User Review: Altama Desert Mil Spec Combat Boot (4156)

Reviewed July 27, 2002 by K. Krill

Rating: rated 4 of 5 stars
Materials: Suede leather, cordura nylon
Use: Everyday street/city use -- heavy walking in temperate climate
Break-in Period: 1 month
Weight: 5-6 lbs
Price Paid: $99.95

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...

Where to Buy

Retailers: Do you sell the Altama Desert Mil Spec Combat Boot? We want to link to you! Please contact us.

Similar Footwear

Compare
See how the Altama Desert Mil Spec Combat Boot stacks up against the competition: read more footwear reviews or more about Altama.

Contribute
Have you used a Altama Desert Mil Spec Combat Boot or a similar product? Write a gear review.

Discuss
Still have questions? Answers? Opinions? Join the converstation in the Trailspace Forums.