Aeromax Astronaut Boots

Product Information

With temperatures on Mars ranging from a low of -176°C (-284°F) to a high of +30°C (+86°F), the boots will have to be designed with a proactive heating/cooling system. An ideal system to maintain foot temperature would use a liquid, especially if it has a high specific heat capacity.

As head of advanced development, Joe Kosmo worked on the design of a number of space suits used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), beginning with the Mercury programme in the 1960s – including the boots used by astronauts for spacewalks and during the Moon landings. Originally an aeronautical engineer, Mr Kosmo was approached in the early days with an interesting proposition – to help develop life support systems for space suits. At first, he was unsure about how his skills could be put to use, saying: “I don’t know much about space suits.”Rather than looking to traditional, clunky moon boots for inspiration, Reebok and DCC modeled their new space boot after Reebok's Floatride Run athletic shoes, which contain ultralight foam that adds comfort without adding too much weight to the midsole. "On the space boot, the rubber traction, the float foam and the stabilizing foam that sits above the float foam are identical to the Floatride Run, so the feel underfoot will feel very similar," Hobson explained. Reebok named its new boot the Floatride SB-01.

With their matching boots and spacesuits, astronauts will be riding in style on Boeing's future flights to the space station. But more importantly, the new apparel will help make spaceflight more comfortable for astronauts than ever before.Because there are so many unknown factors about the exploration of Mars, it is difficult to accurately plan the exact nature of the work clothes the astronauts will need to wear. However, what is obvious is that footwear will need to be pressurised, as the Martian atmosphere is so thin. NASA uses a suit called an ‘Extravehicular Mobility Unit’ (EMU) while Russia’s cosmonauts wear an ‘Orlan’ suit (Russian for ‘eagle’). Both of these suits and their corresponding boots are functionally very similar – they are designed to allow a crew member to perform operations in the vacuum of space while in the immediate vicinity of a spacecraft, although neither is designed for use on the surface of a body like the Moon or Mars. The current Chinese spacesuit was based on the Russian Orlan-M design and was worn by astronaut Zhai Zhigang during China's first-ever spacewalk on September 27th 2008. Adjusting the boots is likely to call for a ratchet and line closure system involving metal wire, as this does not require knots to be tied. Such a system would allow the boots to be loosened and tightened while the wearer is still in a pressurised suit, which will likely be quite restrictive in nature. Using metal wire as opposed to more traditional materials will cut down on ultraviolet (UV) degradation and improve resistance to wear. Ed White was the first NASA astronaut to leave the protection of his spacecraft when he ‘walked’ in space for 22 minutes in June 1965. The boots he wore did all that was expected of them and proved a valuable stepping-stone to achieving the stated goal of putting a man on the Moon before the end of the 1960s. Walking on the Moon There are both subtle and more prominent construction variations between both styles which include the below:

There are currently three nations which have manned space programmes – the USA, Russia and China, although a number of other countries have announced plans for limited goals for the future. China became the third nation to achieve independent human spaceflight capability by sending Yang Liwei on a 21-hour flight on 15th October 2003. Requiring good flexibility under very low temperatures, the ‘RTV630’ sole was manufactured from silicon by the General Electric Company, and featured a ¼ inch tread. A fabric incorporating stainless steel was selected for the covering of the outer boot, as this provided good abrasion resistance. Testing times The heel panel on the Derby boot is decoratively stitched while the Astronaut style has an additional panel which is top-stitched. The join design at the sides of the boots are varied. The Derby boot is a curved design, while the Astronaut is more angular.Both styles are manufactured using the same Hi-Shine leather which means the leather and general care for both styles is identical. To learn more about caring for your leather and footwear, read our shoe care tips here. Prototypes for the Apollo boots were first designed in 1962 and, within six years, a definitive design had been forged. During the Apollo programme, this footwear gradually evolved, with the last changes made in 1972. If you return an item for exchange, you will have to pay a repost fee, to have the replacement sent to you. We will not accept the return of any item(s) that has been modified, this includes but is not limited to the application of shoe care products, footwear that has been re-soled, footwear that has been stretched, belts that have been resized. Due to Health and Hygiene reasons we are unable to accept underwear garments unless they are faulty.