Zip boots

[emilianoksa]

With winter approaching. I need a pair of boots with a side zip, not for airsoft but for my daily walks. I have skeletal issues and need to take regular excercise.

Boots that need unlacing and relacing ever time you use them put too much pressure on my back.

I looked at Military 1st and a couple of other places and the Brandit and Mil-Tech ones caught my eye, because they are cheap. I imagine they are not made to last - they cost less than 50 quid a pair. Common sense tells me I should probably pay a bit more.

Does anyone have any recommendations for relatively lightweight zip boots( of the patrol, combat or squad type)*  that are easy to move in, and  don't have soles as heavy as bricks. I'm thinking in the sort of £75 to 100 range, not the top of the range stuff.

* It's unlikely I will try to play a final cqb game but I haven't discounted it entirely.

 

[Musica]

I got these because I wanted grey and 5.11 didn't do grey zip boot.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B071HBH28Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got them in November 2018 and I used them through last winter and for every day of airsoft I've been to. I do a fair amount of running when playing so high sheer force but haven't had issues with my feet. The suede stains easy and I've never bothered to try to clean them. 

I  wouldn't trust them for wading through water but they seem to do a good job of keeping the elements out. 

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

I got these because I wanted grey and 5.11 didn't do grey zip boot.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B071HBH28Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got them in November 2018 and I used them through last winter and for every day of airsoft I've been to. I do a fair amount of running when playing so high sheer force but haven't had issues with my feet. The suede stains easy and I've never bothered to try to clean them. 

I  wouldn't trust them for wading through water but they seem to do a good job of keeping the elements out. 

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Don't trust 5.11 boots. Most of their gear is good but the boots I would never wear again.

 

[Musica]

Don't trust 5.11 boots. Most of their gear is good but the boots I would never wear again.

Click to shrink...

Interesting my friend wears them a lot and I only didn't get them because I wanted grey. Might have dodged a bullet. 

I think I'd get hiking boots over tactical boots anyway but damn if that zip aint convenient takes me longer to put my trainers on. 

 

[Tackle]

word of warning ⚠, some of the zip boots I've owned, & some I've tried on, the zip doesn't extend far enough down the foot, if like me you have your boots laced fairly tight for support, pulling them on can be a hernia inducing ball ache, & can fuck the heel support up.

I'd be inclined to say go somewhere & try them on, lace them to your required tension & see if you can get them on & off with ease.

if you just order blindly online, your likely to have issues ?

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

Interesting my friend wears them a lot and I only didn't get them because I wanted grey. Might have dodged a bullet. 

I think I'd get hiking boots over tactical boots anyway but damn if that zip aint convenient takes me longer to put my trainers on. 

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Upper part of the boot is ok but when I took a fall the sole split easily which allowed my foot to fold up. Mangled my foot nicely.

 

[emilianoksa]

Thanks for the replies.

Are any of the Magnum, Bates or Under Armour boots OK?

 

[Tackle]

magnums are shit build quality, I've got under armours but their not zipped, quality is better than magnums but still soft materials, bates tend to be hardier & more traditional build designs.

I've also got a couple of pairs of Bellville's, excellent boots but my zipped pair are a smidge heavy (heavy duty soles & safety toecaps !).

only other alternative is to go with a model of boot you've had before & trust, & get a zip that you lace in to the front.

 

[YorkieT17]

I have magnum strike force 8.0 side zip boots. I wear them for work every day. I go through differing temperatures, terrains run, walk, crawl. I walk on average 5 miles in them over the course of a day. I have found them very comfortable, breathable and they are pretty good at keeping my feet dry. They have plenty of grip and offer excellent ankle support.

 I think they are excellent boots and have stood up to heavy daily use for about 2 years requiring only a weekly clean and polish. I recommend loosening the top half of the laces off before taking them off but this recommendation applies to any pair of side zip boots. 

If if you don’t need toe reinforcements then you can find cheaper options than above. But if that is the case I would recommend hiking boots as I personally find these more comfortable and they are often cheaper.

 

[PopRocket123]

I don't know if they do a side zip boot but in terms of quality and comfort Altberg tanner's boots are the comfiest things I've ever put on my feet.

 

[The Commander]

Magnum and Bates are both good in construction and comfort, and I personally never had issues with any of them. Bates have slightly more brand power if you care about that, and they are/were standard issue in parts of the USMC and are one of the few authorised brands in the US military.

 

[Tackle]

Magnum and Bates are both good in construction and comfort, and I personally never had issues with any of them.

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Are you refering to the desert magnums issued to some british units ?, ive never used them so cant dispute their quality, ive only ever owned various models in black, & nearly thirty years ago started using, they were great, comfortable & hardwearing,

BUT over the last 10-15 years I've seen the quality decline rapidly, til I eventually swore I'd never buy another pair, literally falling apart in every area.

I'd literally buy a moody "navy seal/delta force" knockoff boot from Wish before I buy another pair of magnums.

 

[The Commander]

Are you refering to the desert magnums issued to some british units ?, ive never used them so cant dispute their quality, ive only ever owned various models in black, & nearly thirty years ago started using, they were great, comfortable & hardwearing,

BUT over the last 10-15 years I've seen the quality decline rapidly, til I eventually swore I'd never buy another pair, literally falling apart in every area.

I'd literally buy a moody "navy seal/delta force" knockoff boot from Wish before I buy another pair of magnums.

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I had a couple of Trooper and Response boots back when they still made them in the early noughts, and I quite liked their build -- I can't comment on their current quality if it has changed that much since then, unfortunately.

I do use Bates boots nowadays, however, and the 8in Shock are rather good.

 

[Rogerborg]

Any boots you like, with elastic triathlon laces.

Do them up with legacy laces, like an animal, for the first few eyelets, then use elastic laces for the remaining ones.

 

[The Commander]

Btw, TacTree is running a 15% off sale this week, and they have some pretty good boots from a bunch of brands (including my 8in Bates one).

 

[Druid799]

I’ve a pair of Bates side zip and there amongst the comfiest boots I’ve ever owned , has a nice long zip so you can get them off and on when laced tight (still a wee bit of a struggle but not half as bad as a pair of grafters I had) I also have 2pairs of converse desert warriors I absolutely love (the one pair is 8yr old I bought them after a motorbike crash as I couldn’t get normal footwear on as I wasn’t able to flex my foot in to shoes and there still going strong) but they got taken over by Adidas a few yrs ago and I did hear the quality had dropped .

 

[clumpyedge]

Not zipped but I can personally recommend the following from use;

Lowa (zephyrs are the ones I've used)

Salomon

Karrimor

Merrell

Depends how high you need them really but all of the above have verities that have high level ankle support which have saved me a few times from rolling my ankles worse than they could have been. Stay away from 5.11 as was mentioned above as they are absolute shite. Under Armour are good but they lack longevity in my experience and while they say they are designed for the outdoor lifestyle and hiking/walking they don't do that great a job in the long run. I got two pairs of the Karrimor boots from sports direct a few years ago in a sale and they were £179 down to £60 a pair and have last me about 6 years so far but I like to change things up hence the four brands I've used. Currently I use the Salomons and Karrimors on a weekly basis.