TACTICAL RESEARCH TR Mini-Mil TR102 8" Minimalist Tactical Boots for Men - Lightweight and Breathable Black Leather with Slip-Resistant Vibram Outsole

Light weight, close to zero drop boot with a wide toe box. It's the closest to a minamilist or barefoot boot I could find.The only issue I had was breaking in the boots. The leather is very stiff. I bought a leather softening spray and it made the break in period a breeze.

I love the designs. Looks fancy and great, but I did get blisters on both outer side of my ankles on day one wearing at work. Broke my skin. I had to wrapped my ankles with athletic tapes and buy better insoles to have a comfortable day.If wasn’t for that I would give it a 5 stars.

They are comfortable to wear and they look good

They are comfortable and I really loved both the look and functionality of the boots, but they aren't exactly tough. I understand an automotive parts production machine shop isn't exactly the environment the boots are made for, but I'm still let down by how quickly these boots came apart. Large sections of the soles are separating from the leather on both boots, but otherwise they have held up. Good leather and stitching. Not marketed as waterproof, but they are actually more water resistant than one would think. If they reengineer the way the soles are attached, I'll buy another pair. Until then, no way I'd get these unless it was for part-time duty.

The comparison to Altra shoes by one reviewer helped a lot. I've converted my running shoes/trail shoes/hiking shoes to the Altra Torins, my gym shoes to Altra One2 shoes...which are just SLIPPERS once you get used to the drop and toughen up the pads of your feet. My office shoes are Altra Instict Everydays...I have both the grey (they are brown) and the black. I wear a dress shirt and tie so the "suede" look of the Everyday's bothered me for awhile...but then I just said "to heck with it" and my feet are more important anyway. My clients don't seem to care either if my shoes are a little too casual for me wearing a dress shirt and tie.SO....that leaves me with what to wear on the Harley? I have worn Belleville boots since the 80's in the Army. For the past 3 years I have worn a great pair of Bellevilles - 13 XW - with 400 grams of Thinsulate insulation in them...with wool socks I can wear them below freezing on the bike and all day in over 100 degree heat walking around bike rallys many times. I really don't NEED to get a new pair.the problem: Once you get used to Zero Drop and light weight shoes...it's HARD to put up with those clunky 5 pound boots...even with the extra up size and wide width...as my feet spread out (as they should) with wearing the Altra's all the time...I noticed my toes feeling a little cramped in my traditional combat boot...and then yeah...lugging around an extra 5 pounds on each foot gets to wear on the brain, lol.I decided to get these - and I AGREE - SIZE UP and go WIDE. - and really ONLY get into these if you are used to the whole zero drop movement...my achilles is fully stretched out now after a year in Altra's....but I did start with just one pair of them...and only for short periods...and only a few days a week. It takes time to 'free the feet' without injury...but its worth the time investment.Out of the box - a tiny bit of rubbing on the pinky toe - went away with 15 minutes of wearing/flexing/walking.Like all my favorite boots - very little ankle support - which I like. I prefer the "jungle boot style" uppers and have worn them for 30 years + - my ankles are so strong I hike in low top shoes and attribute that to wearing jungle boot styles since I enlisted in the mid 80's.Toe box IS NOT as wide as Altra's...but they are "foot shaped" and that's important - I like these fine with ordering up to the 14 2E from my normal 132E in Bellevilles...and I WEAR 14's in all my Altras - so if that helps you some in sizing...Arches - none - as they should be with minimalist shoes - arch support is a crazy, painful memory now - and I have zero problems anymore -last year I logged over 750 miles in training and trail and road races - my first year with zero pain or pulls - free the feet - your whole body will thank you once it adapts to the way you were born!Seeing as though I will really only wear these on the Harley...I suspect they will last eons...but I think I'd order them again if I needed them.

Let me start off by saying I have EXTREMELY FLAT FEET. I have worn over 20 different types of combat boots in my career in the military and in law enforcement. I have worn Solomon, Bates, Belleville, Rocky, Nike, and many more different brands. But this boot is by far one of the most comfortable and healthy for my feet. It truly is a minimalist style boot and if you have gone your entire life wearing boots and shoes that have giant soles, you may want to take it easy with this boot. There will most likely be a a weeks where your calves may be sore or your achilles tendon may be hurting due to your calf muscles being worked much harder than they used to be, but eventually your calves and feet will become stronger and these boots will become very comfortable. I have noticed for myself, that I could be on my feet for a much longer period of time without having my feet and knees becoming sore and thats mainly due to the boot allowing your feet to naturally do their job. The toe box is also worth mentioning that it is very wide. I do not ever feet like my toes are being squished, they always feel like I have ample room to move my toes around in the front of the boot.As for the build quality, the boot is actually pretty tough and doesnt fall apart easily at all. The only issue I have had regarding wear and tear of the boot is the black coating on the leather has already started to peel off where the boot bends. The laces are very strong and do not rip or wear out. They are speed laced.Another minor issue that I have had is the leather finish is not very friendly to polish. I have noticed that after polishing these boots, the shine seems to wear off a lot faster that other boots I have shined (and I have shined many many boots). I believe this is due to the black finish on the leather (like i mentioned it cracks and peels off at the creases).In conclusion, this is a fantastic boot, and although it has its cosmetic flaws with the finish, the boot is strong and holds up even though how thin and light it is. This is the only military/law enforcement minimalist type boot I have seen on the market and it truly lives up to its expectations. I wish more companies made boots like this.

Strap some boards to your feet and save your money.