Footwear for patrol use

[neo9710]

Looking for a new pair of boots for patrol. I know- lot of guys swear by Danners..Matterhorn..Ive been wearing Bates recently and they have been OK. But, Im not as young as I used to be and my feet are starting to kill me. I looked at the souls of my boots and yeah..they are done. So, here I am looking around and Ive seen some guys wearing the Oakley SI boots and they seem to like them. I guess..actually, let me rephrase that, I know my problem is that I wear my shoes till they are pretty much done and that is killing my feet. I had a set of Matterhorns a long time ago but to be honest, they weighed a ton. I go back and forth from patrol and admin so I want something for both worlds. I also ran into a company called "OTB" (seems to be an association with New Balance) but I really haven't heard much about them. It seems that tactical boots are popping up EVERYWHERE..Under Armor is putting some out...5.11...Blackhawk...Nike.. I typically buy sneakers that give support to the arches (I have been told that I put more pressure on the inside of the shoe).

I am on my feet a good portion of the day. Im not looking for a boot that is pretty much a sneaker but I want something that is comfortable. Waterproof and light. Ive never been a big fan of zipper boots. No bigger that 8" tall. And being on here I assume its pretty much understood...I don't want something that's going to fall apart in 4 months. My boots do take a beating..

But that also brings up a question - How often do you all go through your boots?

[Paulo_Santos]

I also wear the boots until they are pretty much falling apart. I just look for the lightest boots possible. I don't really care for the brand. What I ALWAYS do, and recommend to my co-workers, is to purchase the DR Schols Gel Inserts (Are you gelling?). Makes a tremendous difference.

[zero7one]

I try to always find a boot that has gortex/waterproof capability...especially since I work in WA State. I also have gone away from the full height boot and go for a 6" boot. I seem to run better with them in foot pursuits. I had the Oakley boots. They are very light weight, but they are not waterproof by any means and the rubber on the soles wear out very fast. I had a pair of Danner Telson's, which were nice and comfortable, but I didn't care for how high they ran up on my leg. I was issued a pair of Matterhorns and a pair of Danner Acadias in the Army. Both boots are pretty good for being warm and waterproof, but are very heavy.

Personally I don't think that boots are one-size fits all. I hope you find what you are looking for.

[neo9710]

I try to always find a boot that has gortex/waterproof capability...especially since I work in WA State. I also have gone away from the full height boot and go for a 6" boot. I seem to run better with them in foot pursuits. I had the Oakley boots. They are very light weight, but they are not waterproof by any means and the rubber on the soles wear out very fast. I had a pair of Danner Telson's, which were nice and comfortable, but I didn't care for how high they ran up on my leg. I was issued a pair of Matterhorns and a pair of Danner Acadias in the Army. Both boots are pretty good for being warm and waterproof, but are very heavy.

Personally I don't think that boots are one-size fits all. I hope you find what you are looking for.

Thanks - I also have gone to the smaller height boots. My dept doesnt issue boots at all. Here, I always seem to find a foot chase that involves either jumping fences or searching abandoned houses..So, I put my boots through the ringer.. Right now Im looking at the BlackHawk Special Ops but it looks a little too tall for what I want or the Bates GX-4 (I have those now) but Im always scraping the crap out of the front of them. I will say that that have lasted a pretty long time..

[lamarbrog]

I got a pair of Danners "Vandal" about a month ago. They're really nice, probably the best pair of boots I've ever had- as long as they hold up.

At this point, though, I'm seeing very minimal wear. My last two pairs of boots (Double-H, and Ariat) were both beyond worn out within 7 months.... just falling apart. I'm hard on boots, and these aren't showing it at all.

Break in period was zero... I threw my old boots away as soon as I got home, and have been wearing these full time. They've been comfortable from day-one.
I like the styling, it took me a while to get used to them, but now I consider them to be very visually appealing.
The little speed lacing pegs appear to be metal injection molded. Some of my older boots had this part stamped, and they bent in easily and would wear on the laces.
They've got GoreTex and are definitely waterproof.... they breathe so well, though, you'd never guess.
As far as height, they're almost like a pair of basketball shoes.
The soles are Vibram, and you cannot make them slip. A few days after I got these I was walking through a building with water on the painted concrete floor (fire department just got done hosing out a fire). I tried to see if I could get them to slide... it simply was not possible.

I wear them every day... and they're great. My feet never ache. I can't recommend them enough, and am probably going to buy a second pair in the next week or two. If this first pair keeps going as well as they are so far, I'll probably get a third.

[Eric]

I got a pair of Danners "Vandal" about a month ago.

Did you find them in black? All I see is brown.

[Army Chief]

I've held -- not worn -- the OTBs, and they have got to be the lightest boot ever made. Construction seems solid, and based upon what I saw of the insole construction, I presume they should be pretty comfortable. Currently in Oakleys, but may well opt for OTB in the coming months. They were that impressive.

AC

[lamarbrog]

Did you find them in black? All I see is brown.

Never did look for them in black, but I didn't see any black ones. I imagine you could probably dye them without much trouble if you must have black.

[Striker071]

Well I have had Rockys, Magnums, Danners, and Bates. I like the Bates boot the best so far. I also get insoles for them called "Superfeet". Can get them at REI stores(if you have them in your area) or order them online like I do. I have a Chiropractor that suggested them as an alternative to getting molds done and having custom orthotics done. I don't have a problem with my back actually I put my hips out of alignment during a sking crash so now its just maintenance.

I am on my feet at work 8 plus hours a day. I am a big guy and boots last anywhere between 6 and 9 months. Most people have a tendency to were a boot long after its true usefulness. I get waterproof boots.... nothing is worse than wet feet when yuou are standing all day. I try to choose a boot that I think I will feel comfortable runnning in(danners fet like 2 planks strapperd to the bottoms of my feet). I think foot chase... gotta be able to run....

Bad boots also lead to bad ankles ...knees ...hips and backs....and no one wants to be shining a seat with their butt because they have crappy footwear.

[neo9710]

Well I have had Rockys, Magnums, Danners, and Bates. I like the Bates boot the best so far. I also get insoles for them called "Superfeet". Can get them at REI stores(if you have them in your area) or order them online like I do. I have a Chiropractor that suggested them as an alternative to getting molds done and having custom orthotics done. I don't have a problem with my back actually I put my hips out of alignment during a sking crash so now its just maintenance.

I am on my feet at work 8 plus hours a day. I am a big guy and boots last anywhere between 6 and 9 months. Most people have a tendency to were a boot long after its true usefulness. I get waterproof boots.... nothing is worse than wet feet when yuou are standing all day. I try to choose a boot that I think I will feel comfortable runnning in(danners fet like 2 planks strapperd to the bottoms of my feet). I think foot chase... gotta be able to run....

Bad boots also lead to bad ankles ...knees ...hips and backs....and no one wants to be shining a seat with their butt because they have crappy footwear.

Im with ya. I actually just stopped in REI seeing if they have gotten their light jackets in yet. I am one of those people. I think I have had these boots for two years and they have had it. Soles pretty much warn flat.

Looks like OTB wont do right now. I need to get a waterproof boot first. My neighbor is pushing me to try the 5.11 boot..But I dont see any 6" that are waterproof..I dont think there are any 6" Blackhawks..Im looking at the Spec Ops Blackhawk boot..

[Norinco]

Under Armour makes a nice pair. Very light.
http://m.underarmour.com/underarmour...breakListLog=1

[tac40]

OTB and New Balance are working on new boot designs and should be out there soon. I like the Danners with side zippers, easy to get in/out off and stll water proof. As some of the staff stated, check out some good insoles, I paid for a pair of high end insoles from the walk shop, thery're great.

[lamarbrog]

I put the Vandals by Danner through the paces today really hard for the first time. Did a short day hike/mountain climb with them today over very rough, rocky, and steep terrain.

They were comfortable still several hours in. No hot spots. There were some places I climbed I know I'd not have been able to if I had my Corcorans on. (Another pair of boots I really like... Corcoran field boots.)

Inspecting the sole now that I'm back home... it shows very negligible wear. Held up extremely well to the jagged rocks. (Can't say that about the pair of Ariats I had.)

Still not in black, though, if that's what you need. Definitely an awesome pair of boots, though.

[Mamba6]

I've patrolled the mountains Carjackistan with probably tens different sets of boots trying to find the best pair. I've used Bellevilles, Bates, Cocorans, Converse, Rockys, Danners, OTBs, Phoenix, Oakleys, Nikes, and I feel like theres one or two more. Out of those, my experiences are that the OTBs are the best. They are super light, comfortable and have zero break in time. They also drain well. My second choice would be a tie between the Rocky C Vs and the Danner TFXs. They both have zero break in time and are pretty light, and will take a beating. Oakleys and Nikes are very comfortable but I've walked through those in about a month. They're great garrison boots but not for the field.

Hope that helps.

Edit: Altamas... I knew I was forgetting one. Decent. But not up to par with the OTBs/Rockys/Danners.

Sent from my Fascinate using Tapatalk.

[GigAg04]

My last pair of Bates lasted me 18 months, and they were kind of meh.

After trying on various pairs, I ended with a pair of Wellco X-Force 8" boots, which I got at a great price with Amazon Prime (free 2 day shipping). If I didn't go that route, I would have opted for 6" Oakleys.