When it comes to choosing the best tactical boots, it is your profession and lifestyle that overwhelmingly decides which brand’s pair would be appropriate for you. If you choose correctly, you’ll be able to do full justice to your job. Regardless of the brand of tactical boots you choose, make sure that the same is lightweight and durable, offers solid traction, is comfortable to wear, and allows your feet to breathe.
Tactical boots or items like a Sergeant Tactical Baseball Cap are extensively used by military personnel, law enforcement officers, firefighters, highway patrollers, and EMTs (emergency medical technicians). Unlike footwear and shoes intended for regular use, tactical boots tend to be more heavy-duty, and hence heavily used in unusual situations. You put on tactical boots for hiking across rugged terrains, steep mountains, and dense forests.
This type of boot also comes in handy when you’re lugging heavy loads, undergoing army tactical training, scaling precipitous structures, and so on. Never choose a pair based simply on their aesthetic appeal. Rather, you should give far greater weight to fit-how your feet feel as long as you’re wearing the shoes.
A tactical boot pair that is overly tight-fitting could prevent your feet from breathing, ultimately leading to blisters and footsore. The joints on your feet could also experience undue stress. On the other hand, opting for a loose-fitting pair means you could be always at risk of tripping when you’re running or trekking through slippery and uneven surfaces.
Simply put, buying tactical boots that do not fit properly would be tantamount to throwing your money down the drain. Since near-endless variety and brands of tactical boots are available, you should go about picking and choosing a pair based on specific parameters. For a start, go for a pair with Kevlar® upper and heels, have Ortholite® footbeds, padded midsoles, grooved outsoles, flexible tongue, and so on.
Different Types of Tactical Boots
Before we review the must-have feature of top quality tactical boots, let us go through the various categories that are available in the online/offline market:-
Tanker Boots
Tanker boots were popularized by Capt George S. Patton Jr. of the US Tank Corps. This type of tactical boots comes with leather bands that enable the user to tighten the laces with greater firmness. The leather laces are superior to standard shoestrings that always have the likelihood of coming undone.
These boots are stitched out of leather and come to your aid when you’re firefighting, hunting in a forest, or chasing a felon.
Jump Boots
Jump boots were first worn by paratroopers during WWII and tended to be extremely hardy and resilient. These boots come with toughened ankles for preventing untoward injuries. Paratroop units continue to use this type of tactical boot that features reinforced heels, rubber soles, and 12-13 eyelets for positioning shoelaces.
Jungle Boots
Jungle boots as their name suggest exclusively designed for use in dense thickets and jungles. Materials used for manufacturing jump boots promote circulation of air and water drainage.
Cold Weather Boots
Tactical boots meant for use during the long and harsh winter season tend to be waterproof. Additionally, the boots have an extra layer of Teflon encrusted GoreTex® which facilitates ventilation and moisture-wicking as well as protects feet from chilly weather.
Considerations for Selecting an Appropriate Pair
Before you make a final decision on the brand of tactical boots, you’ll buy, check out whether the pair meets the following yardsticks or criteria:-
Construction
Manufacturers of premium quality tactical boot brands that claim their products will remain in service for years, employ the best materials available for production. A topnotch boot pair usually comes with an upper carved out of full-grain, Nubuck, or split-grain leather. More often than not, synthetic materials like artificial leather, nylon, and polyester go into creating tactical boots.
Every type of material has its benefits and drawbacks. The mid-soles of such boots use polyurethane or EVA for boosting cushioning and keeping the footwear lightweight and waterproof. The outsoles are usually crafted from a superlative grade of rubber, especially Vibram with an intuitive heel break, ruts and patterns, and reinforcement for significant toe protection for bolstering momentum and traction.
Waterproof /Insulation
Always opt for a product that not only checks the seepage of water from outside and thwarts moisture formation but also keeps your feet insulated from the cold. Look for boots that come equipped with a Gore-Tex layering.
Comfortableness
The materials used for producing the boots should keep your feet snug, dry, and comfortable. Make sure there is a thick layer of padding on the footbed as well as on the arch, tongue, heel, and ankle sections. Additionally, the uppers, midsole, and outsole should be made out of material that allows air to circulate freely inside the footwear.
Weight
Boots made out of a premium grade of materials usually tend to be on the heavier side. So, you should be on the lookout for superior products fabricated from quality raw materials yet are not too hefty.
Price
The best tactical boots will come at a price. It makes more sense to invest in a quality pair of shoes that will last for a long time rather than waste your hard-earned money on a cheap product.
