Rihanna’s Military Look
Counterculture groups like punks and goths have always embraced combat-style boots and dress. The look possesses that very extreme, fight-the-man edge, which typically scares the bejesus out of any little old lady crossing the street.
And then every so often the traditional soldier appearance mixes in with these extreme fashion statements, and it injects its sexed-up self into the mainstream. Such is the case in R&B star Rihanna's new music video for "Hard." She explained the music video's concept to MTV as "couture military. ... We have tanks, we have troops, we've got helicopters, we've got explosions."
In the video, the controversial singer sports an army-green mesh helmet and fatigues, aviator sunglasses, high-waist hot pants, military boots and what appears to be black Sonic the Hedgehog shoulder pads. While some of her outfits are very loosely based on modern soldier uniforms, the gold bikini, which appears later in the video, seems more likely inspired by Xena Warrior Princess or Princess Leia's infamous metal bikini.
What do you think of her Lady Gaga-esque military look? Would anyone serving our country actually wear any of these styles? We're gonna have to doubt it.
7 Ways to Make Your Boots Last Longer, Look Sexier
Combat boots are hot.
You love your boots, don't you? (Well, we certainly do since we run a blog entirely dedicated to them.) So, assuming your adoration runs as deep as ours, you should want to care for them like they were your first and only child … or something along those lines.
Here are seven tips for you, gleaned from the experts themselves -- the people who make them! (Note: Some of these tips apply to only full-grain leather, while others only to suede. Read closely for specification.)
1. Brush 'em. Just like your teeth and hair, your boots need a good bristle lashing to get their cleanest. For full-grain boots, some advise using a stiff brush to remove dust and dirt on a regular basis, while Danner and Belleville both suggest a softer brush. For suede boots, pick a metal bristle brush and lightly stroke the boot -- no heavy scrubbing! Doing so can be damaging to the leather and possibly to your boot-cleaning reputation.
2. Clean 'em. Instead of a brush, you can use a wet rag on full-grain leather boots. Danner offers its Cleaning Gel, which can remove even the tiniest particles of grime and helps with waterproofing. Apply the gel sparingly to wet leather. On the other hand, suede boots should be wiped down only on the inside with a wet, soapy cloth. If your boots have Cordura nylon fabric, that can be tidied up with warm water but NOT polish.
3. Polish 'em. Note: This only applies to certain types of full-grain leather. Utilize a polish containing silicone to keep the leather soft. Wellco suggests you use mink oil, and rub a small coat into the leather and seams with a cloth or dauber. To give them that super-glossy, rock-star look, make sure you buff 'em, too.
4. Waterproof 'em. Even if your boots are awesome enough already to have Gore-tex waterproofing, you still need to treat the leather. If you have a problem with that, consult Danner's Boot Care page, because that's what they say. Apparently water can get in between the leather and Gore-tex liner and create ugly water spots. And nobody wants that. The solution? They propose Danner Waterproofing Gel as a proper solution, which should be applied after boots are cleaned. Once you massage it onto the boot, allow some dry time and then wipe away any extra gel hanging around. However, they do warn: Do not use Danner Waterproofing Gel on nubuck, suede or rough-out leather boots. Instead, use our Danner Waterproofing Spray, which will help maintain the original texture of those products. Whatever you say!
5. Condition 'em. On this one, if you own nubuck, suede and rough-out leather boots, you're in the clear. What does that leave? Full-grain leather! If your boots are made out of full grain, condition them with a boot dressing product to prevent the leather from flaking, cracking or just from looking generally unattractive. Really work in the conditioner with all your might, and let it dry overnight. (And we promise that we didn't plan to have that rhyme. Because that would be awfully trite!)
6. Dry 'em (naturally!). Your best bet, unless you own a professional boot dryer (which, let's face it, you probably don't), is to let those puppies air dry. It will be really tempting to get out a hair dryer or head over to the nearest Wal-Mart bathroom and stick it under a hand dryer, but DON'T DO IT! All that blistering air could put your feet's best friend in critical danger. It's best that you let the sun or air at room temperature take care of it. Plus, that's less work for you, right?
7. Restore 'em. If you've been a neglectful boot parent, it's OK. We forgive you. Although your boots won't until you restore them to their original beauty. No matter how much you've mistreated them in the past, there's a way for you to get those handsome boots back -- but it will cost you. Danner's Recrafting service runs between $45 to $160 and includes repair stitching, hardware and sole replacements, new laces and, of course, a good cleaning and polishing. In the end, it will be well worth it and very "green" of you to do instead of tossing the old pair.
Now forget everything we just told you, and see how a 7-year-old (well, he's definitely young) polishes his military boots...
Are Your Military Boots Hungry?
Aside from protecting feet from all the extreme elements, some have found new (and fairly unusual) uses for their military boots. Namely, they “feed” their boots delicious foodstuffs, and, well, other not-so-delicious items -- hungry for a keyboard case, anyone?
Check out these six boot-crushing videos where military boots mash french fries to modems in less than a few minutes.
1. The title of this first video “Military Mountain Boots Having a Sandwich” is no lie. These hungry, hungry boots indulge (a.k.a. squash) on a pickle and what looks to be cheese and bologna on white bread. Yummy. And messy. Click here to view the video since the user disabled embedding. Or view the rest of his food stomping videos where he pulverizes fruit with military hiking boots, slams a moon pie with Nikes and more!
2. In the next video (below), the rather health-conscious boots crush an ice cube and apple. It also pulverizes a water bottle, which we do not recommend eating.
3. For the fast food junkies, there’s “Lunch Leftovers for Combat Boots,” where an order of McDonald’s fries are compressed to a greasy pulp by US Speedlace boots. It’s a sight that would make even Ronald McDonald cry.
4. Is it a squash? Is it an oversized lemon? A yellow pumpkin? Bootsguy1984 doesn’t specify what this giant yellow mystery fruit is, but it’s almost as big as his foot. However, he does manage to almost flatten it with his Ranger boots. Success!
5. Recommended for a wholesome breakfast, Rice Krispies also make excellent stomping fodder for Harley Slash boots. While some might call this food destruction wasteful, others say it’s a great way to show off the awesome power of military boots.
6. “Death of a Modem” documents the quick destruction of a “noncooperative German DSL modem” by German combat boots. This striking video certainly sends a stern message to all those other modems out there considering an uncooperative route in the future. Watch out!
Not enough boots squishing stuff for you? Continue the destruction here.
Military Boots in the Mainstream
Oakley S.I. Assault Boots
If you've seen the new Terminator Salvation, it's hard to miss Christian Bale's badass Oakley S.I. Assault boots. These boots are adapted from the same ones used by the U.S. special forces. They retail for $175, and can be purchased directly from Oakley.com, or any authorized Oakley dealer.
These assault boots made such an impact that they were even called out by Entertainment Weekly in the Style Hunter section of their June 26, 2009 issue.
And for you soldiers, you'll be glad to know that the desert version of these boots comply with US Army Uniform Spec 670-1.