▁They ▁were ▁designed ▁to ▁be ▁hard - we aring ▁and ▁long - last ing ▁rather ▁than ▁comfortable . ▁The ▁h ob n ail - stud ded ▁sol es ▁made ▁a ▁loud ▁cr unch ing ▁sound ▁when ▁the ▁wear er ▁was ▁march ing , ▁ear ning ▁them ▁the ▁nick name ▁" cr unch ies ". ▁ ▁Sold iers ▁were ▁issued ▁two ▁pairs ▁of ▁bo ots , ▁both ▁made ▁with ▁a ▁brown ▁finish ▁that ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁pol ished ▁black . ▁There ▁was ▁a ▁brief ▁period ▁( 1 9 0 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 4 ) ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁issued ▁one ▁pair ▁that ▁was ▁hand - pol ished ▁in ▁black ▁for ▁para de ▁and ▁dr ill ▁and ▁one ▁pair ▁finished ▁in ▁raw ▁brown ▁hide ▁for ▁fat igue ▁duty ▁and ▁field ▁service . ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁forced ▁the ▁re version ▁to ▁brown ▁le ather ▁bo ots ▁for ▁Other ▁R anks ▁but ▁pol ished ▁black ▁bo ots ▁were ▁still ▁worn ▁by ▁some ▁individuals ▁or ▁units ▁out ▁of ▁habit . ▁Offic ers , ▁who ▁purchased ▁their ▁own ▁uniform s , ▁were ▁still ▁required ▁to ▁wear ▁pol ished ▁brown ▁bo ots ▁and ▁matching ▁le ather ▁Sam ▁Brow ne ▁bel t ▁with ▁their ▁field ▁service ▁uniform , ▁mark ing ▁them ▁apart ▁from ▁their ▁men . ▁Offic ers ' ▁bo ots ▁had ▁he el ▁pl ates , ▁but ▁lack ed ▁the ▁sole ▁stud s ▁and ▁toe ▁pl ates ▁because ▁they ▁could ▁afford ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁sol es ▁replaced . ▁The ▁later ▁Bo ots , ▁General ▁Service ▁adopted ▁in ▁