Military Boots

There are a wide variety of military boots available in the UK from a broad range of international manufacturers all the slightly different boot needs of the various military branches in each of their specific roles.

One of the easiest ways to break down the military boot market is by manufacturer.  I will look first at the two economically priced mass produced brands before I look in more detail at the hand made top end boots which are more popular with the military than the police.

Magnum make a small range of military boots, these days narrowed mainly to the Scorpion light weight patrol boots which have been the UK MOD issue tender boot for several years running.  In the past Magnum have experimented with a broader range of military footwear, including the first (and I think only) full multicam boot in existence!  This included a sole constructed from multicoloured rubber, not just a painted on finish, so the multicam would not wear off even as the sole wears down.  However Magnums alternative styles did not prove popular with military users and they have narrowed their focus back to the police and security boot market.

Bates Military boots have crossed over between police and military more successfully than Magnum, mainly due to the popularity of the Bates Falcon Boot with the highly elite and well regarded UK Special Boat Service (SBS).  The Bates Falcon has a very unique tread pattern that has proved to have exceptional grip qualities on wet metal surfaces, eg. the hull or deck or a ship or boat.  Other than the specific needs of the SBS when doing ship assaults the Bates range are not specifically military boots, they are much more a police boot, aimed at the urban patrol/pursuit user.

The more popular military boots are from the German hand made manufacturers mainly Lowa, Altberg, Meindl, Haix and Hanwag, but not forgetting the relative new comer to the scene Turkish company YDS.  Between these brands there is actually not that much to choose from, it is really just personal preference.  All of these brands of military boots boast outstanding reputations for quality and durability as well as comfort.