English Navy captain

[playmofire]

Very smart custom, Hadoque.  By using the new legs rather than, say, the older legs with boots you are more authentic as the sensible choice during battles at sea was silk breeches and shoes rather than high boots.  The reason was that a musket ball would drive the silk breeches into the wound and the ball could be pulled out easily.  (It seems that the ball failed to penetrate the silk.)  With stiff leather boots, the musket ball went into the wound and also drove shards of leather into the wearer's leg, making a much worse wound.

[Hadoque]

the sensible choice during battles at sea was silk breeches and shoes rather than high boots.  The reason was that a musket ball would drive the silk breeches into the wound and the ball could be pulled out easily.  (It seems that the ball failed to penetrate the silk.)  With stiff leather boots, the musket ball went into the wound and also drove shards of leather into the wearer's leg, making a much worse wound.

Thanks for this info, Gordon!
I knew that clothing often caused addtional problems to bullitwounds, but not that this was the major reason to wear shoes and silk breeches at sea.