TACTICAL RESEARCH TR Men's TR CHROME TR998Z WP CT 8” Waterproof Side-Zip Composite Toe Boot

2 eyelets on the right boot broke clean off while I was trying them on. These were brand new and I literally had just slipped my feet into them and began to snug up the laces when both eyelets broke. I think maybe the plastic the eyelets are made from is insufficient or maybe the stitching is too close together weakening the eyelets base. The same eyelets broke off on my 1st pair of these boots after a year of daily use. The first pair I had felt great on my feet and except for the broken eyelets I liked them a lot so I chalked those up to wear & tear and made do. I am now questioning the quality control of the new boots.EDITED with follow up on replacement boots.Wore the replacement boots for 1, 12 hour shift. the next day while putting on the new (replacement) boots the same eyelets as before and the 2 immediately below those catastrophically broke off. I think Belleville has a quality control issue.

Use it for outdoor work in all elements. 100% waterproof. Only down side is if the weather is too nice. My feet will sweat which makes them wet. So on he nice days I wear the cheaper boots. And I did add some moisture absorbing in-soles (which I always use) as well as a constant supply of powder. But I think that’s just a personal problem. I’m hoping to buy a pair of these for my brother soon when I’m more able to afford it. He definitely deserves one. Works harder than me & his boots are falling apart. Which is another point. Boots usually last me about 6-12 months. I will update in 12 months w/ the current condition or sooner if they fall apart & don’t make it. So far so good. And I’m picky.

I chose these boots because I work in resale retail and I am on my feet all day and sometimes get dirty. I have a hard time finding something with enough support for my ankles and I have lower back issues. I finally decided to get the sturdiest boots I could find, I usually wear doc martens with a custom insole. These boots fit spot on! I wear a womens size 9 and i ordered these in mens 7. They fit snug but I can still wiggle my toes, the heal stays in place.There is a little bunching of the lining fabric on the top of the foot almost to the toe that is noticeable but I am hoping flattens out after wearing them from body heat. They really are not that heavy. I don't think they even weigh as much as my doc martens and I am a smaller woman who is not very strong, so for me to say they are light feeling means something! I like that they have good ankle support without looking too bulky. We will see how they perform today at work.

I'm on my feet all day. I get a new pair usually every year because my company goes half on safety shoes. For the last 4 years I bought Reebok stealth boots which were as comfortable a composite toe boot that I have ever worn. This year I thought I would change it up by buying Bates tactical. My toes were killing me in the Bates so I decided to either buy Reebok again or look for something else. Although I loved the Reebok I just wanted a change. My son is a c.o. at a prison and recommended Belleville boots. I have had these on my feet for about 3 hrs and can tell you these are out of the box comfortable. My feet are coming up on age 60 so I'm very picky on comfort.. They also state they are waterproof which is a plus over the Reebok and Bates. I will update this review over time but I am impressed so far.

2017 Update... Well these were fairly waterproof as I had hoped so yeah Still a 5 star boot! But unfortunately, they finally gave up the ghost. The upper separated from the sole on the left boot right where it creases at the toe when I kneel. Overall though they lasted WAYYY longer than I had anticipated and I really did beat on these boots. Bought them in February 2015 and I tossed them in March of 2017 so not a bad run for these boots! I will buy another pair.Great boots! They were a little painful the first few days but once that break in period was over, awesome! They are comfortable all day. I work in a correctional setting and I am on my feet all day on concrete, No more fatigue with these boots than I have had with any other. These are comfortable to run in too as that is an unfortunate necessity for my boots, I need to be able to run in them, No problem here.Another plus with these boots is that they are Security friendly. I must pass through a body scanner daily to enter work and remove any object that alarms. Most boots set the scanner off. these ones breeze right through, especially nice when its raining and you do not have to remove your boots and walk through nasty sloppy goop in your socks! Thank You! One surprise when I laced these up for the first time was the laces themselves, they used Para-Cord for laces! Nice touch there! Saved me the time of having to do it.Overall these Bellevillle boots appear top notch They polish up well, are comfortable, and look good. My only two potential unknowns would be durability and the waterproofing. Initial durability is great, fit and finish look like quality and care went into these boots. However, I have only had them for a short time and in my line of work I only get about 10 months of good use out of a pair of Duty boots, for the price I had better see at least that.. We will see. Finlay, the waterproofing, I am suspicious of their ability to keep my feet dry in wet conditions for an extend period. After wearing these boots to a supplemental training which required running and crawling around in the mud on an outdoor firearms course in the rain. I decided the best way to clean these up was to hose them off in the shower with the handheld sprayer (much to the disappointment of the wife BTW). The boots came clean in no time and afterwards buffed back to a decent luster with a terrycloth towel. A fine days work in the bag and ready for duty in the morning, well not so fast! I placed one boot on in the morning and realized immediately that it was soaked through from last nights washing the other one was as well. Somehow I had not noticed when I had wiped them down the night before that the boots were dripping wet inside. I am hoping that I somehow sprayed a bunch of water into the boots when cleaning them and did not soak the water up, (I doubt this as I do this often with other footwear and have not had this issue in the past). Though I have not yet tested the boots in standing water since, so here is to hoping I do not have soggy feet all day in the near future...If these boots end up being a sponge I will return and edit this review but if not... 5 star boots for sure.

I use these boots for walking at my job working as a director of engineering in the Hotel industry and in this position I have a lot of walking to do daily. So when it come my feet, I need a boot that will be light and have a non slip, non marking tread. These boots a great fit and the toe box fits great, I have a bit of extra space for my hammer toe. The size is right on to what I ordered. The boots are light but yet very durable. The foot pad support is very comfortable and thick for all day use. I will buy these boots again.