Altama Desert Mil Spec Combat Boot

The Altama 4156 are the first pair of "real" combat boots I bought. At the time, I was a student in New York City, doing a LOT of walking around Manhattan. Although designed primarily for hot/dry weather, the 4156s perform quite well in most weather, except for heavy downpours. I've even worn them in snow! The boot's upper, being made of primarily durable Cordura nylon, is quick to conform to your feet, and break in time is quite short. They are also quite light, and out of all the boots I own, these are one of the most comfortable.

They also look pretty good; they don't have that traditional "combat boot look", and go with everything from jeans to khakis.

So far, I've gotten almost a year and a half of service out of them, again doing a lot of walking in them. Stability is excellent, and they have spared my ankles possible injury on more than one occassion.

The only problem I've had was the rubber outsole beginning to seperate from the upper (after about a year of heavy use). This happened at the very front end of the toe, and the actual amount of seperation was very small. A few drops of strategically placed epoxy/superglue alleviated the problem, and they are still holding together several months later.

All things considered, the Altama 4156s are an excellent pair of boots for everyday use, not just hiking or field work. However, keep in mind they are designed for relatively dry conditions, so, I wouldn't recommend them on a trip to the Florida Everglades...

I bought these Altama 4156 Desert Combat Boots in 1997 and have worn them almost every day. It's hard to imagine anyone being any harder on boots than I am. I've hiked for miles across the hottest deserts of Arizona, climbed rugged and rocky terrain--they're practically indestructable! Even after seven years of tough abuse, they still have more left in them. They are extremely comfortable, give great support and stability. No wonder they're used by the greatest military in the world.