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Posted: 1/25/2010 4:41:40 PM EDT
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I'm putting together my gear for the "just in case" scenarios that I'm hoping never happen. Even though I live in a more metro area (Tampa Bay, FL) I think a good boot should likely be part of my gear which now includes a couple of different chest rig/vest options, some decent tactical style pants, gloves, etc. For footwear, what kind of recommendations would you have. Do I need a boot or is a half boot fine? Should it be a tactical style boot like Blackhawk type boots or is a good set of Timberlans all I really need need. I just don't want to spend a couple of hundred dollars on overkill just to look like a soldier. I'm just trying to amass the gear that makes sense for what I need. If a $200 Blackhawk style boot is what's best than so be it but I'm looking for your advice. Thanks |
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Full or half length? It all depends on what you plan on doing in them, but get what you're likely to wear often, because if you throw them on new for day one of the Zombie Apocalypse, you will end up caught and infected, and we will have to shoot you.
That means, if you're not comfortable wearing Danner 14" Ft. Lewis combat boots around town, get something like Solomon's or Asolo's or (fill in the blank with your favorite commercial hiking boot) and get comfortable in them. Also, consider your AO- up here in the Northeast, insulation goes a long way since you need it in the wintertime, and your feet will sweat in the summer anyways, with or without insulation. Personally, I think Goretex is a must, but some folks disagree and have very strong feelings on boot-sock combinations, or boot-no-socks combinations. Which brings us to the next topic... Smartwool x infinity. I've had good luck with a couple other Merino based products, but horrible luck with so many others, that I realized that one Merino sock is NOT just like another Merino sock... I've had luck with Danner and REI hikers as well. Spending $200 on boots and wearing shitty socks is like spending $2000 on an M4 and putting a Leapers scope on it- your equipment is only as good as the weakest link. Don't have a weak link. |
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Quoted: Full or half length? It all depends on what you plan on doing in them, but get what you're likely to wear often, because if you throw them on new for day one of the Zombie Apocalypse, you will end up caught and infected, and we will have to shoot you. That means, if you're not comfortable wearing Danner 14" Ft. Lewis combat boots around town, get something like Solomon's or Asolo's or (fill in the blank with your favorite commercial hiking boot) and get comfortable in them. Also, consider your AO- up here in the Northeast, insulation goes a long way since you need it in the wintertime, and your feet will sweat in the summer anyways, with or without insulation. Personally, I think Goretex is a must, but some folks disagree and have very strong feelings on boot-sock combinations, or boot-no-socks combinations. Which brings us to the next topic... Smartwool x infinity. I've had good luck with a couple other Merino based products, but horrible luck with so many others, that I realized that one Merino sock is NOT just like another Merino sock... I've had luck with Danner and REI hikers as well. Spending $200 on boots and wearing shitty socks is like spending $2000 on an M4 and putting a Leapers scope on it- your equipment is only as good as the weakest link. Don't have a weak link. it's funny you said that because I was just reading that most survival outdoor type feel the socks are actually more important than the boot. Here's in FL, I don't have to worry about he cold really. I'd like to try and find some kind of hybrid tactical/hiking boot. Thanks for the info. I'll check out the boots you mentioned. |
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FLORIDA... Look up a pair of Altama Jungle Boots. Not the korean shit ones. Get the real Altama and thank me later. I have a pair that is 13 years old, has been resoled, parachuted into the Mojave and JRTC and generally beat the hell out of and they still are asking for more. I even bought another pair when I was still in that I have yet to break in.
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Quoted: I LOVE my timberland Force Multipliers- It's Timberland's foray into the "tactical" boot field. I've read tons of positive reviews on these. There hard to find though it seems. Everyone is either out or they have something "like them" but not really that boot. |
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I have a pair of Steel toe Georgia boots that I wear casually
I have a pair of steel toe LaCrosse boots that I wear for work. The way boots are glued together these days, if you keep them packed for very long, odds are, the glue is going to give way when you need them the most. |
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I have a bit of a different take on this, because I just went through the boot thing myself.
I ended up going to my local Gander Mountain [sporting goods store] and trying on about 20 pairs of boots. I ended up with a $180 pair and a $39 pair, and they both fit me well and my feet don't hurt. Notes; Bring extra socks, try boots you like with the sox you like. Walk around alot, with the boots laced properly, like 2 laps of the shoe department. Take a second between tryons to let your feet cool off or adjust to not having a boot on. I walk around in my sox to find the next pair/size. Realize that the size printed on the box is a suggestion, not a rule. I own boots in sizes from 9.5XW to 12R and they all fit my feet, the only difference is Brand. |
| I'm over in St Pete and wear Converse tactical boots on duty. They are comfortable and breath easy. I like 511 socks but thats just me. If I didn't have to wear black "leather" uppers I'd go with these: http://www.rei.com/product/796120 |
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Danner..
My jump and go boots are set of Acadia's with the front zipper laced in.. they are definitely secure enough to hike in. These are my most comfortable pair, I've had them 4 years and had them resoled twice now. In fact.. these were factory seconds bought for $99 at the oultet in Portland. Cold weather.. I'm wearing my 400g insulated Acadia's.. formerly issued to me. Whenever it was more than 30 degrees out I hated them, my feet would sweat so bad in them they'd be drenched half way through a shift. Why they are the standard boot here I don't know.. Work.. the Patrol boot.. basically a short topped Acadia. Bought these myself due to the above.. had them about 3 months now and they are finally breaking in and are getting comfortable. Absolutely love the short top. My employer wouldn't order them for me, but they did reimburse me thankfully.. but I'd still have bought them on my own. The main reason is the short top is lighter and a little easier to drive with. I have some experience in boot repair.. spent two years working with an excellent cobbler and learned a lot. I've worked on a few Acadia's and a lot of Danner's and am sold on their construction*. The only thing that seems to die on them is the threads if you don't take care of the boot with a quality grease, anything petroleum based will kill the threads and eventually the leather. *This does not include their non rebuildable and chicom boots.. which both are junk IMHO. |
| Ive been looking really hard at a few danner boot but can not decide for the life of me. Its between the 453 GTX, Talus, mountain light II and the Explorers... I know its a long list. Anyone have experianc with any of these. The first two are made in china I think with the next two being american made. |
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I love my Oakley Sabot Mids($100 with no .mil discount). Even paired with crappy Wal-mart brand socks they are more comfortable than my New Balance cross trainers. I literally find myself just wearing them around the house when I used to go bare-foot. I plan on grabbing several pair of smart wool socks next chance I get.
Were I you I would go on and drop the coin on a pair of SI Oakley Assault Boots. If you are .mil you should be able to get them at cost(less than $150). They are a little better made than the Sabots(made in America rather than China) and the price shows. Supposedly they will wear out a bit faster than some boots on the market but for the price, you can afford to buy three pair for what one pair of a higher end brand will cost. And did I mention they are more comfortable than tennis shoes? |
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Oakley SI Tan 8 inch. FTMFW
i wear them everyday and thank god i do. 2 weeks ago i was running to redirect a fire truck because OCFA dispatch doesn't listen to their callers. I turned around to run back into the building to assist with the guy inside having a heart attack and missed the curb by just enough to roll my ankle real bad. the guys getting off the fire rig about 20 feet away heard the pop... the rig was still running... i asked them to move inside and help the guy inside (as if i had a choice), and check me out after he was en route to saddleback hospital. went for x-rays and they said i was good to go. no break just real bad sprain and jacked ligament. sore as shit for 2 days and still a little wobbly but the boot kept me from snapping my ankle like a twig. And a bonus if you didn't know already... LEO, Fire, Mil, EMT, DEA, FBI, ect, ect, ect... go to usstandardissue.com, register, submit copy of your government/department ID and you get 50% off Oakley Schwag. Yes i work for Oakley, yes i get a discount, yes i have worn many other brands, yes when i leave working at Oakley ill still buy Oakley at full pop. no do not get the half boots, ever... just my $0.02 EDIT: Post above beat me to it by a few seconds... damn... |
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Quoted:
Oakley SI Tan 8 inch. FTMFW i wear them everyday and thank god i do. 2 weeks ago i was running to redirect a fire truck because OCFA dispatch doesn't listen to their callers. I turned around to run back into the building to assist with the guy inside having a heart attack and missed the curb by just enough to roll my ankle real bad. the guys getting off the fire rig about 20 feet away heard the pop... the rig was still running... i asked them to move inside and help the guy inside (as if i had a choice), and check me out after he was en route to saddleback hospital. went for x-rays and they said i was good to go. no break just real bad sprain and jacked ligament. sore as shit for 2 days and still a little wobbly but the boot kept me from snapping my ankle like a twig. And a bonus if you didn't know already... LEO, Fire, Mil, EMT, DEA, FBI, ect, ect, ect... go to usstandardissue.com, register, submit copy of your government/department ID and you get 50% off Oakley Schwag. Yes i work for Oakley, yes i get a discount, yes i have worn many other brands, yes when i leave working at Oakley ill still buy Oakley at full pop. no do not get the half boots, ever... just my $0.02 EDIT: Post above beat me to it by a few seconds... damn... I think if I had it to do over again I would go with the full height SIs. Though for what I do, anything that I need a pair of tennis shoes to do my Sabots do better, not as supportive as a full height but damn good for what I need them for. |
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Quoted:
Ive been looking really hard at a few danner boot but can not decide for the life of me. Its between the 453 GTX, Talus, mountain light II and the Explorers... I know its a long list. Anyone have experianc with any of these. The first two are made in china I think with the next two being american made. Yes on the GTX- it is among their lighter offerings (which is still heavier than other brands, but well-built and durable), features Gore-tex and is comfortable. Recently wore them for 40 miles on a hike- performed great! 
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Nice Reference to the Zombie Apocalypse. All Infantrymen love the idea of the Z-poc b/c it's a slow moving, Target rich environment. Just Keep your cool and conserve ammo while dump the infected.
Sorry, that was little off topic. 
For boots I look at what I'll be wearing them for. I personally would take my civvie Hikers with me over my mil boots but they both have some great features. My favorite Civvie's are the Asolo Fugitives GTX's and the Vasque's. The Vasque's are heavier than the GTX's but they give great support and are very flexible. Just get them a half size larger if you get a Gore-tex version. The GTX's are super comfortable but a bit stiffer, and a sleeker design than the heavier Vasque line. For mil type boots I swear by the LOWA Desert Seeker's. (Once again get a half size larger). They are pretty expensive now. I got 2 pairs back in early 07, and they are still going strong despite the Mountains of Afghanistan. They have a soft tread and are quiet. I also love the Oakley SI Desert boot. Great for the money and feel like a pair of slippers from Day 2 of wearing them. The only trouble is the tread wears down within a year of heavy use. As for socks I love my Zensah socks. They are way overpriced but they go on sale from time to time for Half off. And you won't be unhappy with them. S.O.S. |
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I'm a big fan of Vasque sundowner classics, OTB Thor boots (the brown ones) - (both of these boots are low pro and don't scream "tactical) and for cold and wet, Danner Recons (I've owned a single pair for 12 years and they're still in terrific shape).
I put green Superfeet insoles in all my boots, consider them too. |
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Quoted:
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Oakley SI Tan 8 inch. FTMFW i wear them everyday and thank god i do. 2 weeks ago i was running to redirect a fire truck because OCFA dispatch doesn't listen to their callers. I turned around to run back into the building to assist with the guy inside having a heart attack and missed the curb by just enough to roll my ankle real bad. the guys getting off the fire rig about 20 feet away heard the pop... the rig was still running... i asked them to move inside and help the guy inside (as if i had a choice), and check me out after he was en route to saddleback hospital. went for x-rays and they said i was good to go. no break just real bad sprain and jacked ligament. sore as shit for 2 days and still a little wobbly but the boot kept me from snapping my ankle like a twig. And a bonus if you didn't know already... LEO, Fire, Mil, EMT, DEA, FBI, ect, ect, ect... go to usstandardissue.com, register, submit copy of your government/department ID and you get 50% off Oakley Schwag. Yes i work for Oakley, yes i get a discount, yes i have worn many other brands, yes when i leave working at Oakley ill still buy Oakley at full pop. no do not get the half boots, ever... just my $0.02 EDIT: Post above beat me to it by a few seconds... damn... I think if I had it to do over again I would go with the full height SIs. Though for what I do, anything that I need a pair of tennis shoes to do my Sabots do better, not as supportive as a full height but damn good for what I need them for. I was one of the r&d testers for the sabots I like them but I wear them as a slip on and slip off boot so the are pretty loose. I couldnt get them to feel good around my ankle. I wear them to work when I know I'm not running around and want super comfort. Slip on slip off, when I wanna be lazy. |
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well as we all know opinions are like assholes.....and this is just this assholes opinion as a Joe for socks I wear fox river military medium weights. great padding and they dont bunch up on your feet, most importantly they dry quick and wick mooisture from you feet. If I am not wearing those I wear tan issue wool socks, they're cheap, warm, and work just as well...downside being they're sometimes to warm. Boots are really up to the individual but I rreccomend checking out the following, mind you they are all .mil boots cuz thats what I have to wear on a daily basis. Rocky S2V - love these boots but dont love the price at about $180 Altama ExoSpeed2's - Another great boot both in comfort and price ($120ish) however they are soft soles and some dont like that. Altama Hoplite - Same as above however they are a hard sole and the tread is more of an allterain style tread Bellville 390 - Cheap, a better sole than the issue boots, a bit more support in the ankle, and I dont have to worry about them being ok to wear in garrison Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Speaking of assholes....taco tuesday isnt treating me all to well so i didnt get to add the following Oakley boots are comfy but suck to do anything but run in for me, and they fell apart quick. Blackhawks felt weird to me and all the ones I saw fell apart pretty quick, most ppl who had them didnt buy another pair. OTB boots arent all that well known but very nice, cant really comment on durability since I have only seen a few pairs over the last 3 months but so far so good. I used to be all about lightweight and soft soles. They are great for certain things and certain ppl. I can use them for everything, however i do feel every rock and stick I step on and it gets annoying and fatiguing after a while. Also soft soles get eaten up by ropes and wear down kinda fast, they also dont offer as great of puncture protection bt that is usually mitigated by a composite shank. Nowadays I mostly wear my old boots I had back in OSUT. They really arent as bad of a boot as I once thought, however they still have their downfalls and i am always looking for something better...and in my opinion the Rocky S2V or Altama Hoplites may be what I am looking for. You first need to decide what kind of sole fits your needs (hard or soft), then go out and try the boots on. Get them in the correct size and wear the socks you will wear with them when you try them on. Also go later in the day if possible, your feet swell up as the day goes by. Your boots should feel like they are hugging your foot, they will stretch out a little with use but not a whole lot. Lastly I almost always throw away the insoles that come with boots. I make sure to try the boots on with the insoles that I will put in them, it does make a pretty big difference. hope that helps Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Quoted:
Speaking of assholes....taco tuesday isnt treating me all to well so i didnt get to add the following Oakley boots are comfy but suck to do anything but run in for me, and they fell apart quick. Blackhawks felt weird to me and all the ones I saw fell apart pretty quick, most ppl who had them didnt buy another pair. OTB boots arent all that well known but very nice, cant really comment on durability since I have only seen a few pairs over the last 3 months but so far so good. I used to be all about lightweight and soft soles. They are great for certain things and certain ppl. I can use them for everything, however i do feel every rock and stick I step on and it gets annoying and fatiguing after a while. Also soft soles get eaten up by ropes and wear down kinda fast, they also dont offer as great of puncture protection bt that is usually mitigated by a composite shank. Nowadays I mostly wear my old boots I had back in OSUT. They really arent as bad of a boot as I once thought, however they still have their downfalls and i am always looking for something better...and in my opinion the Rocky S2V or Altama Hoplites may be what I am looking for. You first need to decide what kind of sole fits your needs (hard or soft), then go out and try the boots on. Get them in the correct size and wear the socks you will wear with them when you try them on. Also go later in the day if possible, your feet swell up as the day goes by. Your boots should feel like they are hugging your foot, they will stretch out a little with use but not a whole lot. Lastly I almost always throw away the insoles that come with boots. I make sure to try the boots on with the insoles that I will put in them, it does make a pretty big difference. hope that helps Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile +1,000,000 Can't say how important it is to have good arch support with a pair of boots. |
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Thought about another thing...unless you are gonna be trudging in snow make sure whatever boot you get has some way to drain water out. our issued temperate weather boots are goretex w/o drain holes and they are the WORST boots I have ever used my roommate made a comment just now that I agree with. soft soles are great for everyday wear, however whenwe go out to the field we both prefer hardsoles because they fatigue our feet less Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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I put green Superfeet insoles in all my boots, consider them too. +1 Superfeet- have those in my Danner GTXs- took a couple days to get used to because the arch felt out of place (apparently this is normal), but was an improvement over the factory insoles. |
| You live in Tampa. I used to live there. Gore tex, thinsulate, etc- probably dont need it. Get some air farce guy to get you some standard issue ARMY desert boots from the PX at macdill. They are plenty durable and wont cost you $200 like the latest high speed oakley/danner/hi tek/ addidas/ timberland/ whatever else. They breathe good, and are fairly quiet. |
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Quoted: You live in Tampa. I used to live there. Gore tex, thinsulate, etc- probably dont need it. Get some air farce guy to get you some standard issue ARMY desert boots from the PX at macdill. They are plenty durable and wont cost you $200 like the latest high speed oakley/danner/hi tek/ addidas/ timberland/ whatever else. They breathe good, and are fairly quiet. I never even thought of that. I still get to the PX now and then when I take my mom shopping. Great suggestion. |
| They're expensive, but I recommend Rocky S2V boots. They have lots of good padding right out of the box and are very comfortable. I have high arches and I don't notice any discomfort when wearing them. I try to wear them whenever we leave the wire. We hardly ever do dismounted operations anymore, but the one time we have on this deployment, they didn't disappoint. I wore them on an eight hour patrol two days ago, and again, experienced no foot problems or discomfort at all. They are definately a desert boot though. Its cold here right now and they don't have much insulation (if any). I can't speak of how water proof they are, but I can't imagine them keeping water out for very long, especially since they have two drain holes on the insole of each boot. Good luck on your search. |
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I bought some 5.11 advance boots.They are made in China but they are good stuff.I been wearing the nearly everyday for a year and still look new.been in snow,rain, mud
I really like the side zipper you can get them on or off really fast.....comfortable as tennis shoes too. http://www.opticsplanet.net/511-11007.html 
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Garmont T6 is hands down one of the most comfortable pieces of footwear i have ever worn .
http://i48.tinypic.com/20l11g2.jpg |
| I have tried several high-speed boots. Altima Exo-speeds, Danners, Blackhawk, along with the current issue summer and temperate boots. I always go back to the Gulf War issue boot, light, cheap, good traction and once broken in so comfortable. I wear a 13N and none of the aftermarket boots seem to fit as well. , |
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I have tried several high-speed boots. Altima Exo-speeds, Danners, Blackhawk, along with the current issue summer and temperate boots. I always go back to the Gulf War issue boot, light, cheap, good traction and once broken in so comfortable. I wear a 13N and none of the aftermarket boots seem to fit as well. , I been eyeballing some service boots.I am retired AF and can get them on base at Clothing Sales...When i was in we only had the old nam type jungle boots... I have never had any newer type.The base has about three types out there and priced about $114 or near, no tax on base either.
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i made the mistake of wearing low cut goretex hikers in the snow one weekend- my feet were wet and miserable for 2 days and i ended up burning my nylon uppers trying to dry them out overnite by the fire...i'm now sporting danner ft lewis's for getting around when there is snow- can't melt leather 
if anyone is interested in picking up some new danner acadia or ft lewis boots for real cheap, pm me your size. |
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i made the mistake of wearing low cut goretex hikers in the snow one weekend- my feet were wet and miserable for 2 days and i ended up burning my nylon uppers trying to dry them out overnite by the fire...i'm now sporting danner ft lewis's for getting around when there is snow- can't melt leather
if anyone is interested in picking up some new danner acadia or ft lewis boots for real cheap, pm me your size. Good point. Here in West Texas we don't usually get to bad of weather, well thunderstrom season, even though today we got 3 plus inches of snow on the ground.But the climate you'll be in should be a factory in boot choice for sure. If i was someplace where its raining a lot of snow etc might want to pack these... My Wolverine Insulated leather boots or USAF bunny boots... 
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