Gait retraining can lead to persistent changes in vertical ground reaction forces while running in shoes. No studies describe gait retraining in military boots. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate the difference between running in sports shoes and boots, before and after gait retraining, for selected biomechanical parameters, in service members with chronic exercise-related leg pain. Measurements of interest were stride length, cadence, maximal force (N), and maximal pressure (N/ cm 2 ) in three sections of the foot. Forty-one cases were analyzed. At intake, maximal force at the heel and maximal pressure in all sections of the foot were greater in boots. The median duration of the outpatient treatment program was 143 days (IQR 95), containing five gait retraining sessions (range 4-6), with four gait retraining cues repeated in all training sessions. These cues produced reduction in stride length, increase in cadence, reduction in force, and pressure in the heel, and force reduction and pressure increase in the forefoot. However, in boots maximal force and pressure in the mid foot increased. We concluded that the same gait retraining cues can be used to optimize ground reaction forces in running shoes and in military boots.