After Action Report Re: YEVHEV Men's Tactical Boots
So, I've owned a lot of 8 inch tactical boots. Full leather, Altama jungle boots (which these Yevhevs are obviously inspired by), Propper, Bates, Danner etc. I've had a few pairs of WWII style jump boots, some spat and gaiter types, rat boots and some other less tactical types like Georgia and Red Wings too. This is all just to say that I've got a bit of experience with boots. Some professional, some off duty work. What can I say, I live a life that makes them necessary and I like them. Usually I would tell you that you get what you pay for, as in the more money you're ready to pay for your boots in general the better the quality, comfort and performance you'll see from them. In this case, I have to admit, that's not the case.So, to these boots. I've had other Yevhev products and have generally been happy with their quality. When I was looking for a new pair of tacticals and saw these I decided to take a look even though I was actually looking to spend more money since I wanted something higher end. I was going into a training evolution and wanted to start with some quality. A lot of the other lads were wearing and liking their Reebok, Tactical Research, Bates, and other middle to higher priced manufacturers. Boots have come a long way since the first pairs I've worn. Take these boots back to the late 80's early 90's and pass them out to a Basic Training cadre and you would be an instant hero worthy of a monument. I've never purchased any boots online that were made by a manufacturer who's boots I have had no experience with. However, since in the reviews it sounded like most people have reported that the sizing of these were accurate, and that that's my main concern with sight unseen footwear purchases, I decided that I might be willing to take that chance. After looking over the specs for things like weight and sole specifics I decided that I might as well go all in and buy a pair of the black full grain and a pair of the coyote suede. I'm happy I did. So happy that I'm on here now getting four more pairs of each, and before you think that doesn't bode well for their wearing and duty longevity, I'm buying these extra pairs for myself and my son before the high inflation necessitates an increase in price. There's a lot of things I'm stocking up on to weather this economic storm. Where non-waterproof light tactical boots are concerned I've found my go to boots.The black full grain leathers- On a lot of boots that are cheaper and claim to be full grain uppers you find that the leather finishes crack pretty quickly and the uppers tear from the soles because the wear pattern isn't properly allowed for. After a lot of hard use these haven't shown any indication of these problems on the horizon, and I waited quite a while before reviewing them because I wanted to have a good idea of their performance on this specific point. They took almost no break in time. The soles are surprisingly solid, their pattern is very effective and they're just right as far as how hard/soft they are. The heel height and stirrup/arch area are just the right size and well designed. The size, just as the reviews indicated, are spot on. The tongue is comfortable without being overly puffy and don't crease in a way that makes for uncomfortable wear. My feet don't shift around inside the boots even with thinner socks. The eyelets are well designed, durable and secure. They're one of the easiest putting on and taking off boots I've worn, that's always a big point for me. They're light, breath well, I don't have sweat issues with them and they don't feel too hot even in the 100 plus degree heat I've been wearing them in lately. Hell, they don't even let much sand in, or any if my cuff is down over the tops of the boots. And finally, they're very comfortable. Extremely so in fact. Bear in mind I have unremarkable feet. No high or flat arches, not too crazy wide, no corns or bunions, no crazy ingrown toenails and I don't have 'hammer toes'. You know, just standard issue mark-one feet. I read one review where the purchaser said they had problems with chafing on the lateral malleolus prominence of the fibula on the outside of their ankles, but they also said they had this problem with nearly every pair of high top shoes or boots they had owned. Sounded like a rare personal problem that I have had zero sign of, even with thinner socks. For the price point these are by far the best wearing and most comfortable boots I've found anywhere. There's only one other pair of boots I've owned that were AS comfortable and those cost upwards of six times as much.The coyote brown suedes- In every way, other than the color and suede, these boots are the same as the full grain black leather model. The color is excellent and uniform. The suede is supple, hasn't torn or worn on any stitch or glue line or along the sole. It hasn't stretched or otherwise gotten out of shape. In fact they haven't shown any of the weaknesses or problems that I usually associate with suede. They're every bit as solid as the full grain model. I would in fact like to see a pair of black suedes for the flat, no shine characteristics of suede. FDE would be nice as well.All in all these are the best tactical boots I've owned. I may eventually try out some other manufacturers, but really I don't expect to find anything better, especially in this price range. I highly recommend these boots to anyone who is looking for legit light tactical boots. They aren't what you want for waterproof cold and wet weather, but for any other conditions these are what you need. Waterproof boots seriously suck for hot dry conditions anyhow, so that's an easy decision. Get your boots from these guys, I hope they have your size in stock.