I have been wearing this tactical boots for 2 weeks to be exact, for my work daily. All i can is these tactical boots really brings comfort to my foot which my profession requires me to stand and walk all day to day operations. I have been having plantar faciitis for so many months, its does hurts for wearing boots especially for a prolong period of walking and standing. After i switch to the Salomon XA Forces Mid GTX EN, the pain that i am suffering from plantar faciitis lessen alot. well, its doesn’t go off completely but it helps well on the pain of my heel. I guess the insole they created, which is orthotide insole helps alot. And the ankle area where my feet always lies, doesnt hurt the moment i take off the boots. oh, i love the quicklace, and its pocket to ... MoreI have been wearing this tactical boots for 2 weeks to be exact, for my work daily. All i can is these tactical boots really brings comfort to my foot which my profession requires me to stand and walk all day to day operations. I have been having plantar faciitis for so many months, its does hurts for wearing boots especially for a prolong period of walking and standing. After i switch to the Salomon XA Forces Mid GTX EN, the pain that i am suffering from plantar faciitis lessen alot. well, its doesn’t go off completely but it helps well on the pain of my heel. I guess the insole they created, which is orthotide insole helps alot. And the ankle area where my feet always lies, doesnt hurt the moment i take off the boots. oh, i love the quicklace, and its pocket to keep the lace. for me i did find it unique and neat to keep the lace. One thing maybe can add in the zip by the side for the next model.

Almost perfect boot

These boots are designed to near perfection. I’m extremely particular about my footwear. This Salomon model rivals and surpasses much more expensive boots I’ve had. Proper fit, the wide size helps prevent pinching and hotspots. Very supportive and durable while still being light. A perfect balance. I can, jog, hike and go to dinner in them. Wear them winter or summer. My only criticism is the speed lace locking clasp. I have three other Salomon shoes with the same mechanism, and none slip, however the clasp on these boots slip and loosened over time during initial use. After some time (a month or so), they stopped slipping as much. Perhaps it was used error. I think the loosing may have occurred due to the rubber pulling tab having to be placed in the same pouch as ... MoreThese boots are designed to near perfection. I’m extremely particular about my footwear. This Salomon model rivals and surpasses much more expensive boots I’ve had. Proper fit, the wide size helps prevent pinching and hotspots. Very supportive and durable while still being light. A perfect balance. I can, jog, hike and go to dinner in them. Wear them winter or summer. My only criticism is the speed lace locking clasp. I have three other Salomon shoes with the same mechanism, and none slip, however the clasp on these boots slip and loosened over time during initial use. After some time (a month or so), they stopped slipping as much. Perhaps it was used error. I think the loosing may have occurred due to the rubber pulling tab having to be placed in the same pouch as the locking clasp, unlike my other Salomons. The pull tab may possibly be rubbing against the clasp and releasing it. I’m finding if I am more careful in where I place the tab, there is less, if any slippage. Anyhow, certainly not a deal breaker and I’d readily buy these masterpiece boots again. Highly recommend. - 1 star only for the finicky clasps.

Almost perfect but held up by quality issues.

Out of the box these looked perfect and seemed like exactly what I had been looking for years. However I found there was a minor defect in the right boot toe area that caused quite a bit of discomfort, though I think it improved with time...or I got used to it. There seems to be some lump between the layers that rubs my smallest toe. I wore these for 3-4 weeks straight for 18 hour days and found them incredibly supportive, warm but comfortable (besides toe issue) then I noticed the lace eyelets were basically worn through on one side of one pair. I was able to repair it but I was surprised considering it looked like strong canvas. Then my speed lace broke, which I understand is not a failure of the boot itself, I wish there was a more robust quick lace on these. But ... MoreOut of the box these looked perfect and seemed like exactly what I had been looking for years. However I found there was a minor defect in the right boot toe area that caused quite a bit of discomfort, though I think it improved with time...or I got used to it. There seems to be some lump between the layers that rubs my smallest toe. I wore these for 3-4 weeks straight for 18 hour days and found them incredibly supportive, warm but comfortable (besides toe issue) then I noticed the lace eyelets were basically worn through on one side of one pair. I was able to repair it but I was surprised considering it looked like strong canvas. Then my speed lace broke, which I understand is not a failure of the boot itself, I wish there was a more robust quick lace on these. But regardless I was disappointed and it added to my conflicted thoughts on this boot. They are so darn close to perfect I will buy them again and hope that the quality issues were a anomaly. But quality in manufacturing is why these boots cannot get a 5 star review to an otherwise amazing product.

Amputee with a prosthetic

I'm an above the knee amputee with a robot leg. I always loved my boots and owned them all. Now that I have a robot leg I have to replace shoes often because I'm very hard on them as a mechanic. These are the first "boots" I've had as a amputee and they are the best footwear yet. Lightweight and tough. The break in was painful but that's how I knew they were good. This is the first shoe I can stand my prosthetic leg up by itself and it doesn't fall over. And still after a month of abuse. I'll be buying different styles from here on out.Ps. I'll rock these dusty boots and my off leash trained Malinois dog anywhere. The bank, the bar, grocery store, your mom's house. There's something to be said about a hard working disabled person.

Close to perfection however…

I have now spent several 12 hour shifts as well as walked some miles in the forces to be able to make a decent review. My first impression, the fit and finish is spot on. They look and feel high quality and my shoe size was true to my normal size. If you are someone like myself who likes a more tactical tennis shoe/boot look and feel you will like these. I have used three different versions of UAs and these feel much more durable and better made. They seem to be breaking in and becoming more comfortable at this point. They are a much more boot feel and have a much stiffer sole than other boots that I am used two but I knew that going into them. If you stand for hours at a time on a regular basis I would not recommend these at all. For patrol use I think they bridge ... MoreI have now spent several 12 hour shifts as well as walked some miles in the forces to be able to make a decent review. My first impression, the fit and finish is spot on. They look and feel high quality and my shoe size was true to my normal size. If you are someone like myself who likes a more tactical tennis shoe/boot look and feel you will like these. I have used three different versions of UAs and these feel much more durable and better made. They seem to be breaking in and becoming more comfortable at this point. They are a much more boot feel and have a much stiffer sole than other boots that I am used two but I knew that going into them. If you stand for hours at a time on a regular basis I would not recommend these at all. For patrol use I think they bridge the gap between tactical boots and tennis shoes very well in my opinion. However, I have had a love hate relationship with these shoes so far. My first issue was the inner stiches on the seam that runs down your inner ankle. There was a slight knot on the right shoe that caused some pressure point pain to my ankle. I eventually found that knot and was able to manipulate it enough to fix that problem. Now my biggest complaint with the shoes are the laces. I like the lace system but it does take some time to get used to. I found myself at first lacing them too tight because I read some reviews of them loosing up which I have noticed only a small amount. Therefore I now lace them like normal and resolved that problem. My number one complaint which is infuriating is that the laces essentially squeak on the lower eyelets of the shoes EVERY SINGLE STEP I TAKE. The left shoe for whatever reason is significantly louder than the right but both still make a squeak/rubbing noise every time I step that comes from the laces. I have tried to tighten the laces to prevent the rubbing which made the shoes uncomfortable and did not help as well as tried to wear them looser which again made no difference. From what I can tell the upper eyelets have an inner plastic piece that allows the laces to glide in them easier and reduces the friction/rubbing noise however, the lowest or bottom eyelets does not have that inner plastic piece. I am to the point of attempting to use gun oil or inject grease into the eyelets in order to try and stop the squeaking. I want to love these boots however, they are making it hard too. If anyone has a solution to the squeaking please let me know so I can finally enjoy them to their fullest potential.

Good boots but

I’m a street police officer and have used these boots exclusively for years. They support your knees and back better than most boots I have used. They are not waterproof FYI. Here’s the but. Over the last couple years these boots have become very narrow and about 1/2 size too small. I’m not sure if they started manufacturing them somewhere different but because I have flat feet and weigh about 220 the last couple years they have actually been very uncomfortable to wear. I was not going to purchase another pair until I saw they were now offering a wide version. I just bought a pair of 10 1/2 wide and they fit like they should and are comfortable. But in order to have them fit properly I had to buy wide and also 1/2 size up from what I normally buy. Just FYI.

Great, however: runs small and no cushioning.

Extraordinary boot so far.Excellent stability, extremely good waterproofing (droplets quickly form and run off the fabric) and very sturdy.Proud owner of prior line of GoreTex hardcore outdoor Salomon shoes. So comparing vs Salomon themselves:1) Sizing runs very tight: recommend half a size bigger than Salomon recommends for these boots.. Ordered both 10.5 (recommended) and 11.0 and no way the 10.5 was going to break in: toes immediately touched the front and it was clear it would become a painpoint. Consistent with most other thoughtful internet reviews I have seen. So bigger size is what I retained.However, then the bigger size accentuates the following point #2:2) Extremely poor padding/cushioning in bottom sole as well as tongue compared to other ... MoreExtraordinary boot so far.Excellent stability, extremely good waterproofing (droplets quickly form and run off the fabric) and very sturdy.Proud owner of prior line of GoreTex hardcore outdoor Salomon shoes. So comparing vs Salomon themselves:1) Sizing runs very tight: recommend half a size bigger than Salomon recommends for these boots.. Ordered both 10.5 (recommended) and 11.0 and no way the 10.5 was going to break in: toes immediately touched the front and it was clear it would become a painpoint. Consistent with most other thoughtful internet reviews I have seen. So bigger size is what I retained.However, then the bigger size accentuates the following point #2:2) Extremely poor padding/cushioning in bottom sole as well as tongue compared to other Salomon shoes. Example:- Given quick lace and poor cushioning of the tongue, quick lace tends to pressure through the tongue and mark on foot - even with thick Smartwhool socks- Less (none?) than other Salomon shoes protection between plastic sole and the Ortholite in-sole, so boot feels extremely harsh compared to other Salomon shoes/boots - even with thick Smartwhool socks#2 makes it thus hard to feel comfortable in the boot for longer hikes and running in rough terrain if required (if required as advertised as "forces" boot).Comparable boots such as Lowa, Merrell offer much more comfort and fit at very little if at all incremental weight and very similar pricepoint.

Shreds Laces / Not Waterproof

I have owned three different pairs of this XA forces mid-height goretex boot. All with QuickLace system. The first pair was colored green and had 100% nylon eyelets that the Quicklaces were fed through. I've walked millions of steps over three years and this one is worn out but the original quicklaces are still good. That is the key point. The next two pairs were colored tan, and a design change substituted a round metal eyelet at the top. After you pull your Quicklaces tight, this round metal eyelet deforms and snaps in time, causing a tiny sharp edge that acts like a knife and shreds all Quicklaces making the shoe unusable. Within one month of brand new, the second pair shredded its Quicklaces. Solomon was out of stock of Quicklaces. Once in stock, I went through ... MoreI have owned three different pairs of this XA forces mid-height goretex boot. All with QuickLace system. The first pair was colored green and had 100% nylon eyelets that the Quicklaces were fed through. I've walked millions of steps over three years and this one is worn out but the original quicklaces are still good. That is the key point. The next two pairs were colored tan, and a design change substituted a round metal eyelet at the top. After you pull your Quicklaces tight, this round metal eyelet deforms and snaps in time, causing a tiny sharp edge that acts like a knife and shreds all Quicklaces making the shoe unusable. Within one month of brand new, the second pair shredded its Quicklaces. Solomon was out of stock of Quicklaces. Once in stock, I went through 3 pairs of laces before I figured out what was going on by wearing a jeweler's magnifying glass and taking a magnified look at the inside of the broken eyelet. I filed a claim and after significant hassle (make sure you save the original packaging and decode the 6 pieces of information needed to file a warranty claim (place of manufacture, etc.) they provided a full dollar value credit. I bought another pair of the same shoe, it had the new design round metal eyelet at the top where the QuickLace feeds through the tongue. The third shoe lasted about 6 months when I heard a "snap" pulling my Quicklaces tight, and sure enough it shredded my Quicklace in under a week. Get out your magnifying glass, lighter, pliers and new QuickLaces because you will need all of these to feed your new Quicklaces through the nylon eyelets which have a small opening only slightly bigger than the Quicklace diameter (you need to light the end of the shoelace on fire to stiffen it so it will feed through the hole. I pulled out my jeweler's magnifying glass and sure enough the eyelet broke and developed a sharp edge where it broke. Despite the design change, I really like the support of this shoe, so this 4th time I bought the shoe version, not the mid length version, because the shoe version appears to have the nylon eyelets all the way to the top which should prevent the QuickLace failure. 2nd problem with this "waterproof" goretex shoe is that they are not waterproof. After a 1 mile walk through wet grass each morning I pull them off and my sock is wet. While I am at work, my Solomon boots and socks are under a fan drying out.

Superior boots

Comfortable. Light weight, good support. BEWARE of cheap knock off fake versions! I almost made the mistake of purchasing these from a different site, and with some research & personal experience I found out that there fake versions, what to look out for from what I saw and reviews is colors not offered by the direct manufacturer, it seems that they do this with both the running shoes and the tactical boots. On eBay they offered the XA forces mid GTX in a in colors that salamand er website does not offer after getting into contact with customer service and then verifying that they don't even make this model in the color that they were advertising on eBay. I asked the seller twice to send me a picture of the tags on the inside of the tongue & he did not do it and ... MoreComfortable. Light weight, good support. BEWARE of cheap knock off fake versions! I almost made the mistake of purchasing these from a different site, and with some research & personal experience I found out that there fake versions, what to look out for from what I saw and reviews is colors not offered by the direct manufacturer, it seems that they do this with both the running shoes and the tactical boots. On eBay they offered the XA forces mid GTX in a in colors that salamand er website does not offer after getting into contact with customer service and then verifying that they don't even make this model in the color that they were advertising on eBay. I asked the seller twice to send me a picture of the tags on the inside of the tongue & he did not do it and changed the subject. Buyer beware of sites selling fake versions of both the tactical boots and running shoes from what I see on line.

Terrible Insole Cushioning

I use these boots at work as an engineer that requires alot of walking, climbing up steps and ladders, as well as jumping off small platforms. The insole on this pair is absolutely terrible, thin as a napkin and feels as if you're walking barefoot. Was forced to add my personal shoes insoles into these boots on the first day of wearing them due to pain and blisters on the bottom of my feet. No arch support, no cushion, and the ankle padding area rubs against your skin since it’s so stiff and leaves skin burns. Hands down most uncomfortable boots for “ duty “ rated work. Hard to believe they are used in the military and law enforcement field. Disappointed, expected so much better.