Hanwag Special Forces
Price- $300 and up
Years of use - 3+
Type of Abuse - Dessert of Kandahar, Mountains of Alberta, Urban PSD work
Hanwag is a German based boot company who pride themselves on handmaking every pair of boots they produce, at least according to their website. However they make them it works, these are by far the best boots I have wore from any manufacturer. Starting with the design, the Hanwag Special Forces (HSF) are a simple black combat style boots with a complete leather exterior with gore-tex liner. The boots are immediately comfortable and need almost no break in time. They claim to be absolutely waterproof and unlike a lot of other companies these ones actually are.
Comfort: these boots are very comfortable, but very rigid. If you are not accustomed to this style of boot then they may seem a bit bulky in comparison to say 5.11 or SWAT boots. I have done dozens of long marches in these with little to no blisters. I have wore them with the stock insoles for about a year which were good, but I then upgraded them to the Superfeet green insoles, which these need a whole review of their own.
Durability: This is where Hanwag really stands out, out of all of the boots I have ever purchased (a lot of boots) the Hanwags are the only ones that have lasted the test of time. I give them a 5 out of 5 for durability.
Gription: Excellent grip and dont get too slippery in the cold weather.
Downsides:
1) Now that you have heard the good, here is what I don't like. German sizes, I am a 12 in US/Can sizes and I am a 10.5 in German. I think the Germans are trying to say something here but it is a bit of a guess when you are buying these boots, especially if you have to order them.
2) Driving in these boots is not as comfortable as walking. These boots have a huge sole and it makes that intimate contact with the pedals only a memory. When I first got them I felt like I had blocks tied to my feet so I could reach the pedal.
3) They are not quite as high as standard issue military boots, so if you are wearing them bloused with a uniform they stand out. You can be certain if you have a Sergeant Major who is one of those guys he will notice immediately.
4) The top is white? I dont know why they did this because even their civillian boots have a black top. I just sharpied this black.
5) They are expensive, $300 plus dollars, and you may have to wait to get them due to the manufacturing process.
In closing the HSF is an outstanding boot, I have wore at least a dozen types of boots through every type of terrain and nothing comes close to overall quality of Hanwag. Yes they are expensive but if you are like me you can wreck a set of boots in six months or less some times. These boots have lasted 3 years and show little signs of wear.
