The shoepac was a leather boot with rubberized lower top and sole, worn in conjunction with the wool ski sock.

There are four streams that flow into the lake: Norton Creek, Taylor Creek, Strom Creek, and Shoepac River.

While it was effective in keeping feet protected from soaking and freezing ground, the shoepac lacked foot support and tended to wear quickly; it also resulted in incidents of foot injuries when a soldier wearing shoepacs on a march in freezing weather stopped to rest, allowing perspiration-soaked socks inside the boot to freeze.