Bates Men's 8" Ultralite Tactical Sport Side Zip Military Boot

This is my first review on Amazon. I just wanted to help ppl that may be on the fence. I needed a very light tough boot. I'm on my feet 8+ hrs a day. Some of which I'm pulling carts with 350+lbs on them. This boot is near perfect. Out of the box they are super comfortable. Came true to size. There's little to no break in time and are extremely light. One of my old boots weights more then these boots together. I have walked thru snow and rain. Great traction and no wet feet. Although these are not a winter boot. I wouldn't take a hike in freezing conditions. But in fairness my feet get cold easily. I did put in heat reflective insoles and that helped a lot(I got those on Amazon as well). The zipper on the boot is well made and will last but doesn't make much of a difference in taking off the boot, as far as speed. Seem to make it a bit easier to take off though. I've only had them for around 2 weeks, so I can't talk much about durability. I will say though everything seems to be of good quality so I'm pretty confident they will last a good amount of time. In closing I have worn boots like these for almost 30yrs. I don't own any sneakers. So I know good boots and this boot will not disappoint. I would buy again for sure and highly recommend. 9/10.

I wear nothing but 8" boots; decades when on duty, and now as everyday footwear (I need the ankle support!) I bought these as summer boots to replace a well worn pair of Hi-Tec boots, which seem to be of lesser quality and durability than these Bates. Also, unlike the Hi-Tec, the side zipper goes down low enough to remove and put on the boots without unlacing the boot. These Bates were comfortable on day one, and by day three, were feeling reasonably broken in for even more comfort. The toe box is generous, and the heal area is narrow enough to keep lateral movement to a minimum. Looks like I found new favorite summer boots!1 YEAR UPDATE:I've won these almost every day for the last year, nearly 12 hours a day. They are still structurally intact and clean up like new! I've come to love the toebox room, and the functional removal of the boot with the highly durable zipper system. I've replaced the pads twice (using the priciest Dr. Scholls Sport/Boot insoles), which is normal for this much use by a 280lb guy. I'm planning on buying a new pair and keeping the old as backup pair in my truck.14mo Update: Well, after 420 days of use, 12+ hours a day, one of the zipper pulls finally snapped off. This results in the boot zipper not staying up after a an hour or so of wear. So, 5000+ hours of wear before failure; this seems like a pretty reasonable life for the price and quality of these boots. No frays, no splitting. The molded rubber edges of the upper sole is just starting to degrade. There is still a decent amount of tread on the soles. All in all, a great pair of boots for the price. Ordering a new pair now!

I love these boots, and what a price. Didn't even require any break-in, true to size and feel like a tennis shoe. It's winter where I live and although not a winter boot they feel fine when out in the 10 degree weather for for a short time. I hope they last, time will tell but even if only last two or three years still will be a great buy for the price.

I love these boots. After seeing them on Jon Bernthal's episode of essentials on GQ I had to get them, he was right. You can jog in them, work out, play basketball and other things. They are comfortable and durable. I wear them to work and they go great with jeans and a t-shirt or a flannel. Plus, the guys' give me praise on the look of them.Best hundy I spent in a while. I highly recommend them to anyone considering buying them.

Well made and look sharp. Accurate to size and fairly priced and arrived quickly.

Update....14 months... that's a pretty good life for a pair of boots that get the snot beat out of them every day.The zipper finally went in them. First it started to tear where the zipper meets the boot at the top of the boot collar.This is probably my fault because of how tightly I wear them (note previous comment on ankle support.)The soles have held up amazingly!Yes... they've worn down considerably. But absolutely not something to complain about considering the abuse they take.The comfort level has never diminished. They're still as cushioned today as on day one.Will install better laces from the get go on this next pair. Walmart has good, flat boot laces for about $3 a pair that eliminate the strangled foot sense when you're first breaking them in.Wish they had a boot strap as well.There's an old school shoe repair guy in town... gonna take them to him right off the bat and have a boot strap sewed on. He charges $6 to do both boots. Very worthwhile investment.All in all... BUY THESE BOOTS!------------------I HAVE to wear high, form fitting work boots. I'm in and out of a big truck all day, and having broken both ankles at different point in my youth, the ankle support is very important for me.These boots fit me perfectly. I wear a 10 wide, and these boots are comfortably snug without having to lace them either too tightly or too loosely.I love zip on boots. Having lower back issues.. The less time I spend bent down lacing up boots, the better. These fit the bill perfectly.I was a little concerned about how small the teeth are on the zipper, but 2 weeks in they seem to be no issue.I've been buying Red Wing Worx boots for 20 years. At more than twice the cost of these boots. The last pair I bought I immediately noticed they had reduced the quality of the boot since my previous purchase of a pair (while raising the price nearly 10 percent from a year prior.) I sent them back and received a refund. Went shopping here for boots and found these.If these last a solid year, I'll become a repeat customer. Looking forward to having put #RedWingWorx in my rear view mirror permanently.

This is my 6th set. I've been using Bates boots for over a decade. They are well made and fit great. I will buy another pair as soon as I wear them out.

Really comfortable and perfect sizing. Using it for more than 2 years no issues and it protected my leg from an iron rope got a small cut on the side but it saved my foot

I have been wearing this boot regularly for work and hiking during the past year and it has held up very nicely. The side zipper makes it super easy to put on and take off. If you like your boot to be tight the zipper doesn't impact this. The zipper does slip during usage at times but overall I found tying the laces tight can prevent this. The boot is very light and the ankle support is good making it very pleasant to walk in over long distances. The colour makes this boot easy to clean and only minimal thread loss can be expected which can be easily burnt off with a lighter.

Boot is good for walking but do not last for more than a year

Price. Quality. Comfort. Side zip. Lightweight. As I'm usually on patrol, a lot of walking around, these provide great ankle support while being tough yet light. Which makes running easier and safer.

ok