Footwraps Footwraps ( also referred to as " foot cloths " , " rags " , " bandages " or " bindings " , or by their Russian name " portyanki " ) are rectangular pieces of cloth that are worn wrapped around the feet to avoid chafing , absorb sweat and improve the foothold . Footwraps were worn with boot s before sock s became widely available , and remained in use by armies in Eastern Europe up until the beginning of the 21st century . Description . Footwraps are typically square , rectangular or less often triangular . They measure about on each side if square or about on each side if triangular . Thinner cloth may be folded to produce a square , rectangular or triangular shape after folding . Russian army footwraps were made of flannel for use in winter and of cotton for use in summer . Apart from being cheaper and simpler to make or improvise , footwraps are also quicker to dry than socks and are more resistant to wear and tear : any holes can be compensated for by re - wrapping the cloth in a different position . Their principal drawback is that any folds in the wraps , which easily occur during marching unless the wraps are very carefully put on , can quickly cause blisters or wounds . Consequently , armies issued detailed instructions on how to put on footwraps correctly . Footwraps are notorious for the foul smell that they develop when worn under military conditions , where soldiers are often unable to change or dry the cloths for days . Russian veterans used to jokingly pride themselves about the stench of their footwear , referring to their footwraps as " chemical weapons " that would defeat any enemy unaccustomed to the smell . Military use . Footwraps were issued by armies and worn by soldiers throughout history , often long after civilians had replaced them with socks . Prior to the 20th century , socks or stockings were often luxury items affordable only for officers , while the rank and file had to use wraps . Germany . Prussia n soldiers wore " Fusslappen " , footwraps . A 1869 " Manual of Military Hygiene " advised : " Footwraps are appropriate in summer , but they must have no seams and be very carefully put on ; clean and soft socks are better . " A 1867 German dictionary of proverbs records the following saying : " One ' s own footwrap is better than someone else ' s boot . " The German Wehrmacht used footwraps until the end of World War II . They continued to be worn in the East German National People ' s Army until 1968 . Eastern Europe . The Russian and later Soviet armed forces issued footwraps since Peter the Great imported the custom from the Dutch Army in the 1690s . Footwraps remained standard issue in many Warsaw Pact armies . The Belarusian , Ukrainian and Georgian armies eventually abandoned them in favor of socks in the 2000s . In each case , nostalgia about the traditional footwear ran high among soldiers . The Ukrainian army held a special farewell ceremony for its footwraps , with soldiers reciting poems and fables about them . In the Russian army , footwraps remained in use for tasks requiring the wear of heavy boots until 2013 , because they were considered to offer a better fit with standard - issue boots . Their use is to be abandoned by the end of 2013 . Because of their association with the Russian army , footwraps are called " chaussettes russes " ( Russian stockings ) in French .