Have oft heard a story that certain highly trained, mad-staring gentlemen from Hereford and similar places worldwide preferred COTS footwear i.e. Timberland boots?
Might be bollocks... or have been true many years ago before current Gucci-gear military boots were invented.
Tis true from what have seen.
Some of the gear shops in Betws / Capel / Llanberis only employed people who used the mountains extensively, field testing equipment in action.
Mate at the time came across someone he had known when he was in, working there and while he stated "No official Military discount applied" if someone was in and had some proof a decent discount was provided. Only thing they asked in return was to come back in and tell them how the gear worked................ he said seemed to work well.