Tactical footwear

[Shopping A Round]

I'm a sandal loving man, especially in hot weather and really don't enjoy wearing shoes.

With that said, when out alone or with the lady I tend to prefer to wear a sturdier shoe. I predict being in any type of scuffle in flip flops or sandals would severely limit my abilities to stay on my feet and be agile. I would much rather bear the discomfort and be a few inches taller and have uncomfortable sweaty feet than to be caught unstable on a pair of slippery flip flops or even Teva's.

What are your preferences and ideas?

 

[Mudinyeri]

Flip flops would be horrible in any scenario where you needed to be nimble. That said, you could easily kick them off and be barefoot if necessary. Barefoot seems to work for a lot of martial arts fighters.

 

[sm]

No offense, just I do not go along with using the term "tactical" for every darn thing.

Footwear and taking care of your feet are important. Often this is dictated by the environments one is in, or may find themselves in.

i.e. Shoes For Crews, or similar slip resistant footwear, might be the best footwear if one is in where the floor is slippery. Those in the Restaurant industries can attest to this. Another setting is the medical, such as Emergency or Main OR.

I have suggested this to Security, including off duty law enforcement, and even undercover, working in "slippery environments.

i.e Steel Toe boots, are another wise choice, depending on what one is doing.
It may be required in your workplace.

Just a good sturdy "boot" often times fits the bill.
Whether these are Red Wings, or Brahma's from Wal-Mart.

In trying to keep this thread within the realm of S&T:

I and others have done work, where we had to think ahead, think out of the box, and footwear was important.

The reason I bought a pair of black Shoes for Crew, was the simple fact I needed to blend in, with some settings, for a client. Else I for darn sure would not have bought black.

I was in and out of slippery settings.

 

[Shopping A Round]

Tactical Footwear as a thread title.

I derived it from the question: What tactics do you use when it comes to footwear?

The entire subforum is Strategies and Tactics.

 

[fireside44]

What are your preferences and ideas?

Corcoran Marauders.

Light, tough, breathable. About $120 new.

 

[Carl Levitian]

I think the tactical thing is getting greatly over done, not to mention being too parranoid that you can't wear sandels in summer. Keen, and Teva both are about as non slip as you can get, and vastly superior to what the Roman leagons wore while conquering the known world. As for barefoot, the gladiatiors did okay that way. The Viet cong did very well in homemade B.F. Goodrich sandels. The old samuria did well with some weird wooden sole sandels.

If you're cutting it that close that you think your gonna die if you have sandels on, on a very hot day, then you were in a very weak position to start with.

What's on your feet does not matter a bit if you don't use your head.

 

[Cosmoline]

It's not a completely silly question. I remember the time I mixed up the gasoline and kerosene containers while trying to burn some debris from wood clearing. The resulting explosion set me on fire and later I realized I had jumped back with such force my shoes were torn apart. If you're walking in flip-flops or birkinstocks or somesuch and a crazy man attacks you, you may find yourself tripping over your own feet.

That said I don't think you need to spend money on any fancy "tactical" shoe or big military boot. Any modern athletic shoe will work great. Even something as simple as Converse all-stars.

 

[Shopping A Round]

not to mention being too parranoid that you can't wear sandels in summer.

Couldn't a similar degree of paranoia be what drives many of us to carry a pistol?

 

[strambo]

Well, I think flimsy flip flops are kinda silly to wear in public, but Teva type sandals are very sturdy with good grip and they stay put. As a poster above said, the Romans accomplished a lot in sandals...but they stayed on a lot better than the modern "flip-flop."

 

[FatPants]

Something like this would be a decent compromise.

http://www.merrell.com/US/en-US/Pro...M/0/Men/Footwear/Filters/Mens/Chameleon3-Maze

 

[Tim the student]

OP - I'm with you on the sandals thing. About the only time I wear shoes is when there is more than a couple inches of snow on the ground, or I need to look "nice". I guess I wear hiking boots if I'm out in the woods or something too.

Would something with a heel strap work for you? I have a couple pairs of sandals with them, and they are relatively secure on my feet. They may not be the best thing for you to wear, but they may be a decent compromise. I think a nice pair of Tevas may fit the bill.

ETA: Something like these.

 

[IlikeSA]

I used to do a lot of walking in the woods and hiking, and always wore Wal-mart sandals. Of course, the areas that I did my wandering was marsh and swamp, so they worked better than boots or shoes. I also always carried another pair, as the cheaper sandals tend to come apart if pushed too hard.

That said, I have tried to chase down a suspect who was barefoot, and he outran me and other officers pursuing him while he was barefoot. He crossed hot Georgia asphalt, climbed up a railroad embankment, crossed a busy 6 lane road, climbed a chain link fence, hopped the barbed wire, and was out of there. I think that most people, when under the influence of adrenaline, could do that.

That said, I used to wear sandals and flip-flops a lot, and now my feet are paying for it. I am not a heavyset man, nor am I old (30) but my feet can't take standing and walking about for more than a few hours. I really must wear shoes. Wearing flip-flops are sandals excessively can hurt your feet and ankles in the long term, so consider that when making your decision. Think strategically as well as tactically.

 

[bearmgc]

Aside from pointy stilletto heels, tactical footwear is nonsense. Barney Franks, you've been advised....

 

[Al Thompson]

I like to wear foot gear that is secure. One of the things I noted about the 911 attack was that folks fleeing tended to lose their shoes. Especially loafers and most ladies shoes.

One a personal note, I have a bad ankle, so I really like some support. Nice chukka style shoes help me bunches.

 

[FLAvalanche]

You're looking for tactical Jerusalem cruisers?

Yep. I've seen it all. I thought the end of the whole "tactical" thing was the Mossberg 500 with the .50 cal muzzle brake with a shotgun bead on it that Mossberg is selling but tactical sandals take the cake.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Western riding boots (cowboy if you wish). They are made just for selfdefense...

Pointy toe for easy insertion...
high heels to control insertion depth...
Tall shafts to protect white socks from... (and guard against snake bite)...

What more could you ask for.

 

[sidheshooter]

Sturdy soles, non slip soles, laced on; my only requirements (besides looking good!)

Not every SD situation is a shooting one; my idea of a "tactical" shoe is any footware that allows me to haul outta there, or kick like a young Steven Segal on crack if option one is unsound.

And I always double knot my laces, even on dress shoes. That's tactical enough for me.

 

[Shopping A Round]

Yeah, some of you are getting the hang of it! I'm not talking about tacticool mall-ninja-attack-sandals, more like looking at a potential self-defense scenario at a different angle.

I do have a pair like this:

And I have a pair of "shoes" like this that I tried out to run in, but I tend to get too many stares:

However, I'm beginning to think that this is a problem I have created on my own. A heavy boot or sturdy shoe might be the run-of-the-mill for most folks around here or anywhere.

I will try out the Teva's again. Thank you for your replies.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Those?? Yer kiddin' me...Right?

 

[roo_ster]

I don;t wear "tactical" anything, these days, to include shoes.

That said, I am very particular about my foot gear and am willing to shell out more coin for my foot gear than all my other clothes, combined (adding up one day's outfit).

My general rule for any foot gear outside the house or the boundaries of my land (minuscule as it is) is that if I can't take off at a run in them without them failing somehow, I won't wear them. The only foot gear I own that does NOT qualify are my flip-flops. I will only wear flip-flops at home when walking about or at the beach, which is about the only exception to my general rule.

Some sandals provide support and running ability that exceeds some shoes. For instance, Chacos are high quality and even come with a Vibram sole. They are much better quality than Tevas, also.
http://www.chacousa.com/US/en-US/Home.mvc.aspx

 

[hso]

If you're concerned about maintaining footing in an emergency (the most likely emergencies don't involve an attack) then avoid floppy/loose shoes or be prepared to kick them off and go barefoot.

I'm an old whitewater boater/backpacker. I've worn most types of sandals or dive booties or water shoes. Dive booties stay in place, but are sweaty. Sandals tend to snag their open toe or open heel in some situations. The water shoes just are too light/loose and tend to come off. I'm impressed with the Keen designs in that they provide the security of a shoe with the venting of a sandal.

 

[rDigital]

Bates 922. They are comfortable, provide support. light and last for a long time. I wear them every day.

 

[Shopping A Round]

My general rule for any foot gear outside the house or the boundaries of my land (minuscule as it is) is that if I can't take off at a run in them without them failing somehow, I won't wear them.

That is a very strong MO. No room for failure.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Too old to run...Kick the snot out of them or shoot'em...That simple.

 

[sm]

One never knows the where or when of their next encounter - CRSam

Footwear is important, no doubt. Still reality does rear its ugly head and one might find themselves having to make do, with what they have on person, at that time.
Hence the reason I am so against The Great Equipment Race, which includes, but does not limit itself to the new age connotations of "Strategy & Tactics".

Girls.
Yes those sweet smelling, good looking human beings, that boys think are so "not with it".

Now I was raised and mentored, and did "set-ups and lessons" wearing the clothes one wore for whatever setting they were in.
This included leather soled shoes, to go along with suits, ties, sport coats, dress casual pants and the like.

Girls, did their "set-ups and lessons" wearing dresses, skirts, high heels, and other footwear.

One can learn a lot from "girls" and the "strategy and tactics" they employ, to stay safe, and in having to deal with a threat.

Boys may find themselves in a situation where they don't have their "tack-tickle" pants, shirts, footwear, holster, gun, knife, and whatever else they have to have, to be "tack-tickle" according to the current context, and "innernet".

*sad-but-true*