5.11 makes some great high quality gear – like their pants – and some lesser quality gear. The 5.11 Tactical Speed 8″ Boot falls closer to the lesser quality end of the gear spectrum. The Speed Boot has a polishable leather toe, a nylon upper, and an oil and slip resistant outsole. Having had these boots for a year I have had an opportunity to really abuse test them.

5.11 Tactical 8″ Speed Boot

What I Bought

I picked up a pair of 5.11 Tactical Speed 8″ Boots a year ago when they announced they were going to stop making them and replace then with a Speed 2.0 model. They have become rare but can still be found as close out deals. When I bought mine they were about $80 for a $100 boot. Now if you can find them they are around $60, if not less.

Features

• Polished leather toe
• Leather and nylon upper
• Antibacterial and moisture-wicking lining
• Shock Mitigation System
• Oil and slip resistant, quiet outsole
• Open cell foam cushioning
• Cushioning insole foam
• Dual Density Polyou cushioning
• Hypertext lasting board
• Non metallic shank
• Injection molded phylon midsole
• Semi-rigid heel and toe reinforcement

What I Thought

I am a fan of the 5.11 Tactical Speed 8″ Boots. Out of the box they are super lightweight, each boot is about 51 oz. They did not require a breaking in period and were extremely comfortable, like favorite pair of running shoes kinda comfortable. I’m a fan of leather boots for appearance sake and the nylon upper keeps my feet pretty cool and dry.

Wearing them during the week was mostly just at the office. Weekends is when they got really tested. They saw action at the gun club, working outside, and walking. The most wear they got was at service conditions shooting matches at a nearby military base. The boots have a shock mitigation system, all kind of cushioning, and a non metallic shank. Running and gunning in them is an easy task.

A couple places where they fall a little short, the laces are like a slippery para cord and absolutely refuse to stay done up with a normal shoe lace knot. Double knotting, or a reef knot is the solution to keeping the boots tied up for a day. The  5.11 Tactical Speed 8″ Boots offer very little protection from water. Not being marked as waterproof this is somewhat expected. However walking through a heavy dew is enough to get water to soak through the upper.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Comfortable
• No break in period
• Cost

Neutral

• Knife pocket
• Not waterproof

Cons

• Laces
• Glued on sole

After a year of use the glued on soles are starting to show some pretty heavy wear and starting to separate from the upper. A feature that I have not really used is the knife pocket, and though some people could find it useful, I’m not among them. Overall these are a good value boot, the big drawback is how easily they absorb water.