What gives with the strap on the foot?

June 21, 2007 7:18 PM

I was hanging out with a U.S. Navy officer. I noticed that he had something unknown to me on his feet...

The strap was about 1/2 inch wide in a figure 8 shape. The first loop went around his foot, under the arch and over the top. The second loop, connected to the first was around the ankle. The top of that was up under the pant leg so it wasn't obvious what is was for.

He was wearing standard Navy Khakis. So it wasn't one of things for the blousing effect. Also the strap looked like elastic material like the stuff on underwear bands, but black.

Mormon underwear? Strap down for a side-arm? He's a bad-ass so ya never know. This is a silly question, but I just couldn't ask him about it.

posted by snsranch to grab bag (16 comments total)

Ankle holster?
posted by b1tr0t at 7:26 PM on June 21, 2007

They're called "shirt stays".
posted by dblslash at 7:32 PM on June 21, 2007

I've never met a Navy officer who didn't like to wear a bit of lingerie now and then...

...but seriously...was he barefoot (and if so--why? you naughty saucepot!)...or did the thing go over his shoe?
posted by troybob at 7:34 PM on June 21, 2007

They're called "shirt stays".

On his feet?
posted by brain cloud at 7:40 PM on June 21, 2007 [1 favorite]

Yeah you use them to make sure your shirt stays tight / less wrinkley / professional. They are hell of uncomfortable.
posted by bigmusic at 7:40 PM on June 21, 2007

A drawing of shirt stays.
posted by devilsbrigade at 7:43 PM on June 21, 2007

what a nefarious contraption. What happens if you bend your knee with that on?
posted by subtle_squid at 7:51 PM on June 21, 2007

A drawing of shirt stays.

OK, that's just messed up. I can't look at that without imagining somebody standing up too fast and getting flung across the room like a rubber band.
posted by brain cloud at 8:36 PM on June 21, 2007 [3 favorites]

My first thought was an anti-static footstrap for ESD protection. But on re-reading, you mentioned he's an officer, so probably not....
posted by jpeacock at 9:22 PM on June 21, 2007

Those are definitely shirt stays. I never wore them in the Navy but most of the overweight individuals used them to keep their shirts tucked in when they sat for 4+ hours at a time or bent over.

An aside to the comments, it's pretty common for the shirt stays that clip to socks to come off and shoot up and sting the wearer in the thigh. Sometimes I miss the Navy...
posted by hammerthyme at 9:23 PM on June 21, 2007

I remember the first time I came across these things, it was a CPO in boot camp, who was advising us on how to be a "4-0 squared away sailor". He also advised us to sew the pockets of our summer whites shut so that we woulnd't use them and thus get our uniforms dirty, and on the extreme importance of a "straight gig line". I was floored, it was terrifying to think this idiot might be giving me orders in a combat situation. I think the Navy has a policy for putting nut jobs in boot camps to keep them out of harms way.
posted by doctor_negative at 10:21 PM on June 21, 2007

Theres a possibility it might have been an achilles tendon strap or something to help with plantar fasciitis.

But for a Navy guy, a shirt stay is just as likely.
posted by GuyZero at 7:20 AM on June 22, 2007

I'm not overweight but, gee, I'd like to find a bit less draconian method for keeping my shirt nice and neat inside my pants. I'm constantly tucking it in.

What do the rest of you do?
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 1:44 PM on June 22, 2007

Yea, the gentleman was definitely a Big n Tall kinda guy. Thanks, now I can quit obsessing on it.
posted by snsranch at 4:10 PM on June 22, 2007

yup, they're shirt stays, and I wore them all the time. They're not for fat people... they do a great job of keeping your shirt bloused just right - so much so that at times I even wear them with a regular 'civilian' suit.

Don't knock 'em till you've tried 'em... just make sure you don't mind a yanked leg hair every once in a while!
posted by matty at 7:15 PM on June 22, 2007

Uh, "a" yanked leg hair? I have bald spots. Not that I'm complaining; it's hard to look good without wearing them.
posted by wtdoor at 4:58 AM on February 12, 2008