Coral Shoes - UDT Teams & Modern SEALs

Coral shoes like these helped the Underwater Demolition Teams survive some of the deadliest beaches in World War II. During the war, the UDTs had a deadly job. In addition to surveying and clearing enemy beaches of obstacles in advance of the amphibious landings they faced natural obstacles such as sharp coral. Coral could inflict cuts or scrapes that could take weeks or months to heal. Initially the UDTs used white sneakers that they would dye blue. Eventually the military developed and issued the coral shoes or “coral creepers” shown here. 

Today, Navy SEALs and other aquatic special operations groups sometimes use black Converse Chuck Taylors as improvised dive booties. They are lightweight, flexible, and  enjoy a cult following. If you're feeling more old school PF Flyers still makes a version of their WW2 boot called the Grounder. Another popular option would be the Altama OTB Maritime assault boots. These modern choices are the descendants of the original coral shoes.