During NATO's Arctic exercises in Norway, US Marines have encountered problems with their military boots. Some soldiers found holes in their new boots, the soles began to peel off, and icy water was seeping inside. This was reported by Newsweek magazine, citing a Pentagon spokesman and US military documents.
The problems were discovered during training sessions leading up to the Cold Response 2026 exercise. More than 25,000 soldiers participated in Norway, and more than 7,000 more joined in Finland. The participants included approximately 3,000 U.S. Marines, most of whom were deployed as part of the II Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
The servicemen navigated through Norwegian snow and ice, walking and skiing while carrying heavy packs. It was in these harsh conditions that the defects in the shoes began to manifest themselves.
According to a Pentagon spokesman, some Marines had their soles separate from the rest of their shoes, while the plastic heels were digging into their tendons. In other cases, the heels wore out quickly due to the inner lining, and the lace eyelets loosened.
The American boots had to be replaced
A report from the US Army in early 2026 cited "significant defects" in the specialized extreme cold weather boots. The Marine Corps confirmed that the problems were related to the Belleville Intense Cold Weather Boots model.
Because of these defects, the Marines needed to replace the boots. A Pentagon spokesman said that the Norwegian Armed Forces had assisted the Americans in obtaining the M77 boots, made by the Norwegian company Alfa. A spokesman for the US Marine Corps Command in Europe and Africa noted that the US Army had used the established mechanism for host nation support to purchase the boots locally. At the same time, the spokesman denied reports that a shipment of spare shoes had been diverted.
The problems with the shoes continued even after the Marines returned to the United States. Inspections of the available stock at the bases were carried out, where the defective shoes were also found.
The inspections revealed hundreds of defects
Inspections of Belleville Intense Cold Weather shoes were carried out at Marine Corps bases in April and July of this year.
In April, inspectors examined 2,642 pairs of shoes and found 183 with defects. In July, another 1,781 pairs were inspected, with 355 of them found to have defects.
A total of 4,423 pairs of boots were inspected, with 538 of them found to have defects. The Marine Corps confirmed the findings.
A military report noted that the industry standard for defect rates is between 2 and 3 percent. The rate of defective products found in the July inspection was higher than that found in the April inspection.
The Marine Corps said the results of the inspection led to the development of a corrective action plan for the Belleville company. The plan calls for individual replacements of the defective boots, designed for extreme cold conditions.
Belleville said it is working directly with the Marines to address the issues and is working to quickly correct the defects.
The issue has sparked debate about U.S. manufacturing
The Cuban situation comes amid a broader debate about requirements for U.S. military footwear manufacturing.
Under U.S. law, Pentagon funds generally cannot be used to purchase foreign-made military footwear unless there is a specific exemption. A separate bill, known as the BOOTS Act, proposes even stricter requirements for the footwear that service members can wear as part of their uniform. Specifically, it provides that the use of additional combat boots will be permitted only if they are manufactured entirely in the United States using American materials and components.
At the same time, supporters of the changes and military representatives are discussing whether American manufacturers are able to provide the necessary quantity and quality of the shoes.