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 Though the foot wraps are meaningful, they are outdated.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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