Nike SFB (Special Forces Boot) initial impressions w/ pics

[021411]

Cool.. I placed an order last night shortly after my post for a pair of black TR Kiowa's. Militaryboots.com sold them pretty cheap with free shipping. They are due to arrive this coming Wednesday. I'll make another brief review on them as well.

[CommieHunter]

If anyone's still looking for info on the Nike SFB, there's a decent review here by a former marine who plays airsoft (I know you guys hate that word).

http://www.airsoftoutletnw.com/index...=14&Itemid=218

Airsoft Outlet is also the only other online store that I know of where you can get the SFB other than Nike, and they just posted that they got in 9, 9.5, and 10 in stock.

[Iraq Ninja]

Here is my 6 month use review of the Nike SFB.

Fit and finish are excellent. Very light, but too light for extreme heat. I think the leather is too thin. My feet got so hot they started to hurt in the 120+ Iraq heat.

The main reason I got it was for the 2 mile kit run we have to do. I wanted something like a running shoe but with ankle support (test requirement). They did fine on the run, but the right boot gave me a huge blister on the back of my heel. The leather was actually worn where it made the blister.

I only wear them now during moderate temperatures, and my default footwear is still my Merrell Contimuum shoes. The silver treatment in the shoes has also kept them odor free, unlike the Nike boots...

[ap1220]

I have been interested in the boot as well as there were a few guys who were wearing them when we went through this three week course together where they suffered A LOT of abuse. I wore my Danner GTX's about 90% of the time and they fared VERY well, still wear them 3-5 days out of the work week.

The guys who had the Nike's had nothing but good things to say about them, one didn't get any blisters at all even though he had little to no break-in time, but that may have been because of foot conditioning and not neccesarily the boots.

The only reason I have not bought myself a pair is because I like to try my boots on before I buy. With all the different manufacturer's out there, I don't trust the same size boots to fit. Hell, as it is I wear size 10 running shoes and my boots are 7.5-8W for summers and winters are 8.5W, so I gotta try before I buy.

[BooneGA]

After wearing size 10 nike free running shoes for the better part of last year I decided to pick up the SFB in the same size before my deployment to afghanistan last year. I will get pictures of the boots but they held up remarkably well for the terrian that I had them out in. Overall a great purchase and some of the only boots that dont cause my plantar fasciitis to flare up.

Rick

[CGSteve]

for an everyday work boot a year is about it? if your working, if your work consist of patrolling in a car mostly I would be disappointed, I walk many miles in the field no matter what boot I have used in a year I want a new pair.

That is my problem as well. I don't mean to disparage the type of duty, but all of it is in urban terrain and is light in comparison to the type of LE work that I do.

I'm a BPA and I walk through the Sonoran desert. The biggest restraint I have in boot selection is our uniform standards. We are not allowed to wear any type of sneaker looking boots, or hiking boots; the boots we wear have to look like uniform boots (they want them shiny too ), otherwise I would definitely check out those Merrell's that the active duty SF types speak so highly of on here.

Our standard issue boots are Danner's. They are durable and strong, but are extremely heavy for the type of work. They are also hot for the environment (AZ Sonoran desert heat). The high back is uncomfortable for me as well.

I have been wearing some type of Wellco boot, which are unauthorized but look like a uniform boot enough to pass by. They wear out in less than a year's time, I've already gone through two, and I don't track/walk every single day.

Knowing Nike's appeal for style and popularity, I just know these boots won't stand up to that kind of usage despite being marketed to mil (I left out LE because my work terrain is more similar to Astan than traditional LE in an urban setting).