Topic: Army pro boots a quick review (Read 3380 times)

Fred · « **on:** November 13, 2014 »

The boots I am referring to are intended for cold and wet conditions, not to be confused with the army assault boot which is a general purpose boot. The pro boots were issued as part of the Soldier 95 equipment and are sometimes referred to as the "pro classic" since they have been replaced by a more modern version. They get a mixed review on the internet so I thought I would share my experience here. They are available quite cheaply and are worth considering for a winter boot.

Construction and sizing
The boot has a conventional traditional construction featuring full grain leather outer made from the minimum number of pieces of leather, therefore fewer seams. Inside this there is a Cambrelle lining with a Goretex liner (not a cheapertex substitute). The bellows tongue extends all the way to the top of the boot and is also waterproofed. The sole has a conventional commando pattern except for the rear of the heel which turns upward. This makes walking on paved surfaces more comfortable and less clunky than square cut heels but I doubt if it would provide as good edging if you were descending a steep slope and needed to kick your heels in. The dual density sole has a steel stiffener molded into the rear half of the boot and appears to have been molded in situ with small bubbles and flaws visible.The boots come with removable foam insoles which have a small gel shock absorber at the heel. These are a bit basic and it would be worthwhile upgrading to a better insole. Their overall weight is no worse than any other high ankle boot that I have compared them to.
Sizing seems to be from 4 - 14 and within each size there are small, medium and large fittings which I believe refers to the width. If you are buying these mail order be aware of this because not all suppliers offer the three variations.

Obtaining the boots
These seem to be widely available on the surplus market, new unissued for £40 - £70 and for those on a tight budget, pre-used at prices that reflect their condition. They are readily available on Ebay and from various mail order militaria specialists. Unfortunately, I haven't found many local suppliers although I did buy mine from a militaria dealer at a market. This is annoying since buying boots mail order is a bit of a gamble and can work out expensive if they need to be exchanged. It is worth keeping an eye out for them at markets and army surplus shops though.

User experience
When I bought these I anticipated a long and painful breaking in period. This was not the case at all, the only problem I had was bruising on my ankles caused by the bulky stitching on the tongue. Once this settled down I have had no further problems. The boots are certainly comfortable, the leather upper is surprisingly soft and the soles grip well in both wet and dry conditions. Due to their high ankle and thick insulation they are quite warm, too warm for use in mild weather in fact. I don't see this as a fault since they are after all intended for cold weather use. They are undoubtedly waterproof, mainly due to the good quality leather outer construction rather than the goretex. I made a point of wading through deep puddles to prove this. The biggest problem I have experienced with these boots is actually putting them on since the bellows tongue extends to the top of the upper and is a bit restrictive. Taking them off usually involves undoing most of the laces.

Pros:
Price
Build quality
Comfort

Cons:
Difficult to get on/off
Heel profile
Limited local availability

Verdict:
A good traditional boot for plodding in local hills, boglands, forest parks, etc. They wouldn't be out of place on the shelf of an outdoor shop with a high price tag.

RedLeader · « **Reply #1 on:** November 14, 2014 »

They look like a seriously solid boot. Generally the military issue stuff tends to be quite good purely because it's used by so many people, I'd expect they know how to produce quality gear.

One of the chaps on here joined the forces and he was breaking in his new military issue boots at a camp we were doing and when I asked him how long it took them to mould to his feet he jokingly said he expected that it would probably be the other way around and that his feet would have to mould to the boot

I'm guessing he was joking ofc.

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Author Topic: Army pro boots a quick review (Read 3380 times)

Fred

Army pro boots a quick review

RedLeader

Re: Army pro boots a quick review

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