Posted: 7/29/2025 5:29:03 PM EDT
[Last Edit: BriansM4][Edited]
My son was hired for our local PD, and he just started the academy . He is required to purchase a pair of 8" tactical boots, with a leather tongue/toe that can be polished. To help him get started(He's 19) I'm going to purchase his first pair. However I have no idea what brand/model to buy. We live in Southern Florida, so I am assuming I need to take the heat into account. I would appreciate any suggestions, and personal recommendations Thank you |
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SOCIALISM COMMUNISM AND FACISM ONLY WORK WHEN BOOT HEEL OF A POLITICAL CLASS IS ON THE NECK OF THE WORKING CLASS, PICKING POCKETS FOR THE LEISURE CLASS
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Whatever fits his feet well. Those boots will get a lot of miles. I would take him to a shop to try some on. For lightweight stuff look at altama and combat flip flops, they make a light boot that’s like a cross between a jungle boot and chuck taylors, that may have to be an after academy thing though. |
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Originally Posted By Stang1911: Danner acadias but make sure to get the right fit. Had a pair for years did a few rebuilds on them great boot. Just cost to much now that I no longer need to polish. |
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| Can’t go wrong with the Danner suggestions. Trying them on and seeing what’s comfortable is great advice. Takes a minute to get used to Danners if they have the plastic insert. The bates with the side zip has great traction control. I don’t know how high they are. |
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I am wearing Tactical Research by Belleville Boots. They have been the best I have had in thirty some years. They keep a good shine in addition to being comfortable for extended shifts. Yes, we wear regular uniforms and shine our shoes. https://www.bellevilleboot.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=139 |
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Originally Posted By Stang1911: Danner acadias but make sure to get the right fit. Danner's are expensive, but will last a very long time. And when the sole is worn out, a cobbler can replace that, because the leather (provided he takes care of it) will still be a great shape 5 years down the line. |
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Honestly, you're going to need him to try various boots on. I've seen some good suggestions here but no two sets of feet are the same. Over my 27 years, I've owned numerous makes and styles of boots. I've even bought the same boots three times in a row because I liked them so much. Bad part of that, the third pair wasn't like the first two. Tell you son to try on several styles and makes to see what he actually likes; not what we like. Good luck to him and you! |
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Originally Posted By Tipsovr: Honestly, you're going to need him to try various boots on. I've seen some good suggestions here but no two sets of feet are the same. Over my 27 years, I've owned numerous makes and styles of boots. I've even bought the same boots three times in a row because I liked them so much. Bad part of that, the third pair wasn't like the first two. Tell you son to try on several styles and makes to see what he actually likes; not what we like. Good luck to him and you! Absolutely this. I’ve bought boots that others swore by as the best, but for me, they were meh at best, horrible at worst. Nothing about build quality or anything like that, they simply just didn’t fit my feet well despite being sized correctly. This subject comes up so often ARFCOM needs a sticky at the top of this forum with the above post quoted. |
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Acadias are great boots but unless you have absolutely zero intention of running/chasing after someone, I wouldn't buy them. They are like cinder blocks on your feet. In florida, it's hot, similar to here in South Texas. Acadias are hot as well. Boots are a personal purchase. It's something he needs to look for and try on and buy. Solomons are popular, Lowa's as well. Recommend something more like a shoe/boot than a military boot. |
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Originally Posted By JonLSU: Solomons are popular, Lowa's as well. Recommend something more like a shoe/boot than a military boot. Great fit with the above, Lowa are the best duty boot I’ve ever worn 30 years. German made… best water proofing as well. Much of the other stuff on the market is cheap imported china made tennis shoes with various labels slapped on with a toe you can polish last 6 months maybe and fail catastrophically. |
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Have him check out Merrell MOAB 2s. I have two pairs of them. The non-leather pair was retired after six years due to the sole being pierced by a metal spike during a foot pursuit and leaking water into the boot any time it rained/snowed. No fault of the boot. I would still wear them for regular duty if they hadn't been punctured. Now I'm wearing the second pair that are leather and polishable. Great boots for me. YMMV. |
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I like Merrell’s(wide feet), but the quality has gone waaaay down hill recent years. I want to try the OnClouds, but they dont come in extra wide. May try Hoka’s next. Nvrmd. The Hoka boots dont come in EE sizes. May try Salomons. |
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Originally Posted By BladedRonin: I like Merrell’s(wide feet), but the quality has gone waaaay down hill recent years. I want to try the OnClouds, but they dont come in extra wide. May try Hoka’s next. Nvrmd. The Hoka boots dont come in EE sizes. May try Salomons. They're narrow, too. GoRuck |
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I'm partial to Reebok. I think its the sublight cushion tactical, as they fit my feet the best and seem to be one of the lightest on the market. They have regular and wide sizes. I don't even need a break in period with them. Day 1 G2G for a 12 hour shift. I can't say exactly how many years they'll last him. I've never bothered to resole boots. At a $150ish price point I'd just buy new boots every 18 months or so. At this point I've had 511, Tactical Response, Bates and Reebok. I reup the Reebok every single year. When I get a new pair I transition my old ones into motorcycle boots. I've worn them on and off duty, daily for years now. They are light/comfortable enough to where I'll wear them 7 days a week if I need boots. The only negative is they aren't waterproof pass a few inches. Light weight/breathability comes with a cost. If you live in the South/ a hot climate you've got to juggle comfort, weight and function. I keep a pair of Lacross rubber boots in my car too. On a really rainy day I slip them on and just put my pants covering the tops. Its out of uniform/policy but dry, comfortable feet is worth it. Nobody has ever told me anything. If you're working on the road you do things different from in a building. I know a guy that wore a pair of Danners for 20 years. Not sure how many times he resoled them. They are really heavy though which is why I never elected to go that route. If I lived in a place that snows regularly I would probably opt for a completely water proof boot. The most important factors to consider are what feels comfortable on his feet. And what suits the environment of where you live. Again a snowy place or place with lots of standing water. Waterproof is a big deal. If its just really hot and you have occasional water. The light-weight/breathable option is my go to. |
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 Another vote for 5.11 boots. Pretty much all I wear anymore and even the tanker style fits great and gives lots of support. I can ruck with them without a problem. |
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Boot like boots are cool and all until you get into a foot chase then realize your feet feel like pendulums. Personally I would buy him cheap boots which hold a shine for the academy then let him transition to full black running shoes or something like Solomons |
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Originally Posted By Libertas: This right here! Don't waste money on the other junk. Danner's are expensive, but will last a very long time. And when the sole is worn out, a cobbler can replace that, because the leather (provided he takes care of it) will still be a great shape 5 years down the line. Originally Posted By Libertas: Originally Posted By Stang1911: Danner acadias but make sure to get the right fit. Danner's are expensive, but will last a very long time. And when the sole is worn out, a cobbler can replace that, because the leather (provided he takes care of it) will still be a great shape 5 years down the line. Their US made boots are, both pairs of their imported boots I’ve owned fell apart in short order. |
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Originally Posted By Black-Tiger: I'm currently wearing Salomon XA Pro Forces Gore-Tex. My agency has them on their "approved" list. 👍 https://www.salomon.com/en-us/product/xa-pro-forces-gore-tex-li8051/L47770000 |
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Originally Posted By Mopseydocks6014: I'm always dumbfounded when places get into the weeds with approved boots. Just say black or brown/tan and move on. Probably have a date for short and long sleeve transition too. Ha ha- oh that brings me back! We were black boots/shoes. No approved list. But we did have a date for short and long sleeves! Not that anyone gave a damn about it, seemed to go away after a while too. I almost forgot that we used to see that memo, til I read your post… Anyhow- for boots, well I personally wore Danner FT Lewis boots, great protection, heavy as hell, great for kicking doors in. Sucked for running K9 tracks with though, especially if I forgot to dump my G27/G26 off the ankle holster first! The other route is a lightweight boot, great for running, a lot less protection though. I have had happen stuff like getting my boot run over that would have turned out poorly with a lighter weight boot…. For swat use I preferred a lightweight boot, but not for patrol. Most people try a few variations before deciding on what works best for them, few stay with what they wore initially typically. Some people want comfort and light weight, I wanted ankle support and protection. I don’t think that buying boots for someone else is gonna work well until they have done the job a while, and you let them pick out the boots themself. |
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