Russian Army Boots

Question regarding slip on, high top, black boots, as used by Soviet/German Armies?

The German and Russian, and Finnish armies used long, slip on, boots without laces for their armies for two world wars. I don't understand it. If you don't have laces, there is absolutely nothing to keep the boot from sliding, and you developing massive blisters every time you walked.

I asked this question to an older Finnish man, (my father is from Norway, and we went back to visit his family several times), and this Finnish guy said you do not wear socks in high top army marching boots. You are issued these 2 really big pieces of cotton called "foot clothes," and you have to learn how to wrap them around your feet. You wrap them in such a special way, that you put a thick layer of cloth around your ankle so that the foot is held into boot by the thick layer of cloth around the ankle.

Is this true? Does anyone know anything about this?

Yeah, thats absolutely the truth. Im Russian. These things called 'portyanky' in russian. If you dont know how to wrap them right, your legs will hurt alot, sometimes even will bleed. This is a piece of fabric about 35cmх90cm. In winter they made of 50%cotton and 50%wool, in summer - pure cotton. The soldiers wear portyanky even now in our army. My dad wore them in his twenties, my friends wore them in army some years ago. This 'foot clothes' wears out less than socks, they dry faster. And it is almost impossible in army to find the right size of high slip on boots. Its easier with portyanky Ive heard that our Defence Ministry is going to stop using them in army. I have no idea how..:/ For that everybody in our army must have lace boots. Well, im a girl only, but thats what i know about...
oh, watch this, btw:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdstBUygtWc

Wenger Swiss Army Boots

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