Bunny boots or Mickey Mouse boots (depending on the version) are the most common nicknames for the Extreme Cold Vapor Barrier

Boot A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...

s (Types I and II) used by the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...

. These large, bulbous, waterproof rubber boots can be worn in extremely cold weather (for example that are used in the cold winters in Minnesota), , with the liner-free interior retaining warmth by sandwiching up to one inch of wool and felt insulation between two vacuum-tight layers of rubber; this vacuum layer insulates the wearer's feet similar to a

vacuum flask A vacuum flask (also known as a Dewar flask, Dewar bottle or thermos) is an insulating storage vessel that slows the speed at which its contents change in temperature. It greatly lengthens the time over which its contents remain hotter or coo ...

. These boots were originally developed at the Navy Clothing and Textile Research Center in

Natick, Massachusetts Natick ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 37,006 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. west of Boston, Natick is part o ...

, for use during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. Originally designed during the Korean War for military expeditions in extremely cold weather (presently defined by the

National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...

as ), the ECVB Boots are rated to either −20°F to −60°F (depending on the type) and have been sold to civilians in large numbers as

military surplus Military surplus is goods, usually materiel, that are sold or otherwise disposed of when held in excess or are no longer needed by the military. Entrepreneurs often buy these goods and resell them at surplus stores. Usually the goods sold by th ...

. Owing to their warmth and low price, these boots have become staple extreme cold weather gear both in civilian work and recreational environments. Bunny boots are common in

arctic climate The climate of the Arctic is characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers. There is a large amount of variability in climate across the Arctic, but all regions experience extremes of solar radiation in both summer and winter. Som ...

s such as Alaska or Minnesota. The Original U.S. Army military bunny boots had leather uppers with double buckles, with felt lowers and hard leather soles that were very slippery on ice and snow. They came with felt boot liners. In 2024, Alaska Gear Company announced that it had redesigned the original Extreme Cold Weather Vapor Barrier Boots and simply named them Bunny Boots. The Alaska Gear Company Bunny Boots have a taller shank and no air valve. Previously, they were only manufactured for the military but now the public can also buy a new pair.

Description

Type I

The black pairs, called

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...

boots (due to their oversized appearance resembling the feet of the eponymous cartoon mouse), weigh 44 oz. (1.25 kg) apiece, are rated for temperatures down to −20 °F (−28.9 °C) and are made with oil/diesel resistant rubber. They are less common and predate the post-Korea white pairs ("bunny boots") which are still issued today. MickeyMouseBoots

Type II

The white "Bunny boot" is an improved version of the Type I "Mickey Mouse boot", designed for use in even more extreme cold weather, and is rated all the way down to . Given the sufferings of the soldiers fighting in the

Battle of Chosin Reservoir The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Battle of Lake Changjin (), was an important battle in the Korean War. The name "Chosin" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation "''Chōshin'', instead of th ...

in Korea, inducing many cases of

frostbite Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when someone is exposed to extremely low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occ ...

, even with Type I boots, the Type II was created to encompass the "worst case scenario" need to field soldiers in the coldest conditions in which any military force could reasonably attempt to conduct operations (including Alaska, Siberia and both Arctic poles). For comparison, the average winter temperature at the

South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the point in the Southern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True South Pole to distinguish ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

is roughly . The boot is slightly bigger and heavier (~8 oz. (0.22 kg) more per boot) than the black Type I because of the extra insulation. These boots are manufactured by several companies including Bata, Acton and Air Boss. Both Mickey Mouse boots and bunny boots have an air valve on each of the boots. These air valves must be opened prior to flying to ensure that the air pressure differential between the walls of the boot and the outside air does not cause the boots to rupture. The boot is nicknamed after the

snowshoe hare The snowshoe hare (''Lepus americanus''), also called the varying hare or snowshoe rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet. The animal's feet prevent it from sink ...

, which is commonly found near

Fort Greely, Alaska Fort Greely is a census-designated place (CDP) in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. It is home to the Fort Greely military installation. At the 2010 census the population was 539, up from 461 in 2000. Geography Fort Greel ...

. During the fall the hares' fur changes color from brown to white, allowing it to blend in with its winter surroundings. As winter gets closer, more and more hares appear with their new white "boots". Both Mickey Mouse boots and bunny boots have rubber wedges on the front of the toe and the back of the heel. These wedges lock into military-standard

ski Skis are runners, attached to the user's feet, designed to glide over snow. Typically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partially secured heel. For climbing slopes, ski skins c ...

and

snowshoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footw ...

bindings.

Alaskan Bunny Boots

Alaska Gear Company redesigned and recreated original Bunny Boots from 1950s. They retained essential features such as multi-layered

insulation Insulation may refer to: Thermal * Thermal insulation, use of materials to reduce rates of heat transfer ** List of insulation materials ** Building insulation, thermal insulation added to buildings for comfort and energy efficiency *** Insulated ...

and waterproof rubber exterior while advancing the use of modern materials and

ergonomic Ergonomics, also known as human factors or human factors engineering (HFE), is the application of psychological and physiological principles to the engineering and design of products, processes, and systems. Primary goals of human factors engi ...

improvements, such as a moisture-expulsion insole and more traction on the outsole. The major change to the original Bunny boot was the removal of the air valve.

References

External links