The boot is tailored for U.S. soldiers involved in tactical operations where lightweight footwear is critical.”