I've always liked the idea of zipper tac-boots, but haven't had perfect luck with them in the past. Thus my excitement factor was a bit low to give another a try, however the First Tactical Men's 8inch Waterproof Side Zip Duty Boot has really grown on me finally meeting all my hopes in a side zip boot.
I was certainly happy with my first experience of Blauer products with the Clash Boot, so quickly took them up on the offer to try more items like this Strike shoe. Keeping the awesome feature of using the BOA lacing system, there is no slacking on the rest of the shoe details to make a great 4" tall design.
Haix is already a big dog in Europe, but is just now getting around to trying to get more into the North American market. As a part of that I got the chance to check out their Mission boots in Desert Tan, the main series in their military line. The pricepoint likely has been one thing to slow the penetration to us cheapos here in the US, but Haix is a great example of no compromises and getting what you pay for.
Footwear typically doesn't change too much these days so it was a treat to checkout something truly different with the Blauer Clash series. The main stand out is certainly the BOA lacing system used which uses a steel cable and rotating cinch concept instead of laces you tie. Originally the BOA system was for snowboard boots and has since been applied to all kinds of boots and other footwear.
OTB has been making a good name for themselves making specialized tactical boots. Starting off with water based boots for SEALS, they now offer many primo land variants. One such example I have here is the Bushmaster which is greatly based on the Abyss design.
Mister Thor Boot here has an interesting design intent which was made specifically with Special Forces in mind. The idea is to have a boot where operators can insert into the area of operations and be covert capable in which the boots appear civilian in nature. The attention to details and heavy duty materials used separate the Thor from typical hiking boots to make them tactical ready.
5.11 offers up another piece to their footware line with the big selling point on this guy is the high strength composite kick toe. The shape and material used for the kick toe are a great compromise of protection and flexibility for comfort. Traditionally boots like these would have steel toes resulting in pretty low comfort levels. The core of the XPRT design is that of a deluxe well constructed and padded boot. The "Shock Mitigation System™" includes a fairly plush insole insert. Due to the materials and padding thickness it may be a bit hot in hot climates, but generally makes for a good urban boot.
LAPoliceGear.com has been expanding their own product line recently including footwear with the addition of the Operator Boots. The design goal was to make a lightweight boot that has the durability operators expect, but at a great price. I'll have to agree LA Police Gear did just that. To be fair on this review, let me warn you that I got the smallest possible, size 7, but I'm about a 6.5 area. Thus I wear double socks or add in odor pads to get the fit I need.
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