It doesn't on a Landrover though - a squaddy's boots merely polish the resulting bare metal & keep it rust free!

Isn't it made from ally on a LR though?

I'm not sure Russ, I'll find out for sure tonight - my mate's replacing the bulkhead on his ex-army one at present

IIRC bulkhead and chassis are steel, the rest is ally.

Having a look at the ex-army Series III last night, it does have ally floor plates but as you say, the bulkhead is steel and you can see where the metal is polished through the paint.

Going back to a bare floor then, I'm sure if it was painted & protected enough, the only bit that would wear is the bit where your feet are and then if you use the car enough, rust wouldn't have time to build up. Only if the car was allowed to stand unused for enough time would corrosion build up IN THAT AREA and then, exactly the same would happen if moisture was allowed to get trapped under carpet surely?