Combat Boots

Combat patterns here, mostly high-shafted and built around ankle support on broken ground. New, unbranded boots described from the maker's specification.

These are new, unbranded boots in military and tactical patterns. They are not ex-issue, not graded surplus, and they carry no service history. Where a listing name says surplus or issue, that describes the style, and the listing says so in its first line.

Fit is the thing that goes wrong

More boots are returned for fit than for any fault. Generic footwear sizing is not consistent between makers, so measure your foot in centimetres, heel to longest toe, standing with weight on it, and compare that against the chart rather than ordering your usual number. Measure late in the day, when your feet are at their largest. If you are between sizes, go up: a boot slightly long can be laced down, a boot slightly short cannot be fixed. And width matters more than length for comfort, which is exactly what a size number does not tell you.

Where these boots actually fail

Not in the upper. The two failures that come up again and again in this category are the sole parting from the boot, and the stitching opening at a flex point. Soles at this price are bonded rather than stitched, and heat is what breaks the bond: dry wet boots at room temperature, stuffed with newspaper, never on a radiator or in front of a fire. Take the insoles out to dry them and both will last longer.

Breaking them in

Wear them indoors first, then for short walks, before you commit a day to them. Thick socks and a proper lacing pattern do more against blisters than any insole, because blisters come from friction and heel movement rather than from distance. If your heel lifts, the boot is too big or laced too loosely, and no amount of wearing in will fix it.

A steel toe is not a safety certification

Several boots here have a steel toe cap, and some add a plate in the sole against punctures. That is real protection, and it is not the same thing as a certified safety boot. There are two standards in play: EN ISO 20345 covers safety footwear with a toecap rated to a 200 joule impact, and EN ISO 20347 covers occupational footwear with no toecap, judged instead on slip resistance, antistatic properties and heel energy absorption. Certification is granted to a specific finished model, not to a feature, which is why a steel cap on its own proves nothing. None of the makers here publish a certification for any model. If your site or your employer requires certified footwear, they require the marking, and nothing on this shelf will satisfy that however solid the toe cap is.

Delivery and returns

UK delivery is free. Orders are processed within 3 to 5 business days and arrive within 10 to 20 business days. Returns or exchange within 30 days of delivery, unused and in original condition, approved before being sent back, with the refund issued within 7 days of acceptance. Return postage is paid by the customer.