Summary
Special helmets and armored vests have given American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan some protection against enemy bullets, but there has been no reliable defense against exploding land mines.
BFR Holdings of Hong Kong is selling what it calls the answer: a boot based on the technology behind bulletproof vests. The BFR (“blast and fragment resistant”) boot is made with a woven protective fabric called Twaron, and corrugated strips of aluminum and stainless steel that absorb the shock of a mine blast.
Lee Fook Kiong, BFR’s chief executive, said the boots do not eliminate the risk of mine injuries. “I’m not going to say that with this you can walk on water,” he said.
Analysis
People have looked into specializing in niche things such as shoes which means why haven’t more “simple” areas been targeted? Have vests, pants, helmets, and other wearables been upgraded to meet the needs of today’s users? The more I have read the more I have learned that people in a triage situation feel enormous amounts of pressure in addition to the danger they sense they are in. Are there ways that the things that already exist be more tailored to make the users feel safer, maybe less pressure, if someone has found a way to adapt boots to withstand partial land mines then why can’t we explore other garments or wearables to make soldiers feel safer?
