The Melee is Danner’s lightest and most flexible tactical boot, designed specifically for close quarter tactcis. It features a unique outsole design and athletic performance, and is available in a variety of heights and colours, including Crye MultiCam.
A seeming newcomer to the tactical boot arena is Sand Storm Footwear. Sand Storm appeared on the scene with the release of three new desert boots: the HooDoo, Lightfighter and Stinger, available exclusively at initial release through USCAV. Shown here are the HooDoo and Lightfighter. But in actuality, ‘newcomers’ they are not.
The Camino Flex GTX boots from Lowa are designed for distance hiking and trekking. However, their subdued appearance also makes them suitable for more ‘tactical’ use, with the added benefit of excellent support and stability.
The Salomon Quest 4D GTX boots are popular hiking boots, but haven’t been available in the U.S. in a ‘tactical’ colour until just recently. Mission Ready Equipment and Ãœber Group Llc., brought over a supply of Quests in brown manufactured for the European market, and are available exclusively (for now), from Mission Ready Equipment.
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The Lowa Uplander Desert Boot is a new addition to the Task Force line, and the replacement for the Lowa Seeker Desert PT Boot reviewed previously. The Seeker Desert PT is still one of my favourite all-around boots, and I was disappointed to see them discontinued. I’m glad to say that its replacement, the Uplander Desert, is an improvement on the original.
The Zephyr GTX® Hi TF (Task Force) Desert Boot is the taller version of the Mid-cut Zephyr Desert GTX®. The Zephyr Desert is a waterproof and breathable lightweight duty boot, designed for everyday use in desert and hot climate conditions. It is not currently available at the time of this writing – expected availability in the U.S. is May or June.
OTB Boots has released their modernized version of the venerable Jungle Boot (sometimes referred to as the ‘Vietnam jungle boot), and in doing so, has created the lightest weight jungle boot to date. The new JungleLite weighs in at only 2.2 lbs per pair. Also available is a desert version called the DesertLite.
Designed originally for the British Army, the Elite Desert Boot from Lowa Boots is based on their Mountain Boot and is designed to be an all-season, all-terrain Desert boot. Most desert boots are more suited for flat terrain with their flexible soles and uppers. The Lowa Elite Desert boot combines the light weight and breathability of a desert boot upper with the support of a trekking boot, making it suitable for both flat and mountainous terrain.
The Rocky S2V Military Boot (available from AFMO.com) was designed with the Special Operations warrior in mind, and caught my eye when it was first introduced about a year and a half ago (at the time of this writing). Since its release, I’ve heard generally good things about it, so I figured it was time I gave them a try. Rocky named the S2V after a Navy SEAL motto: “Stealth + Silence = Victory”.
For the S2V, Rocky consulted with SOF soldiers to determine what they wanted from a combat boot. From their requirements and feedback, the S2V was designed. The S2V is a 9″ tall boot that’s available in Black, Sage and Tan (shown here), making it suitable for both military and law enforcement use.
Over the past three years, Bates® Footwear (a division of Wolverine World Wide Inc.) has worked with the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) to develop a boot engineered for warfighters operating in advanced mountaineering and high altitude combat operations. The Bates Tora Bora Alpine Combat Boot is the result of that joint effort. Recently, Bates was awarded a contract to supply nearly 8,000 pairs of Tora Bora boots to various U.S. military warfighter communities.
