Well once again the time has come for me to again set out for all points East. Each time I go I usually take a new item to tinker around with. This time I decided to upgrade my footwear, as I have gone through a number of different vendors and had mixed results. Over time I noticed that there were certain requirements i needed in a boot and finding that meet these needs has proven difficult. Desert boots are typically made with a suede exterior and some boots are more prone to stain than others, so I wanted somthing that wouldn't stain the moment I dropped water (or somthing else) on it. I once cracked a toe cap in a boot that very nearly cost me my big toe! Ever since I have insisted on steel-toe or reinforced boots. And lastly I needed a boot that offered a good deal of support in the ankle as I have suffered previous injuries that cost me stability in one ankle joint. So with these three requirements in mind I began searching for something that might meet all these needs.

Eventually my search lead me to the Blackhawk Warrior Wear Desert Ops Boot. I had previously purchased a pair of their regular all-black leather Warrior Wear Boots and enjoyed their lock tight soles with oversized lugs while tooling around boulders in California. However, I thought that their insulation may be more than necessary for a desert. The Desert Ops boot offered an alternative. WIth a reinforcement to the outer heel and toe, what little suede there is features water resistant Cordura. Having prior infantry experience I wanted a chance to break in the boots before needing them in the field so I wore them on and off for a week to test their stability and design. You can defiantly feel the steel shank in the boot providing you with reinforced stability, and the webbing helped keep my ankle joint from rolling over. It was nice that the boot offered a lot of breatheability as well, as I was concerned from previous vendors touting their "desert boots" that only served to trap moisture rather than wicking it away.

In the end I was able to take the Desert Ops boots right from the box to my feet with no problems or adjustments. My only advice would be to exercise care when ordering your shoe sizes as many vendors offer both the American and European foot scales but don't tell you up front. I was very satisfied with the boots having suffered from bad footwear previously. I would encourage anyone whom is needing a light-weight desert boot to consider these as they clearly reflect Blackhawk!'s product development. While I am overseas I will keep you all appraised on how they hold up under extreme use...more to follow.

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