Russian Soldiers Finally Replacing Foot Wraps with Socks

At the beginning of this year， Russian defence minister ordered that “by the end of 2013， we need to finally， fully reject foot wraps in our armed forces”.

Foot wraps are squares of cloth in which Russian soldiers have wrapped their feet. They have a history of more than 300 years in Russia.

Before the industrial revolution， foot wraps were common everywhere. They were very practical： far cheaper to make than socks， quicker and easier to wash， dry and mend. They allowed Russia’s hard-pressed factories not to be distracted by making socks. And soldiers can replace them at any time if it need to be.

But the foot wraps need to be worn properly.“One can only wear foot wraps that are wrapped tightly. If not， he could hurt his feet and get painful blisters.” Oleg Dimitriev， who spent two years in foot wraps on military service said.

Analysts suggest the move is not just about making the soldiers’ feet more suitable. Though the foot wraps are meaningful， they are outdated. Nowadays， almost every modern army have replaced foot wraps with socks， so the minister determined to abolish foot wraps.

foot wrap 裹腳布

defence minister 國防部長

reject 拋棄

industrial revolution 工業革命

practical 實用的

mend 縫補

hard-pressed 窘迫的

distract 分心

blister 水皰

military 軍隊的

analyst 評論家

abolish拋棄

Why does Russian army decide to replace foot wraps with socks？

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