What to wear, what to wear? The answer to that question has eluded me over and over again when it comes to knowing what to buy for range wear, camping and other outdoor activities.

More often than not its hard for me to find outdoorsy clothes that don’t have flower prints, bedazzled sparklies or the color pink splashed all over them. My goal has been to compliment my wardrobe with active wear that truly suits my taste instead of just conforming to what the mail order catalogs tell me I need.

Fortunately for me, I’ve found that apparel from the tactical industry works great not only for when I go to the range, but also when I go hiking and camping.

Magnum Boots

Finding comfortable outdoor active-wear clothing and boots that fit my build has also consistently been a challenge for me. The average starting size I’ve found is 4-6 in women’s clothing and a size 6 shoe in a lot of outdoor catalogs and stores that I’m familiar with. Sometimes I see the word ‘petite’ added in, but that doesn’t always translate to a stylish and comfortable fit for me.

Recently I received some great items from Magnum Boots to review; the RD Long Sleeve Shirt, advertised as a “tactical shirt that keeps it’s cool” and the Stealth Force 6.0 SZ WPI mid-cut duty boot, that’s “waterproof, breathable and lightweight.” I was very curious to see how both items would fit. Was this going to be another brand that didn’t truly cater to the smaller sized woman, or will this be a brand that I can easily go to for a great fit?

RD Long Sleeve Shirt

The RD Long Sleeve Shirt shirt I have is a Size Small in the color Mocha, with sizing available from small to extra-large and color options also in Desert Sage and Dark Navy.  It’s made from 5.4 ounce 100% cotton rip stop, and Magnum Boots has a six month no fade guarantee on their fabric dying process.

Most of the time I wear an XS for a shirt to fit me in the arm length and to not be too big around the torso, so I was a bit apprehensive when I saw the size of the shirt was a standard small. I was pleasantly surprised, however that the sizing of this shirt is true, and by that I mean it’s definitely a small. If you typically buy an extra-small like I do then this standard small size just may fit you as well as it did me.

The shoulder width was perfect for my stature, the chest did not gap or pull when the shirt was buttoned, the sleeves fit great and the length of the shirt is suitable for both tucking in and wearing out. I found the shirt to be tapered enough to be flattering, but not overly snug. Another characteristic that I loved about this shirt was the button snaps held together firmly while I was moving around, but the garment also has the ability to be shed quickly if necessary. There’s nothing more embarrassing than hearing your shirt pop open while you’re in the middle of doing something, but the grip these snaps have didn’t give me any cause for concern.

Texas Heat

I wore the shirt both indoors and outdoors during the heat of the summer in Texas. I was comfortable in both environments, but I was especially curious if the shirt would keep me cool as advertised. Amazingly enough I couldn’t even feel the shirt on me while I was shooting outside in 90 degree weather with a high level of humidity. There are low-profile air vents above the chest area on both the front and back of the shirt that helped keep me cool and comfortable. Other cool features on this shirt are an EEMS (Escape & Evasion Money Stash) pocket that’s found inside the back of the collar and low profile pockets on both the left and right sides of the chest.

Some of my shirts can ride up around the mid-section or under the arms when I’m moving around, but that wasn’t the case with the Magnum shirt. I didn’t have to readjust it even once after drawing from my holster, aiming, firing and re-holstering my firearm. I had my sleeves rolled up below the elbow, without utilizing the roll-retaining snap and button, and the sleeves stayed secure during all of that movement, too.

Overall I found the Magnum RD Long Sleeve shirt to be a very functional and comfortable active-wear garment. If you’re like me then you don’t want flowery prints or pink embellishments on your clothes and accessories when you’re balancing fun with a serious hobby. This shirt provided me with the tactical look that I wanted with a flattering fit.

Stealth Force 6.0 SZ WPI Boots

The Stealth Force 6.0 SZ WPI boots were also amazingly comfortable for me. Let me begin by noting that I have consistently had trouble with high top boots in the past. The high top section typically bruises my legs just above my ankles no matter how I’ve laced them up. I’ve just gotten to where I don’t lace up the top section. I did wear the Magnum Stealth Force boots fully laced up for about 12 hours on one particular work day and I didn’t feel any discomfort or have any bruising. That’s a first for me! However, when I went hiking and shooting I kept the tops unlaced to best fit my comfort level for the terrain I was covering.

The cushion in the soles of the Stealth Force boots is extremely comfortable. My feet never felt tired, the boots didn’t feel heavy after wearing them for an entire day and I felt lived up to the claim of being lightweight. The boots also weren’t overly wide or bulky, which is a good thing because I’ve been known to trip over my own feet on occasion!

These boots had amazing traction which I wanted to make sure to point out. When we went hiking the ground was extremely dry with gravel-like terrain in some areas, which can make for very slippery conditions. But, not once did I slip on the loose rocks while navigating through the steep and winding trails.

Magnum Boots and apparel aren’t just for Military and Law Enforcement personnel. They also work well for women like me who want to be taken seriously at the range and want functional fashion while in the outdoors.

Check out the additional photos below and head over to Magnum’s Website for more details.

For the past six months I’ve been beating up the Magnum Spider 8.1 Desert HPi Boots and loving every minute in them.

They’re well constructed, comfortable, lightweight, breathable and have held up to everything from hiking, running, climbing rope and Fast Roping. Today I’ll give you my unbiased review of what I loved about them and also some things that I’d like to see different in how they’re made.

Spider 8.1 Desert HPi Boots

While the name was definitely something I had trouble memorizing while making the video below, these boots pack a ton of great features! To start off, there was very little required to break them in and fit great right out of the box. They do seem to be slightly wider than other boots I’ve owned in the same size, which I really liked.

I’ve always found that most boots I’ve owned have rubbed against my little toes on the outside and I had none of that on these boots. This of course is my personal note as boots fit everyone differently and your mileage may vary, literally.

Construction

The Spider 8.1 Boots are made of quite a few different materials, Leather/1650 Denier Nylon upper, Tuf-Tec Leather toe guard, Spider Mesh lining SuperFabric and M-PACT Sockliner. The leather and Tuf-Tec toe guard definitely added to the ability of these boots to hold up well in the brush while hiking and resist snags and abrasions. There’s definitely wear in these areas but definitely not as much as I feel there should have been, based on the abuse these boots have been through.

While the 1650 Denier Nylon used around the boot has held up, there’s quite a bit of fraying in numerous areas on the boot. While the stitching hasn’t been compromised where the nylon meets other materials, I’ve noticed the fraying is in the areas with the most wear such as the crease where the foot bends naturally and on the point where the SuperFabric meets the nylon on the Fast Rope System.

The boot interior liner is made of very nice soft and wicking breathable material, the upper is also padded just enough to aid in comfort, but yet not create extra bulk. Made in China.

Lacing

I’ll start off by saying that while the laces are very strong, I don’t care for them. They dig into my fingers when I pull them tightly to lace them up. I wanted to give them a fair shake like everything else on these boots, but I’m a big fan of replacing laces with Paracord for more than just the lace replacement reason. Update: Magnum Boots mentioned below in the comments that they’ve replaced the laces with 330 Paracord and added a locking cleat.

I really like the way the eyelets are designed, with six on each side of the boot and a clear separation between the top three and bottom three. This separation closely resembles the point at which some people, including myself, like to skip a lace to take off some of the tension on boots and allow the boots to flex more. I think the way that Magnum designed the lacing is another reason why these boots are so comfortable.

Fast Rope System

I’d like to highlight a few of the features of the Magnum Spider 8.1 Desert HPi Boots, in particular I’d like to give my thoughts on the Fast Rope System with SuperFabric. We recently completed the testing of these boots by setting up our Fast Rope that we built and I spent some time looking like a kid that can’t get enough of a slide.

We had about 15 ft. in height to Fast Rope from, while no where near the 30 to 60 ft. typical on Fast Ropes, it still gave me a feel for the composite piece at the instep and how well they helped control descent.

The instep piece on each boot creates a nice pocket for the Fast Rope to flow through and the addition of the SuperFabric just above provides a ceramic laced material that helps wear and heat resistance. While after multiple Fast Ropes there are some wear marks, but nothing like what would have been on a boot sole without the added instep protection. The SuperFabric also showed no signs of wear at all.

I found the breaking to be significantly increased by simply locking in more to the rope with the system and allowing me to use less grip to slow descent.

Vent-Guard Sandproof Ventilator Technology

Housed near the natural bend in the foot, the Vent Guard ports on each side of the boot help keep the foot cooler. It was hard for me to tell if this directly added to the breathability of the boots but I’m fairly certain it did.

With most boots, the natural bend point of the foot gets a build-up of sweat that’s a dirt magnet. Each Vent-Guard port has a filter layer that allows air flow, while keeping out sand and other materials. I found this to be an accurate statement and didn’t notice any dirt that accumulated on my socks where the ports are.

While these boots are not waterproof and aren’t marketed as such, the ion-mask hydrophobic surface technology does help keep the boot more resistant to liquids and I feel it’s also aided in how clean these boots have managed to stay regardless of the abuse they’ve been through.

Full Feature List

• ion-mask™ hydrophobic surface enhancement – keeps the materials cleaner and resistant to liquids
• Leather / 1650 denier ballistic nylon upper with Tec-Tuff leather toeguard resists snags and abrasions
• TPU exo-frame reinforcement for support
• Spider Mesh lining for comfort and breathability
• Tested & certified to EN 20347:2004 standard for occupational footwear
• Ergonomically designed
• Metal-detector friendly with non-metallic TPU shank and composite hardware
• Lace storage system on tongue
• M-PACT comfortable contoured sockliner
• Spider outsole with reinforced stabilizers and flexible toe fins to silently stick to walls
• Vent-Guard™ sandproof ventilator technology
• Fast-Rope System with SuperFabric
• Weight – 2 lbs. 13 oz. (both boots together)

In all I really liked the time I’ve spend in the Magnum Spider 8.1 Desert HPi Boots and would highly recommend them. They’re available direct from Magnum Boots for $145 or through their dealers.

Video and Photos

Over the last eight months I’ve been in and out of three different pairs of socks; SmartWool Heavy Crew Trecking, Darn Tough Vermont Boot Socks and 5.11 Level 1 Socks.

I’ve got both positives and negatives for each pair of socks represented here, but first let’s talk socks in general and why you should care about quality.

Protecting your feet is nothing to take lightly and the right pair of socks makes all the difference. You depend on your feet to not only support your body and whatever weight is attached to it, but to also get you to where you need to be.

Selecting the Right Pair of Socks

Nothing ruins a hike, ruck or run faster than bad socks. Well, maybe boot that don’t fit would ruin it faster, but that’s for another article. The goal of wearing socks that perform and fit will is not only to make your feet comfortable, but also to reduce the potential for blisters.

Blisters are the number one cause of a bad day under a ruck and are formed from repeated friction to your feet coupled with heat and moisture from sweaty feet. Moisture + Friction + Heat = Blisters. I’m sure you don’t need me to explain this to you, as you’re an anomaly if you’ve never been blessed with blisters.

While improperly fitting boots are commonly to blame, selecting the right pair of socks is just as important. You want to stay away from 100% cotton socks, which just absorb moisture. synthetics and synthetic blends will wick away moisture and help take one of the three blister causing variables out of the equation.

You also want socks that fit! In the Navy I was issued those crappy one-size-fits-most Wool Dive Socks that are just about useless. In BUD/s you’re constantly wet and those things bunched up big time and the ends of my feet, even when we weren’t running with wet boots. Bunched up socks are a sure way to spawn blisters, so again, get socks that fit.

These socks reflected below were all worn with the same pair of boots, Magnum Spider 8.1 Desert HPi Boots (review coming soon!) and used in everything from daily wear to multi-day hikes in the same pair of socks.

SmartWool Heavy Crew Trecking Socks

I’ve had multiple pairs of SmartWool socks over the years and they’re definitely a comfortable sock, especially these SmartWool Heavy Crew Trecking socks. Made up of 80% Wool, 19% Nylon and 1% Elastic, they truly don’t feel like traditional wool socks.

I don’t know about you, but for me, traditional wool socks get shaped and stiff. By shaped I mean that they almost get pressed into a shape from repeated wear and can make it tough to take them on and off. I didn’t get this at all with the pair of SmartWool socks and with 80% wool I fully expected to.

What I did get was bunching though. Despite the built in flat-knit side panel that’s supposed to prevent bunching, these things crept down to my toes. It wasn’t massive, like Dive Socks do, but it did happen. I really attribute this to how soft these are inside. Don’t get me wrong, I love soft socks just as much as anyone, but I think the softness is what enabled them to slide while my feet were drier.

They were truly the most comfortable socks out of the three reviewed here and I didn’t get any blisters, despite the sock creep. There were some slight hot spots at the bunched points, but I attribute some of the blister prevention to the reinforced sole and heel woven in. I also attribute not getting blisters to my feet. I mention this just to say that tougher feet prevent blisters better, so if you’re training for an event wearing boots, don’t wait until the event to start wearing them!

The SmartWool socks also repelled odor well, I didn’t notice any overly obnoxious odor coming from my feet after wearing these.

Made in the USA from imported yarn

Darn Tough Vermont Boot Socks

I had very high hopes from the Darn Tough Vermont Boot Socks (model #14022) as I’d heard good things about them, but had never worn a pair. They certainly didn’t disappoint! Made up of 69% Merino Wool, 27% Nylon and 4% Lycra Spandex, these surprisingly had more of a traditional wool sock feel than the 11% higher wool content SmartWool socks did.

Not necessarily a bad thing by any means, but there is a slight bit of the shaping that I mentioned earlier with these socks. I did find that they stayed put on my feet, which I feel was helped by the mid-foot support that creates a tighter band all the way around the arch area. Darn Tough Vermont also mentions that they use fine gauge knitting for more stitches per inch and a hugging fit.

The heel didn’t feel reinforced on these socks, but the package states that the heel, toe and foot bottom use 4-ply reinforcing nylon. My feet did remain blister free and hot spot free as well. No issues with odor either.

These socks are part of Darn Tough Vermont’s Military/Tactical line and can only be purchased individually from Tactical Distributors.

100% USA Made – Berry Amendment Compliant

5.11 Level 1 Socks

The first thing that I noticed about the 5.11 Level 1 socks were how long they were, I guess I didn’t notice that I had the 9″ “over the calf” socks, rather than the 6″ socks. They should be called “over the knee” socks though, as that’s where the “one size fits all” socks came to on me. I mention this just to mention it, not to take away from the review of these, as 5.11 makes a 6″ version as well. The 9″ just isn’t for me.

Made up of 80% Coolmax, 8% Nylon, 8% Spandex and 4% Rubber, the 5.11 Level 1 socks are fairly comfortable, yet sparse in some areas. I’ve never worn a pair of Coolmax socks before, but I feel like they actually retained moisture more than the two pairs of mostly wool socks above. Coolmax is the Dupont trademark for polyester and not something I feel competes well with wool based socks.

I actually did get blisters on the back of one of my heels from wearing these socks. I attribute this to the heel area on these not being reinforced like the arch and bottom of the foot is (shown by the white stitching on the socks). There wasn’t any issue with bunching on these at all, but I did feel like they had some stink to them unlike the other socks, especially after wearing them a second day. Coolmax isn’t as naturally stink resistant as wool is.

Made in China

Inherently Anti-Microbial

Here’s a fun fact: Using wool is a natural way to inhibit mildew, as wool fibers naturally prevent moisture from being held in. As bacteria is attracted to smooth positively charged fibers like synthetics, it’s subsequently detracted from the neutrally charged rough fibers of wool.

I personally like wool socks better when it comes to hiking or anytime I’m wearing boots. Both the SmartWool Heavy Crew Trecking Socks and Darn Tough Vermont Boot Socks are good buys, but I’d have to declare the Darn Tough Vermont Boot Socks to be the winner in my testing. While neither are 100% perfect, the bunching of the SmartWool is a turnoff. Comfortable yes, but not what I’d choose on multi-day excursions.

Keep in mind that everyone’s feet are different and this review should only serve as a guideline. Socks, like many other clothing items can be a personal preference and what works the best for the way you were built. Hopefully this helped you learn a bit more about some other options for socks out there. Just trust me when I say not to go out and buy Wool Dive Socks!

Do you have a favorite pair of socks? If so, which ones do you like the best and why?

Hot on the heels (sorry I had to) of our article yesterday on the Danner all-over camouflage A-TACS Boots, Magnum USA has issued a press release with images of their all-MultiCam Sidewinder HPi and Spider 8.1 HPi boots.

These boots have been in development for more than a year with the aid of American, British and Southern Hemisphere Special Forces personnel, which also includes field testing in Afghanistan.

These will officially be launching at SHOT Show 2011 with a June August release date. You can check these out for yourself, if you’ll be at the show, by visiting Magnum USA’s booth (#11164).

This is truly a first in the Tactical Industry and something everyone should stand up and take notice of. Danner has partnered with A-TACS to release the first all-over camouflage boot designed to complement the “Total Camouflage Solution” that A-TACS is bringing to the market.

Danner has two versions of the all-over camo boots in their Desert TFX (TERRA FORCE X) line. One pair with a waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX Liner they’ve dubbed the Uniform Boots and one with a non-waterproof moisture-wicking mesh interior called the Hot Uniform Boots.

I’ve been hands-on with these boots and offer up my opinions below.

All-Over Camouflage

Cordura boot uppers are nothing new by any means, but this Danner/A-TACS combo is truly a home run. The colorway match when compared with the Propper A-TACS uniform we have is remarkable. We also have a large swatch of A-TACS heavyweight uniform fabric that you’ll see in the photo and the colorway looks seamless. That’s not even mentioning the industry-first feature on the boots, the soles.

The camouflage sole on these boots is out-of-the-box thinking at its finest. While a relatively small surface area compared to an overall camouflage uniform, it’s important nonetheless. In talking with A-TACS on their reasoning behind developing the camouflage sole, they said that something that had always stuck out in their mind was a statement from a Sniper Instructor who said that despite how good his students were cammied up he could always pick them out by their boots.

This small surface area of a boot sole becomes increasingly larger when you’re in the prone position and isn’t something that’s typically accounted for in the grand scheme of camouflage. I say every little bit helps and what’s at work here is more a pattern break up to the typical single-color sole that creates a familiar pattern that’s easily identifiable. The coloration of the rubber isn’t an exact match as you can see, but it’s certainly close and effective.

I haven’t had much time in the boots yet as they only recently arrived, but Danner comfort doesn’t disappoint. While I’ve been wearing them I haven’t noticed my feet sweating like they do in other boots I have with GORE-TEX lining. I attribute this to great construction as well as the breathability of the Cordura upper.

I’m also loving the lugs on the soles which are beveled to prevent mud build-up. I’m sure most of you can agree that while large lugs can be good in some situations, they lose their value when you have mud caked in-between them. As this is only an initial review, time will tell how well they’ll hold up and I’ll definitely be writing a follow-up article.

Danner lists the release date on both the Uniform Boots and Hot Uniform Boots as July  2011, which will be close to the Spring 2011 timeframe that Propper is releasing their A-TACS uniforms we’ve covered here.

Here are the details on the Desert TFX A-TACS GTX Uniform Boots:

• 100% waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX® liner is engineered to keep your feet dry and comfortable – even in extreme conditions
• 1000 Denier nylon upper material is extremely resistant to abrasions, tears, and scuffs, improves breathability, and dries quickly
• A-TACS® unique “pattern within a pattern” technology and range of inter-mingled natural colors and shapes offer superior camouflaging for military and law enforcement concealment needs
• TERRA FORCE® X platform provides lightweight, durable traction, heel-to-toe energy transfer, side support to enhance maneuverability, and protection from arch overwork and fatigue
• Sleek, low volume profile with ample toe room provides serious support and comfort
• Speed lace system for a quick, secure fit
• Approach TFX lightweight outsole provides improved acceleration, downhill braking, and side hill traction. Beveled lugs prevent debris build-up
• Nylon shank
• 8″ height
• 58 oz
• Imported

Photos

I’ve been in Afghanistan for a total of 16 months thus far and only 6 months spent with my Asolo Fugitive GTX boots; I wish I would have had them from the get go!

Having spent fall, winter, and early spring in the mountains of Afghanistan and late spring, summer, fall, and now winter in the deserts of Afghanistan I have seen the multitude of climates that Afghanistan can offer and have experienced firsthand how good and bad footwear can affect your feet.

Backstory

I first came into the mountainous terrain during the late spring with a pair of 8’’ Converse “sneaker” boots; while these proved comfortable, they were incredibly hot and bulky during the high temp days and acted as sponges during the thaw/freeze cycles of the temperamental Afghan winters and left my feel screaming to be dried out.

After Converse, I moved to my low-top Merrell Chameleons which are great to wear as well as lightweight. After 3 months of abuse in the mountains the toe-cap on both shoes started peeling back and getting stuck on rocks during movements and kicking up dirt. I then tried a pair of North Face low-top hiking sneakers and they have held up and worked just fine. My only gripe is that low-tops just don’t provide enough ankle support and protection.

After hanging out with the guys of Army Civil Affairs and various Spec-Ops members I noticed about 30% of them were wearing Asolo boots; I inquired more about them and got some great feedback from the wearers and decided next time I was in the US I would check them out. In the mean-time I did some research and found out Asolo is an Italian company that was created in 1975 and is focused on providing great outdoor footwear for lightweight hiking in the most treacherous terrain.

What I Wanted in a New Boot

• No Low Tops – I need ankle support and protection.
• Sturdy Toe Caps – I didn’t want them falling off after use and abuse.
• Waterproof – Contrary to popular belief, Afghanistan has rain, snow, and various water sources.
• Sustain Heavy Loads – I constantly carry 60-90lbs of gear.

What Asolo Provided

• Mid-Top Boot
• Sturdy Toe-Caps that cover the Entire toe of the boot
• Gore-Tex Water Proofing
• Rated for 45+ lbs via the DUO Asoflex Technology

Long story short, when I went home on R&R after being gone for nine months, I was on the hunt for some new Asolo boots. My hunt brought me to one of the big box outdoor stores that had various Asolo boots. After careful consideration I chose the $200 Asolo Fugitive GTX mid-top boots.

My return to Afghanistan with new Asolo’s on my feet proved to be a great choice, although the stiff soles took some getting used to. I’ve now been wearing my Asolo’s for 6 months and I’m more than pleased with their durability, comfort, and fit. The stiff sole is there for a reason and becomes ever-so important when my 60+ lbs of gear is packed on. The sole provides rigid arch support and spring to each step.

Crossing water hazards is not an issue and my feet remain dry thanks to Gore-Tex and the Fox River socks I wear with my boots. The Fox socks also help with hot spots that develop and I’ve had no issue with any. The only problem I’ve had with my Asolo boots is the laces.

Since the boot uses speed laces, the metal has the propensity to wear down and fray the laces causing them to eventually break. If you’re deployed, bring an extra set or two of laces just in case. I highly recommend the Asolo Fugitive GTX boots and look forward to having them in my “foot arsenal” for the next year I’m spending in Afghanistan.

Editor’s Note: We’d like to encourage everyone to head over Brent’s Website, OpOutpost.com Created to enable forward deployed individuals to  buy, sell, trade and receive donated items; increasing their standard of living in remote areas.

So if you’ve been waiting with baited breath for an update on our Tactical Chucks call to action we put together after the SHOT Show this year, I feel that we’ve waited on a response from Converse long enough.

On February 10th we received an email from Jason Thome, Media Relations Manager for Converse. That was right before we’d received the last of our 1,000 signatures on the “Help Get These Tactical Chucks Made” petition.

The full email dialogue is pasted in its entirety below, to provide our readers with some answers straight from Converse.

________________________________________

February 10, 2010

Hi, I saw your petition on your site. Converse appreciates your enthusiasm for our brand and product! Contrary to a previous statement from Converse customer service, we don’t have plans to commercialize the specific Chuck Taylor All Stars you are referencing. However, we have produced very similar models and currently offer product based on archive models. Some that were originally made for the military. Sorry for any confusion.

Also, can you please send me your email?

Thank you,
Jason

________________________________________

February 10, 2010

Jason,

Thank you for contacting us, however I’m disappointed to hear Converse has no plans to produce this shoe despite the huge interest the tactical community (Military, Law Enforcement, etc.) has expressed.

What are Converse’s reasons for not considering this model for production?

When you mention that you’ve produced similar models and offer product based on archive models, what does this mean? Can you provide me with images of these aforementioned models?

Thank you for your time,
Bryan Black
Editor-in-Chief, ITS Tactical

________________________________________

February 10, 2010

Hi Bryan,

The shoe from your site appears to be a vintage Chuck Taylor. What I mean is that we literally have hundreds of Chuck Taylor models that we have produced throughout the years. During our 100^th anniversary year we re produced some archival items and we continue to do so. If you are specifically interested in those colors, we have some upcoming models that have similar colors, but they may not be an exact replica of those shoes. Some examples of some products we have done recently are below and you can see this boot that is currently available on this link: http://www.converse.com/#/products/Shoes/ChuckTaylor/112487

photos attached to email:

________________________________________

March 4, 2010

Jason,

As per your dialogue about upcoming models having similar colors, is there any more information about those? I’m not sure if you’re aware, but we’ve hit the 1,000 signature mark we were shooting for on the petition http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/tacticalchucks

Does this kind of interest from your customers not have any effect on what Converse will consider for production? We’re going to be writing a follow up article on ITS Tactical and we were hoping it would be good news in terms of actually seeing the shoe in the petition produced.

I’m not sure what it will take for Converse to take notice of the interest and produce the shoe. There will be some very disappointed customers if our update to the petition is truly one of Converse ignoring the voice of its customers.

Could you please state the reasons for this shoe not being produced, if in fact that is Converse’s decision? Also is there a magical number of customers that need to speak up on a petition to get this shoe made? 5,000? 10,000? Is there a possibility of seeing this shoe as an option in the Converse Custom Store?

Thank you for your time,
Bryan Black
Editor-in-Chief, ITS Tactical

________________________________________

Details

So now that you guys all know the backstory, let me fill in a couple of details. The couple of weeks that went by between the last email Jason sent on February 10th, and when I responded on March 4th was to ensure we had the 1,000 signatures before I contacted him again.

I’ve waited and waited, but there’s been zero correspondence since March 4th from Converse, and nothing from the eStore email address that the petition was sent to after the 1,000 signature were reached.

So what’s the deal Converse? Does our voice not count? Are you seriously going to ignore over 1,000 potential buyers, many who expressed a genuine interest in buying more than one pair?

Notes

I hate to disappoint everyone with this news, and believe me, I would have bought two pairs of Tactical Chucks myself. Between this and the availablity of the recent Vans TNT II shoes we posted about yesterday, I’m irritated that these major shoe companies aren’t taking the tactical community seriously, and thinking it’s just some fad that doesn’t warrant a full production.

So what do you guys think? It’s discouraging to say the least, but I’d love to hear your suggestions on what to do now.

A few of you guys have sent in emails asking about the availability of the new MultiCam Vans we snapped a photo of at SHOT Show this year.

We assumed that it was the same MultiCam Vans shoe that had been released previously, but a Plank Owner, John T, had let us know a few months back on our Facebook page, that it was in fact a different shoe. Of course we all know “Thou shalt not assume.”

Our attempt to get any information on this shoe back then fell short, as Vans was not talking. After a reader sent us a link to eBay yesterday, showing the Multicam variant of these shoes going for $200, we decided to investigate again.

In talking with Vans yesterday, we learned exactly what a Syndicate shoe is. Apparently, Syndicate shoes are made in very low runs and only available to shops that participate in the Syndicate program. There are also very few throughout the United States, but we never found out if there are any overseas Syndicate shops. Each Syndicate shop can only order up to two pairs of a Syndicate shoe in each size, ranging from 8.5 thru 12.

The TNT II is available in 1000d MultiCam “Ballistic” Cordura or 1000d Black “Ballistic” Cordura, and appear to be built to last. They feature Outlast® temperature regulating linings that keep the foot cool when it’s hot or muggy and warm and dry when it’s cold and raining outside.

At any rate, these shoes are nearly impossible to find, as a pre-release went out in late March and Syndicate shops got them about 2-3 weeks ago. In talking with a few Syndicate shops, we also learned that Syndicate shoes are better made than the production Vans line and command a premium due to this better quality. The premium is between $90 and $100, not the $200 they’re going for on eBay.

We sourced a skate shop called Pacific Drive out of San Diego yesterday, that had between one and two pairs in stock of the TNT in MultiCamand 1000d Ballistic Black. They do take phone orders and will ship CONUS, their stock was verified about 1700 Pacific time. There’s also another shop for online orders called Skate Park of Tampa who appears to have both colorways in stock, but we couldn’t reach them on the phone to verify.

If you’re at all interested in these shoes, we suggest you start the hunt immediately, as it seems that once Syndicate shops sell out, there won’t be anymore made. For more Vans photos of these shoes, check out this review on freshngood.com

Ok Guys and Girls, it’s time for our collective tactical voice to be heard.

Chuck Taylor All-Stars are arguably one of the most popular shoes to ever be produced, and have been unofficially adopted by the tactical community and military for a long time.

There are thousands of color schemes Converse has produced over the years, but none that are truly tactical!

Yes, there are black canvas on black sole Chucks, which are awesome, but none in true tactical colors.

The Tactical Chucks pictured here (The bag says Vintage 1946) were seen at the 2010 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, and if we didn’t grab a photo of them, would have slipped into oblivion.

We contacted Converse and eventually got routed to their eStore email address, who needed visual confirmation to give us any information about the elusive Tactical Chucks. Luckily we had a photo…

Just to provide a full disclosure, we’ve attached the email correspondence from Converse so you can see just why we’ve created a petition to get these Tactical Chucks made!

______________________________________________________

Sent: Wed 1/27/2010 12:12 PM

To: Estore

Subject: ID on a pair of Chucks

Hello,

I spoke with someone on the phone yesterday to inquire about a pair of

Chuck Taylor 1946 Converse All Stars that I saw while I was attending

the Las Vegas SHOT Show last week.

I’ve attached a photo of the shoes and would like to see if there’s

any information on availability and when they’ll be released.

Thank you,

Bryan

______________________________________________________

On Jan 28, 2010, at 9:51 AM, Estore wrote:

Hi Bryan,

Unfortunately this shoe was never produced and will not be available

for purchase. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Have a great day,

Jessica

Converse.com

Customer Service

______________________________________________________

Sent: Thu 1/28/2010 10:08 AM

To: Estore

Subject: Re: ID on a pair of Chucks

Jessica,

Can you please explain why it was being showcased at SHOT Show if

there was not an intent to produce it and it wouldn’t be available for

purchase?

Thank you for following up,

Bryan

______________________________________________________

On Jan 29, 2010, at 9:51 AM, Estore wrote:

Hi Bryan,

We apologize for any confusion. Often times our Merchandising team will take old models or prototypes to shows like SHOT to get a gauge on whether or not there is interest in the shoe. They usually let people know that the shoes are not available for sale, we apologize that you were not told this.

Thank you.

Have a great day,

Jessica

Converse.com

Customer Service

______________________________________________________

Ok.. so you read it, right? “Often times our Merchandising team will take old models or prototypes to shows like SHOT to get a gauge on whether or not there is interest in the shoe.”

Converse needs to see that there’s an interest in getting these Tactical Chucks made, and the Tactical Community needs to speak up!

Sign this petition and show Converse that you want to see these get made!

The goal for this petition is 1,000 signatures and will automatically be sent to Converse once we hit that goal.

Send this to friends, family, shooters and anyone you know that could use a pair of Tactical Chucks!

Sign the Tactical Chucks Petition!

Militaryboots.com is holding a “Free Boots for Life” photo contest to find the oldest, most worn-out set of boots.

The winning pair will score a lifetime supply of boots, which equates to one pair of Converse Military Boots each year for 20 years.

Not a bad deal for just submitting a photo and a brief story of what your boots have been through.

All photos must be submitted by January 31, 2010 (Midnight CST) and is only open to US and Canadian residents.

On a side note, the Military Boots blog recently had an excellent write up on military iPhone applications, check it out!

We’d love to hear your boot stories too, throw up a comment!