In pursuit of full compliance with the Berry Amendment, the DoD and lawmakers are considering proposals from industry (most notably New Balance) to begin purchasing a standard issue running shoe for new recruits. This proposal ignores the fact that not all recruits have the same feet, and a single issue running shoe will only be the right shoe for a small percentage of new recruits, while the majority will be forced to wear ill-fitting shoes that could potentially damage their feet.
The health and safety of recruits is more important than where their running shoes were made, and forcing a single shoe upon new recruits would be a classic example of money trumping common sense. Do no allow this idea to go forward. Continue to allow recruits to choose the shoe that is best for for them.



