appropriate footwear

[Richie Boyle]

i bought my kit within a week of ever hearing about airsoft and the natural choice was CS 95 since that is what i wore in service. the main exception was the footwear and i went for what was regarding as nice kit at the time which happened to be a pair of magnum boots instead of assault boots

i did notice last week that i wasnt really getting on with them at the POW site due to the extremely uneven terrain with lots of fallen trees and natural ditches everywhere. these boots didnt offer the support i would like under the arch of my foot. is anyone else having this problem?

i did buy a pair of safety boots last week to try out on sunday. steel toe capped but more importantly, the underside will not bend as much as army boots and they are brown so still tactical without having the urge to polish them every time i use them :wub:

 

[cropzy]

Used to have a pair of magnum amazon 2's. Amazing boots, never had a problem ever.

 

[Moose87]

My issued pro boots. Gortex and long lasting. 6 years and still going.

 

[Lozart]

Used to wear Magnum Patrols but recently replaced them with a pair of Meindl Desert Foxes. Much nicer! Neither are good for woodland though. The Magnum sole wasn't aggressive enough for mud and the Meindls aren't waterproof!

 

[Esoterick]

Thing to remember with boots is they vary massively per person in how comfortable they are. For instance I get on really well with german para boots as do a number of other airsofters, whilst some people find them uncomfortable

 

[Super64]

I wear Lowa combat boots. I've worn them for work for years and have two pairs. My new ones I wear for work, my old ones are for airsoft. They're expensive, but very comfortable straight out the box and last for ever. The thing with boots is that you can spend £40 - £50 every year or so having to replace them, or spend £150 on something that'll last for a few years, may only need to change the soles every couple of years.

I know they'll only be worn once a week, if that, but I'd rather spend a little bit more and know that my feet and ankles are well protected.

 

[b1n0gHo5t]

I also own a pair of magnum patrol boots trying to dig em in atm & yeah..they seem to let you know if you've stood on anything thats solid and pointy haha
i swear if push comes to shuv i'mma rock up in my Newrocks (red flamed beasties)
and just stomp around cause no way can i be stealthy in those haha

 

[two_zero]

Been using "Attitude" from Grinders for years now.. They look like "punk accessories", but no, they have been really amazing. Been putting a lot of hard use on my pair and they are still going strong!

Only negative (or positive in your case?) is that the sole is really hard, so kneeling can be a bit awkward as you can't bend your toes.. if that make sense? like the rear foot in this pic:

WOAAH! They've gone up in price!! Then again, they are handmade in England!
http://britboot.co.uk/engine/shop/product/GRB03/Grinders+-+Attitude+%28Black+Waxy+Leather%29+%2810+Eyelet%29

 

[Richie Boyle]

kneeling is a very good point. I think wearing the safety boots but taking the magnums along is the way to go. At least that way i have a back up plan in case i do struggle with my apparent oversight

 

[Richie Boyle]

i took but didnt use the magnums. the safety boots were much better and the added bonus was that the mud just fell off them which doesnt happen with swede

the problems i had with the magnums were solved. logs, ditches, mud, ruts, everything was so much easier using safety boots plus stomping through mud instead of going round or jumping over didnt worry me. within an hour the mud had dried and fallen off leaving the boots clean again.

 

[Black Death]

I've tried a good few boots over about 15 years now ranging from patrol use, gym use and of course airsoft use. For absolute abuse and ware I'd say doc martins are indestructible but not all that comfy. Can't stand magnums as they are weak as chocolate. I think I'm probably a boot designer/manufacturers worst nightmare as I put them under severe stress (probably more than the average consumer). If you consider I'm 18 stones in weight but also carry a lot speed you can imagine the sort of stress my boots go through when playing airsoft. When I'm in the gym I can move upto 450kg (including my own weight) so boots made to deliver for a 80kg operator get pretty fucked up. I used to destroy a set of magnums literally days lol

After a bit of research I discovered these ACG nike boots which are pretty 'over engineered' for the average person. They have a hardcore rugged heavy look to them but are ballerina light. Also I have problems with my ankles (due to weight load and moving quickly) and found the cushioning on these boots incredible. I'm not sure if it's due to the insoles or air bubbles but all I know is that moving on concrete/Tarmac is as comfy as mud/grass!!! There is also toe protection and as expected with ACG range gear it's completely waterproof/weatherproof/Pete proof.

Could go on for days with geeky facts on these but I won't. If you see these in a shop just try em on. Only downside is they retail at around £200 but sometimes they are on the bay cheap.

I have black and red (to match loadout) but they do have black, grey, tan, brown, etc etc

 

[two_zero]

Only negative (or posetive in your case?) is that the sole is really hard, so kneeling can be a bit awkward as you can't bend your toes.. if that make sense? like the rear foot in this pic:

Click to shrink...

Correction, it's not the sole in these boots that make kneeling a pain, it's the overall construction.might have to do with the steel cap. Used to wear cycling shoes thou (due to being hardcore cyclist). No what so ever flex in the sole, which is excellent for cycling, but makes anything else but cycling & walking very awkward!

Not sure how hard the soles are, I cannot test it either at the moment. But I never recall having a problem due to them being too soft!

 

[Lozart]

Correction, it's not the sole in these boots that make kneeling a pain, it's the overall construction.might have to do with the steel cap. Used to wear cycling shoes thou (due to being hardcore cyclist). No what so ever flex in the sole, which is excellent for cycling, but makes anything else but cycling & walking very awkward!

Not sure how hard the soles are, I cannot test it either at the moment. But I never recall having a problem due to them being too soft!

Click to shrink...

Yeah, steel toe caps are not conducive to bending your foot for kneeling!

 

[ronin677]

I used Lowa's during duty but for airsoft I use Converse desert boots. So comfy, like a pair of old slippers haha

 

[Unrustle_Thine_Jimmies]

Using some ex-issue Pro boots. Very comfortable,good ankle support and overall construction quality is good,stitching is strong and overall the boots are well put together. I do recommend insoles since they are pretty hard,despite the soles being a very soft rubber. The offer fantastic grip at the cost of some durability.

Mine need to be re-soled but I have given them some very rough use,particularly walking around on sharp rocks. My bike pedals have also given them a good wrecking but they hold. The goretex lining is a nice addition,if you can try get goretex lined boots go for them. Mine have yet to leak even with wrecked soles,very nice lining on them. Take ages to dry but it's not they are going to see daily use.

After using Russian made boots before these it feels like walking on clouds. Avoid Russian boots at all costs,they look cool and vintage but quality is atrocious,hence why 90% of the Russian army is wearing civvie hiking boots.

 

[armysurplusandtoys]

magnums are good for lightweight and maneuverability....lowa, issue boots have great support i have the bates falcon boots which are a bit of both

 

[Russe11]

I bought some cheap £24 safety boots recently as they were close to the look of Aussie WW2 boots. They are so comfortable I have ended up wearing them most of the time. I was wearing them when I was knocked off my bicycle by a car recently. My left pedal broke from the force when I was thrown out of my toe strap, so I would almost certainly have a broken ankle now if I had worn different footwear.

 

[team flex]

Cadette direct do good boots, I use them for ccf and airsoft as well