Bates Footwear has been around since 1885 with the company focus being on police, first responder, and military grade footwear. Their company motto says “we are tactical led and tactical first because we believe the brave men and women who risk their lives to protect us deserve gear that can back them up”. I have to say, Bates Footwear has never let me down with the products I have used from them.
Which brings me to the Bates Enforcer boots which I have been testing for the past 8 months by using them as my daily work boot. I was actually referred to them by a co-worker who has used them for the past 2 years, and for them to take that kind of abuse with 12 hour shifts should say something right off the bat about the durability of these boots. They are still in decent shape and mine are looking like brand new. Of course with some boot care, but that is still impressive! I was first introduced to Bates in the military with my first pair of Bates Navy Seal Jungle Boots. Since then, I have always been impressed with Bates. So here are the features of the boots:
Composite safety toes
Composite toe is always better if you’re required to wear safety toe boots. These don’t get hot like a steel toe boot and don’t set off metal detectors. Some composite toe boots I’ve worn have a tendency to dig into your upper toe/foot. These do not. You can’t tell they have a safety toe at all.
Leather/Cordura uppers
I have found that these boots, although not designed this way, are pretty waterproof. If you keep the leather polished it’ll repel water, and the cordura seems to be of higher quality then 1000D. It seems like a tighter weave and thicker. The only drawback to this is that they’re a little less breathable. I don’t find this to be too much of an issue though. The better Nylon means longer life, so I’m ok with it!
All components are non-metallic
Side zip for convenience. This is one area that appears to be a weak spot and prone to breaking after a few years of abuse, but by then I’d imagine you will replace the boots. It’s not the zipper itself, just the little tab of velcro that holds the zipper pull-tab (a good feature in itself as there isn’t any jingling of the pull tab when walking).
Breathable mesh lining
This lining is nice because without it there would not be a lot of air in this boot! It’s a simple design that much like the vest mesh liners do for carriers, this will do for your boot.
Slip-resistant Ultra-lite outsole is very durable
I’ve compared my pair to my coworkers and it’s amazing how much tread is still left on these even after years of use. They don’t tend to “squeek” on flooring so they’re considered “stealth” soles. The bottom line; these boots are absolutely a great value boot. I didn’t require any break in time with these boots and went right on shift the day I bought them. They’re very comfortable, and as long as they’re taken care of, they will last a long time. The leather is just starting to crack in a couple spots and that’s due to them being high wear areas and the fact that for the past six months I’ve gotten lazy and started using the liquid polish instead of real kiwi. I highly recommend any Bates boots and these are no exception. They’re light and comfortable all day every day. 8/10.
Smooth