Tactical Research Khyber TR960Z 8" Lightweight Black Tactical Boots for Men with Zipper - Designed for Police, EMS, and Security Personnel with Vibram Ibex Traction Outsole

These things are seriously more comfortable than most sneakers. They require virtually no break-in time and are comfortable both on and off pavement, as well as for running, walking and long periods of standing. The zipper makes on and off a breeze. You do have to re-tie the laces every once and a while, as laces naturally stretch, but that's just common sense. They are also very, very light, which is fantastic for long hikes.These boots are not without their drawbacks, however. I work in the Sonoran Desert, and it is HARD on footwear. I go over mountains and fields covered in loose and jagged lava-rock, sharp spined cactus and mesquite, all of which seem created solely for the purpose of shredding, chewing, and impaling boots. These boots held together acceptably well, but the seams on the heels gave out a few months earlier than I would have preferred or expected.That being said, I have yet to see a pair of tactical boots that are both amazingly comfortable AND take the insane beatings I put them through. You can seem to have only one or the other. Danner boots come to mind for durable, but they do to my feet what the Sonoran Desert does to most other boots. Of course, Danners are also a helluva lot more expensive. You could almost buy two pairs of these for the cost of one set of Danner Acadias.If you are a beat-cop or someone who expects more pavement or gentler off-road/ mountain terrain, than I highly recommend these boots for both comfort and price. If you go through boots like a drag racer goes through tires (me) than you might want to consider other options. That being said, The low cost partially offsets the need to buy more often. I myself am currently working on destroying a pair of 5.11s (a bit more durable, a bit less comfortable), but after those have given up the ghost I will probably be buying another pair or two of these.Edit: After seven or so years, I still come back to these boots. I have tried a few others when I feel like going on an adventure in forwear, but I never end up buying anything else more than once. Nothing has beat the comfortability or light weightof these boots, and although some definitely still endure longer, I still come right back here to order another pair of Khybers.Also, I don't know if the beating I put these boots through has lessened gradually over the years, but I have definitely noticed that the boots have started lasting longer than they used to. Maybe it's me, or maybe the build quality has increased some. I still won't say they are an extremely durable boot, but I will say that their durability to me is no longer enough of a negative to take a star off this review, so I am changing it from 4 to 5 stars.

After considerable research, both online and in brick and mortar stores, I decided on these boots for my everyday use as a Security Officer for a well-known Armored Car company; that's 5-6 days a week, 12 months a year. Occasionally I drive, but usually I'm on foot as an armed escort, so I do quite a bit of walking in all types of Midwest conditions. Belleville's TR960z boots look professional (neither too plain or overly stylized), they are definitely comfortable on my feet, and they fit as expected, even for my wide (2E) feet. Unless you submerge your feet in water over the ankle, they'll keep your feet basically dry, and are great in moderately cold to moderately hot weather; I'd say around 20-80 degrees F, depending on the socks you wear with them. The soles are pretty good for almost all but the most slippery of surfaces, (like ice or our restaurant customer's kitchens) and the tread seems pretty resilient, in that after about a year I still have the majority of my depth and grip. The toe, heel, and outside edges don't easily scuff, and after taking a plethora of beatings, I can still clean them up nicely with a Kiwi sponge. The toe box is rigid enough that you can drop something with some weight on it without worry, but these do not have steel reinforced toes, just to be clear. But just as a reference, I've had boxes and bags of rolled coins weighing anywhere between 15-30 lbs. dropped on my toes dozens of times without incident. I've really come to like the convenience of fast zip style boots, even to the point of having a standard pair modified to add one. For this boot, however, the zipper is the problem. The zipper's interlocking tracks are not vertical, but follow a curve. After two pairs, it's my opinion that this will almost inevitably cause the zipper to break. Even after taking my second pair with a broken zipper to a professional, they questioned why any company would unnecessarily curve the interlocking tracks, when a vertical path (and perhaps bigger locking teeth) would most likely prevent 90% of these kinds of problems. These good boots would be great if they fixed that one issue, so enjoy them until the zipper breaks. In my case, it was about 13 months for the first pair, and 11 months for the second pair. Of course, you could always have the zipper professionally repaired/replaced, but it costs almost as much as replacing the boots themselves entirely.

I can’t see ever buying another brand. I happened upon Tactical Research about 6 years ago when I was shopping for tan boots. I found some Tactical Research boots at a local military/law enforcement strip mall type store and they were just what I was looking for when I started to lose hope.I had tried on about a dozen main and off brand boots but nothing was right. I found the Tactical Research ones and wore them for 6 years 40+ hours a week drudging through trails on and off-road in all types of terrain. They not only worked great and provided confidence in traction and stability, but they lasted and are still in perfectly good condition.When it was time to move back to a black boot, I had to find some Tactical Research boots. I feel like they’re a best kept secret.In my 16 years of wearing this style of boot, I’ve been through Danner’s, Rocky’s, Thorogood’s, Reebok’s, and probably others. Besides the Danner’s, the others were realistically 1 year boots. The Danner’s lasted well and could be resoled, but they are just way too heavy.Bought these black Tactical Research boots and am never looking back. Great boot, great design. They polish well, have a professional and sleek shape, and are super comfortable.Both my tan and these black pair, have something special in the sole where they mild to your feet and get WAY better after a short time of wearing them.The felt good out of the box and amazing after a short time. I generally wear them about 11-17 hours a day and my feet are well taken care of. I’d recommend these to anyone and everyone.I have zero ties to the company, I don’t get anything free, and I’ve never communicated with the company, I’m just a huge, loyal fan because of my long and ongoing experience in their boots.