When Ukrainian soldiers are off the front lines, many swap combat boots for slip-on “tactical Crocs” to avoid injury, illness, and the strain of staying in protective footwear for too long—an improvised comfort shift that is also tied to products made by the U
For Dmytro Zhluktenko, the point of the “tactical Crocs” is simple: when he’s not in the line of fire, he needs to come out of combat boots.
In a YouTube video. the Ukrainian soldier—who recently moved from working as a drone operator to serving as a drone lessons analyst with Ukraine’s 413th Unmanned Systems Regiment “RAID”—showed what he carries and wears when he’s away from the front. His pack included slip-on shoes he described as “tactical Crocs.”.
Zhluktenko told Business Insider that they are “absolutely essential.” “At war, it’s impossible to stay in combat boots all the time. So you have to somehow decompress.”
He described the practical reality of serving in trenches and bunkers for long stretches. Being able to change footwear matters for soldiers moving on and off the front lines. Staying in boots for extended periods in harsh conditions can lead to injury and disease. and getting troops out of combat boots helps prevent infections and fungal diseases. blistering. musculoskeletal issues. and nerve damage. It can also provide psychological relief.
Another Ukrainian soldier, speaking to Business Insider on the condition of anonymity for security reasons, said he uses similar shoes.
Those shoes are also popular with younger soldiers. “It is quite fashionable,” the anonymous soldier said.
Zhluktenko said he wears his “in positions away from the front lines,” in places where there are no Russian drones and “almost no danger.” “So, when it’s safe, I’m wearing my Crocs.”
The pair Zhluktenko wears comes from the Ukrainian company M-TAC, which makes gear for Ukrainian forces fighting Russia. He described them as “quite good, I think, in what they do.” He said they are also “quite cheap,” at just over $8 a pair.
The shoes do not have any connection to the US footwear company Crocs, even though they look similar. Oleksii Donchenko. M-TAC’s chief marketing officer. said the product—which the company describes as a pair of rubber slippers—is “simple everyday footwear” intended for routine use. “for example. in temporary accommodation. bases. or rear-area environments.”.
M-TAC. which makes tactical clothing. military gear. and outdoor equipment. began making its own products in 2014. when Russia annexed the Ukrainian region of Crimea and a conflict in eastern Ukraine continued into Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Donchenko framed that start as a turning point for the company and for Ukraine’s needs. “It was a moment when Ukraine effectively embarked on a path of armed resistance in defense of its European future in the face of Russian aggression.” To defend itself. Ukraine needed high-quality equipment.
He said the company is making “combat gear. tactical clothing. footwear. and equipment developed with direct reference to real wartime experience.” M-TAC says it has thousands of products developed “by our in-house design and engineering teams.” Donchenko called the company “the largest and most recognizable military and tactical brand in Ukraine.”.
M-TAC gear has also appeared in public fundraising moments. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pictured wearing M-TAC gear, including a fleece that sold for around $111,000 at a 2022 fundraising auction for Ukraine.
At the same time, M-TAC does not have any direct government contracts with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Soldiers and civilians alike buy from them directly.
Zhluktenko said his own kit is a mix: state-funded equipment, items he bought himself, and crowdfunded supplies. “What the military provides is good but not always the best fit,” he said. The military, he added, allows soldiers to use personal gear—so they can choose what works best.
The sequence of soldier after soldier is strikingly consistent: combat boots do their job for protection, but when conditions allow relief, a cheaper slip-on option can become part of staying healthy—and staying functional.
Ukraine soldiers tactical Crocs combat boots M-TAC drone lessons analyst 413th Unmanned Systems Regiment RAID footwear trenches fungal infections blistering musculoskeletal issues Zelenskyy