Boots: Converse Tactical
There are hundreds of boots out there for us to choose from. Recently I have seen more and more folks sporting these bad boys and I can’t blame them. I bought my first pair back in 2005 and these things lasted me for a long time. I remember when I first started wearing these boots, people would ask me who made them. When I told them Converse, they never believed me. I had to show them the label on the boot’s tongue. Tactical Chuck Taylor’s we called them. I’m now on my third pair, only because the Gallatin’s drydock/dockside ate them alive with oil and crud. These boots are extremely comfortable, kinda like wearing a tennis shoe. I’ve had the Oakley Assault Boots and I don’t think they compare to the Converse (plus they have the composite toe). Even better, the Converse don’t make that squeaky noise on the floor when they are wet. As long as the keep making them, I’ll keep buying them. There are many places on the web that sell the boots, but all 3 times I ordered mine from LA POLICE GEAR. They are the cheapest that I have found ($86.92). They offer free shipping and a free pair of 5.11 socks with the order. You can get them with or without the side zipper and you can even get a pair that’s insulated. They also have a desert version for you folks overseas. Here is an official review I found from a SWAT officer:
The tennis shoe tactical boot was started by the now defunct GSG9 boot from Adidas. This boot introduced to the world the melding of an athletic shoe with a combat style boot. In combination with this trend there has been the overall movement of law enforcement and the military toward more mission and work appropriate footwear.
Converse is a boot company that has answered the call of law enforcement and military communities with a variety of new products that have been purpose built to provide the ultimate in comfort without sacrificing the protection and athletic qualities of the shoe that they have so long based their company upon.
In late 2004, Converse began marketing a series of boots and shoes that are aimed squarely at the uniformed law enforcement and military market. Joining the ranks of several other leading companies, Converse now markets one of the newest tactical boots to hit the market.
The Model C8874, also known as the Converse Side-Zip Tactical Boot, is a very aggressively styled, 8-inch tall boot that features a side zip opening and a host of other features that make it particularly attractive to officers and soldiers alike. Available in both standard black as well as desert tan, the C8874 was issued to several tactical and patrol officers for their review.
All of the officers involved in the test praised the boot for its extremely light weight and ease of care. The officers found that the boot was well cushioned in the appropriate areas making the boot feel more like a high top tennis shoe than a combat or tactical style boot. Officers found that the Converse Shock Elimination system featured on this boot did its job well by cushioning their step and making all day wear painless.
The aggressive tread of the boot aided in traction on slick surfaces and made climbing obstructions easy. The boot itself is constructed of a nylon/leather combination that makes for a very attractive appearance while at the same time making clean-up a snap.
Featuring a significant level of padding at and above the ankle as well as being constructed with both nonmetallic shanks and a non-metallic ANSI Class 75 safety toe, the boot provides for the top in wearer protection. The Converse Tactical boot proved itself to be very rugged resisting the nicks, tears, and other damage that many tactical boots succumb to over time.
The boot remained dry even though it was repeatedly submerged in water puddles such as what one would commonly encounter in an urban patrol environment. The only negative comment was that it took a period of time to fully break the boot in as the padding is so generous that it left some with the feeling of a heavily insulated moon style boot for a short period of time.
Several SWAT officers who tested the boot found that they were extremely quiet for stealth type approaches and found that the boot offered a very convenient and quick donning zip-up side. The Converse Tactical boot can be left laced and then donned via the side-zip feature which is unlike some other manufacturer’s boots that are capable of being removed via the side zip feature, but are slow and sometimes uncomfortable to put on using the same.
The YKK zipper, one of the best such closures made, is sure in operation and is a heavy duty piece of equipment that should have a long life span in actual field use. The zipper is secured using a Velcro tab at the top of the boot to prevent it from becoming unzipped during strenuous activities as well as keeping the zipper fob from making noise as one walks.
Converse should be applauded for stepping up to the plate and using the many years of knowledge and experience in the athletic shoe field to produce high quality purpose build footwear for law enforcement and military operations. With prices that are easily affordable for all and aggressive modern styling, the Converse line of products without a doubt has something to offer to those who must go in harms way.
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Category: Gear
I bought a pair of these about 4 months ago and I love them. They are he most comfortable bots I have even had!
I still like my Hi-Tecs (http://www.hi-tec.com/us), which is what we were issued at TACLET North in the mid-1990s. Light weight and feel like running shoes as well.
They are truely comfortable, just like wearing tennis shoes. They are light weight which makes your manuever ability and agility that much quicker. They have really great grip on the tread, better than anything else I have experienced in 15 years of working in boots. Like everything, they have a down side too. Like sneakers (tennis shoes) they absorb water very well and if you are a sailor that is not something you want. They are water resistent much and when you they get soaked it is like they become sponges on your feet. They don’t squeak but the squish the water out. Since the grip on the soul is so absorbant it really helps your stability and stops you like you are wearing cleats. If you work on non-skid made from black beauty or rocks it becomes death to your souls. A good strong reliable pair of boots last me at least 3 years. My souls fell off completely in a year. Those who I worked with who got the same boots as me at the same time, experienced the same thing. I need ankle support from my boots because of past injuries. If you need anckle support, these aren’t the boots you want. On land these would be great boots but not at sea.
Thanks for the input…from all of you. I guess the Converse are much like any boot, it all depends on the user and their environment. I had mine through several different scenarios. They were my go to boots while at TACLET, MSST, and Gallatin. I never had any issue with the soles or the tread on the ones I bought, nor have any of my friends. I never got mine “submerged” in water, but when they got wet, they kept my feet pretty dry. My only problem with them came on the Gallatin when I was standing in oil for about 6 hours in the engine room. When I went up to the mess deck to eat, the floor was wet and I almost ate linolium. It was like being on ice. After a few days the grip came back though. I guess to each their own. Dave, what boots have you found that work the best?
I have found that the 5.11 HRT boots to be a very comfortable and reliable boot. I’ve been wearing them for the past three years and havent had a problem with them. They are my go to boots when doing LE. I’m on the small boats alot and have found that Over The Beach(OTB) boots are pretty good for the water enviroment. They dont absorb water and when completely submereged the water drains right out. Also another good pair alot of guys are trying out are the Blackhawk Black Ops. Both 5.11 and Blackhawk come in desert. One downfall is they dont come in the composite toe.