Stability while shooting - boots

First topic message reminder :

Hopefully this topic belongs here, and I'm not wasting everyone's time.

I bought a pair of Georgia Boots a few years ago, with a steel toe cover, and pretty heavy-duty construction.  My brother turned me onto the idea, and once they broke in a little, I enjoyed them.  He also wears "Timberland" boots, so I tried on a pair, and liked them even more.  Since then I bought another two pairs.  Very comfortable, and I'm always wearing them, especially at the range. If the range is wet, they're water proof.

Anyway, for ages now I've been dry-firing, usually with boots on, but occasionally just my socks.  With just socks, it's easier to lock in the "elevation" of the gun sight.  When I get to the range, it's more difficult, but I was way too slow to put all this together.  Today, while going for a walk, I noticed my Timberland boots acted like "rocking chairs".  Either one allowed me to rock front and back.  I got home, and did some testing.  The worn Timberland boots lost the "stiffness" in the bottom of the boots. With little effort I could flex them back and forth.  My new Timberland boots were much better, and my Georgia Boots felt like they were solid objects that my feet went into - they didn't rock at all.


Thinking back on this, I think I'd be better off shooting in just my socks, with the bottom of my feet flat on the ground.  Since that's not very practical, the next time I go to the range, I'll try the Georgia Boots.

It's easy to test for this - first, hold the boot or shoe in your hand, and feel how "stiff" it is, and then put it on the ground and see what happens if you deliberately try to "rock it" forward and back.

As for me, I think I've been shooting for a good long while while my feet/shoes/boots are acting like flexible rocking chairs.  Dumb.

If this is useful to anyone, great - but I suspect most of you already know this from long ago.  I'm putting it in the "Equipment Forum" because that's where I think it belongs.

OMG
I’m going to vom!

inthebeech wrote:OMG
I’m going to vom!

Just wait until Tony H displays his zebra skinned acrylic healed brogues!

Wobbley wrote:If you want stability…(a little difficult to move around tho)…

Jimmy Hoffa lace ups...

I think I know of at least once HM who shoots in sandals. Maybe its not about the type of footwear you have.

Sandals, socks, and even bare feet effectively place your foot solidly on flat ground.  I've got a pair of what the Indians call "Chappals", which flatten on the ground due to a person's weight, and my feet "flatten" against the chapels.

My Timberland boots don't do this - the bottom of the boots are shaped like a rocking chair.  They easily rock forward and backward.  That's what prompted me to post this thread.


The most frustrating part, for me, is that for the past year I have fought that movement, without realizing what I was doing.  I was too busy "doing" to think about "what I was doing".  I only realized this when I was standing still, and consciously became aware that the boots were "rocking" one way or the other, forward or backward.


Not much for safety, but great for allowing a person's foot to be "flat" on the floor, almost like bare feet:

Are you trying to stand on the balls of your feet without any weight on your heels?

The soles are curved so you can walk ... or hike. Flat stiff soles, not so much. Back when I was racing dirtbikes, we had a Hare Scrambles with a LeMans start. I had never tried to run wearing MX boots before ... ;-)

Boots for rifle are regulated so someone doesn't show up with soles made from 4x4's for kneeling. There's also some sort of regulation regarding how far the sole can extend in front. Roughly 11 ft-lbs, BTW.

My everyday shoes rock, if I rock in them. It takes a bit of conscious effort to stand still and weight my heel and ball evenly.* I might do better with my hiking boots. I generally wear them for rifle, but there have been times I forgot to pack them and had to shoot in my regular shoes. I didn't notice any huge issue with standing, but there's a difference in my leg position in sitting from the difference in width and sole thickness.'

* Bullseye clinic I attended awhile back, one of the exercises was to simply stand still and pay attention to the muscle movements required to do so. Builds control and stability, mainly by helping to develop nerve endings in the muscles (I'm guessing, that's the point of working with free weights instead of machines with cables).

BTW, Thanks John ...

WesG wrote:......My everyday shoes rock, if I rock in them. It takes a bit of conscious effort to stand still and weight my heel and ball evenly........

That is precisely the problem, and is the reason why I posted this thread.  I've been "fighting this" for as long as I can remember, but it is solved by wearing boots or shoes that don't "rock".  I clearly remember my trying to keep the dot "level", by fiddling with my feet.  There was no stability.  They were as stable as....   well, as a rocking chair!

I asked because one of my regular exercises is to stand on one leg to help with balance and I find that I am the most stable when wearing my Timberland work boots. Bare foot is the least stable for me.

Small update.  I have three pair of Timberland boots, one that I've been wearing most every day for two years or so, another pair that I bought for a spare, and a third pair I've never worn yet.  My problem with the boots I've been wearing apparently is that they're worn out.  The sole lost any stability to remain flat.  I put on my second pair, and they seem to work just fine.  So the first pair probably goes into the dumpster tomorrow.

When you wear something day after day, almost every day, you don't notice small changes like this - at least I don't.  I'm glad I solved this, as Timberland boots are extremely comfortable.

Would DAV or Goodwill be a better option than a dumpster?