American-made boots issued to U.S. Marines began falling apart within days during training in the Arctic, forcing some troops from the field and leaving commanders scrambling for replacements.
The failures occurred in Norway as Marines prepared for Cold Response 2026, a massive exercise intended to “showcase how U.S. forces could operate alongside other NATO countries,” Newsweek reported Thursday.
But holes opened in the leather, soles separated from the boots, and freezing water seeped inside while Marines crossed snow and ice carrying heavy packs.
“Enormous sets of issues started coming up,” an unnamed Pentagon official told Newsweek.
Some Marines were pulled from the field after their soles peeled away or plastic in the heels dug into their tendons, the official said. Norwegian-made replacements were eventually obtained locally, including pairs purchased from nearby stores.
But the problem extended beyond the exercise. Inspectors later examined 4,423 boots at Camp Lejeune and found 538 defective pairs.
A military presentation reviewed by Newsweek called the April results “an alarming rate of defective pairs.”
“It said the follow-up inspection in July ‘revealed a substantially higher incidence of defects, indicating a notable deterioration in product quality between the two inspection periods.”'
The Marine Corps said manufacturer Belleville Boot Co. agreed to replace the defective boots one for one. Belleville said it was addressing the concerns and remained committed to improving quality, according to Newsweek.
The failures come as Congress considers stricter rules requiring military footwear to be manufactured entirely in the United States.