The army is banning “minimalist running shoes” — that means Vibram FiveFingers — during physical training, because they detract from a professional image:
There are a variety of minimalist running shoes available for purchase and wear.
Effective immediately, only those shoes that accommodate all five toes in one compartment are authorized for wear.
Those shoes that feature five separate, individual compartments for the toes, detract from a professional military image and are prohibited for wear with the IPFU or when conducting physical training in military formation.
You’d think this was a peace-time army. Anyway, not everyone thinks this was wise:
As to be expected, toe-shoe backers have already launched a campaign against the ban, referring to a photograph of a 10th Special Forces Group soldier jumping off the ramp of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter over the Gulf of Mexico. Yes, in five-toe shoes.
Some military observers are also concerned. “An army that is more concerned with looks versus results is a matter of national security,” writes defense expert Thomas Ricks in Foreign Policy.