''I have worn similar makes of boots in the past and have not had a boot that was both comfortable and offered the same level of support.”

''These are too comfortable and comply with Army uniform regulations.”

''These boots have proven themselves for comfort and durability in the battle field.”

I’m a Malaysian Army Ranger. I’ve purchased classic 9″ in 2006 and since then, I never wore anything else other than that. I’ve tried to wear other brands but my feet never liked them. The main reasons is comfort and durability. I used to wore them in 120km march, punching through thick tropical jungle of unforgiving terrain and soaked in unpredictable monsoon downpour. added with jungle operation of 2 month deployment for every year, this boot never let me down. I like it so much so I bought 2nd pair. keep up the excellent work.thank you

Original S.W.A.T.®, I was deployed twice to Iraq and I am currently in Afghanistan. I bought a pair of 9 inch classics in 2007 and wore them to Iraq on my second deployment. I had already used many different issued and personal boots throughout my military enlistment and these are by far the best I have ever had. I brought the same pair to Afghanistan and still wear them. I was infantry and now I am MP, as you know I have done many patrols and put a lot of miles on these boots on desert terrain. I will definitely continue to wear the SWAT as the time comes near to purchase another. Time and time again I have recommended these boots to my partners and they have been more than happy with their purchase. Many of my friends go through boots every couple months, I have actually made an investment by finding the right pair! Thank you so much.

USMC/ US Army


Just got home from another swat mission, suicidal barricade (all went well I got the team inside to help this guy out), but what I wanted to say is-I wore your boots all day at the range then to this mission and 081973-M2-C1. Your boots are great. As I was gearing down after the save, I thought about how much work you have done to make this boot the best I have ever worn. I believe it is the best boot. You have done a lot of work on our behalf and I truly appreciate it. You made many changes from shoe strings, insoles, various rubber exterior soles, zipper sides, D rings, abrasion pieces, etc. It is your company and you did all of this for us and it is appreciated. I will do my best to get your boot on our list of approved tactical boots because I believe in the product, the response from your company is the best I have seen, and your enthusiasm to build a better tactical boot is impressive. Just thought I would drop you this line to let you know from me that all your efforts are appreciated. Sincerely, jk.

Overall I would rate this boot a 4 out of 5. I like the the placement of the corder nylon vs the leather. Easy to clean and shine. Not too much unnecessary threading just for the sake of making it look different. The boot is lightweight also. It was not easy to enter the boot via the side zip which if I’m not mistaken is the purpose of the side zip. However once inside the boot gives a sun comfortable fit. Not crazy about the large flat laces. The major disappointment if any is the fact that there is no speed lace system. Standard eyelets all the way up to the top. I am on a SWAT Team and speed is essential. If I can pick up a few seconds while I dress out here and there, I’ll take it. Seconds add up to minutes and minutes save lives. I would buy this boot. I would probably request my department buy this boot but I’m probably not getting past the lacing system or the difficulty getting into the boot.

Overall I would rate this boot a 4 out of 5. I like the the placement of the corder nylon vs the leather. Easy to clean and shine. Not too much unnecessary threading just for the sake of making it look different. The boot is lightweight also. It was not easy to enter the boot via the side zip which if I’m not mistaken is the purpose of the side zip. However once inside the boot gives a sun comfortable fit. Not crazy about the large flat laces. The major disappointment if any is the fact that there is no speed lace system. Standard eyelets all the way up to the top. I am on a SWAT Team and speed is essential. If I can pick up a few seconds while I dress out here and there, I’ll take it. Seconds add up to minutes and minutes save lives. I would buy this boot. I would probably request my department buy this boot but I’m probably not getting past the lacing system or the difficulty getting into the boot.

By way of introduction, my name is Mickey Jones. I am an actor and because I have played so many bikers and I have been riding for over 40 years, I host a number of motorcycle events around the country each year.

In the summer of 2008, I hosted the High Desert Motorcycle Rally in Ontario, Oregon. I always like to walk through the crowd of vendors at each event just to say hello, give them my personal welcome, and let them know that I am glad they are here.

While greeting vendors at the High Desert Motorcycle Rally, I met Larry Gonzales at his booth for Original S.W.A.T.® footwear. Because Larry had a shady spot to sit down and relax, we had a few minutes to chat. Larry wanted to show me his boots. Now, I have been wearing the same motorcycle boots for years so I was not really interested in any NEW boots. My old, broken in boots were just fine, thank you. He finally convinced me to, at least, try on a pair of his Original S.W.A.T.® boots. I put the boots on and Larry had me walk down the midway and when I came back to the booth, I bought my first pair of boots in years.

I cannot explain just how my Original S.W.A.T.® boots have changed my life. After hosting a 12 hour day and being on my feet most of that time, I almost always get back to my room and my feet are killing me. At the end of my first 12 hour day, in my Original S.W.A.T.® ’s and being on my feet the entire day, I got back to my room and commented to my wife, My feet feel great and that has never happened before. I feel like I could go on another 12 hours. I am now married to my Original S.W.A.T.® boots. Believe me, this just might change your lifestyle like it has mine.

About three years ago, I purchased a pair of Original SWAT Classic 9" black tactical boots. I immediately noticed that they were more comfortable and lighter than standard combat boots. I could also lace them up faster than my other boots, a pair of Corcoran jump boots. I wore the Original SWAT boots around my college campus almost every day for an entire year and occasionally since then (I moved onto Merrell Chameleon hiking shoes and Danner Fort Lewis boots). Today, I went on a short hike of about five or six miles in varied terrain wearing the boots to evaluate their off-road performance. These are my observations from today and the past few years.

Fit:
I have a 9.5 foot and purchased 9.5 boots. I probably could have gone down to 9 since these boots have a fairly roomy toe.

Feel:
They are more comfortable and lighter than normal all leather combat boots. The boots are fairly soft on the inside like running shoes due to a porous fabric lining. Original SWAT claims that this is moisture wicking. Additionally, they have fairly thick (>1") mid- and outsoles made of a relatively soft rubber. The fabric panels on the sides and tongue are thick enough to provide rigidity and support and soft enough to be comfortable. Finally, their light weight makes them more comfortable for wearing over long hours than heavier combat boots. I have not yet attempted to go for a run in these boots, but it could very well be possible.

While wearing them today, I wore a pair of Thorlo combat boot socks and tucked in a pair of BDU pants into the boots to keep out mosquitoes and ticks. They were definitely on the warm side, but I'd imagine that they would still be cooler than a pair of all leather combat boots. Additionally, the boots have enough fabric to keep my feet warm during the winter. I remember frequently wearing these in boots in the snow with a thick pair of wool hiking socks and not having to worry about cold feet. With thinner CoolMax or light wool hiking socks, these would be fine for summer use, while with heavy wool hiking socks, they are fine for winter use.

The only comfort issue I've ever had with these boots was when I was walking up and down fairly steep slopes today, the top of the tongue and front of the boot's collar seemed to dig into my lower shins. This may have been due to me tucking my pants into my boots, however.

Another small comfort issue is that these boots are not waterproof. I have occasionally stepped into deep puddles and then had to deal with soaking socks and feet for a while afterwards. However, the lack of waterproofing probably helps them exchange air better.

Traction:
The Original SWAT outsole is very aggressive (and cool looking in my opinion!) and provides very good traction. As mentioned earlier, the rubber is softer than normal combat boot outsoles (think Vibram). In my opinion, this softness gives it excellent grip on rough terrain. During my hike today, I found that the boots would not slip on a 45 degree rock incline, either going uphill or going downhill.