5.11 offers up another piece to their footware line with the big selling point on this guy is the high strength composite kick toe. The shape and material used for the kick toe are a great compromise of protection and flexibility for comfort. Traditionally boots like these would have steel toes resulting in pretty low comfort levels. The core of the XPRT design is that of a deluxe well constructed and padded boot. The "Shock Mitigation System™" includes a fairly plush insole insert. Due to the materials and padding thickness it may be a bit hot in hot climates, but generally makes for a good urban boot.
As for first impressions, I have been used to wearing desert boots so these were some uncomfortable bitches. After about 2 weeks of running around in them I broke them in enough to be happier with the comfort level. Once broken in I could do most actions, however I would not be wanting to do a bunch of shuttle runs in these boots or anything else requiring a lot of heavy angle ankle pivots. They may be more comfortable than steel toes, but they are still less comfortable than non toe reinforced boots. I wish the upper portion of the boot wasn't so straight and had perhaps some stitching to make a good notch for wrapping the lacing around. On that note the lacing used isn't particularly grippy and pretty much requires a tuck in to secure for a day. There is a pull loop on the upper back, but it is a bit odd in which it is elastic based. Although this makes the loop very snag-free, it is much harder to use than a traditional open loop design. The elastic used also isn't particularly thick so I worry of ripping it out over time. The ankle area includes 5.11's Talon Stabilizer which claims to "wrap around your ankle and locks your foot securely in its grasp", but I didn't notice anything special in the ankle area. I guess I was hoping my heel would be kept down against the boot better. I did however notice their second claim was true that it assists in ankle support while still being comfortable. The tread is a solid multipurpose design combining large chunks / spacing with smaller ones to work well in terrain and urban environments. In conclusion, although not perfect, these make for some pretty good urban doorkicker boots which fit their intended law enforcement design goal.
<www.511tactical.com>
