Bates Men's 8 Inch Durashock Waterproof Work Boots - Steel Toe Safety Shoes for Construction, Hiking & Outdoor Work

I was taken in by the hype surrounding this boot. Most of the reviews deemed it to be super comfortable, and add on the patriotic advertising,"used by Navy SEALs" during BUD/s, I figured it was a good buy. Before this boot, I had not worn another type outside of Timberland or Bass, and I had never spent so much money on a pair as well. Being pricier, I was expecting something above the rest. Short story, don't buy this boot. It's garbage. Ask any BUD/s candidate who had to use these and they'll tell you the same. Don't believe me? Look at a SEAL AMA on reddit, or google verified testimonials. You're bound to find it.So why are they bad? When they first arrived, there was a ton of signs indicating poor manufacturing as well as cheap materials. The leather used was thinner than I had ever had on a boot before. It just didn't look quality. Add on to that poor stitching, with tons of left over strands which should have been trimmed before shipping. The connection between the upper and the sole was plagued by leftover rubber burrs, which is something you don't want. Burrs will come off over time, but they tend to make pockets in the rubber when they do, not just flatten out, so they weaken the structure. And the left and right boot didn't match. The drainage eyelets on one were noticeably higher than the other, about a quarter inch. On one boot, one of the eyelets for the shoelace was out of place so that it torqued the siding and put pressure on my ankle. I admit I should have sent them back, but at the time I didn't realize the full extent of the problems until after I had worn them, merely thinking they needed a break in.All that was by looking, but usage they proved to be another story. Despite being 8", the ankle support is really not there. The center of the sole is in fact higher then the edges of the sole, so when you first get receive them it will feel off, like your teetering, when your on flat ground like pavement. These center soles are of a different material than the outer part, which is more like a dense foam. I had some misgivings about this outer sole at first which later turned to prove true. After half a dozen hikes through not too difficult terrain the sole had taken quite a beating, and on one boot, a chunk of the side just came out. If you look at one of the outer rim segments in the pictures, one of them is just gone, and half of another gone too. They are not durable boots. Period. If you want some benefits I'll say this. The sole does feel more comfortable then my 6" Timberlands, but I've also been wearing those for 5 years, so they've been worn down. They were lighter than my Tims, likely due to the thinner leather and nylon, and they are also cooler, again due to the nylon and also the drainage eyelets, which is nice for long hikes.Would I buy it again? No. I've come to find that virtually all military gear is made with one thing in mind - production cost, and this is a perfect example. For the same amount of money you can find much better boots.