Golden Fox 6" Boondocker Service Boot Pro

Product Information

Several years after getting out of the Navy I decided to join the Navy Reserves. Most of my active duty had been with the Marines and I wanted to see more of the Navy. Within minutes after being sworn in I was informed that I would be assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines. Well that didn't work out as planned. So many of the M-43 boots were made and they were so popular that they became commonly available in military surplus stores as well as popular shoe brands adopting the style. This confusing sizing also poses a problem if you wear a large size shoe, since Golden Fox doesn’t offer half sizes past size 11.

Frankly, the insole looks flimsy and cheaply thrown together. If I wanted to, I could pull off the arch support material from its base since it’s just glued on, and there are several points of separation. These boots run a touch big, but they are not particularly wide, so if you have wider feet as I do, you may want to go longer to make up for the narrowness. I did find that they loosened up nicely and shrunk down where I needed them to except at the toe box, but that may be because there is a tremendous amount of room there. In 2016, when Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson announced the Navy would ditch the “blueberry” NWU Type I uniforms he also vowed to deliver new and improved safety boots for the fleet.

These boots are also slightly bulbous in the toe. I wouldn’t say that they are full-on clown shoes, but these don’t have the tapered toe so common in boots with similar profiles today, like the Thursday President. Om te passen bij de moderne slijtage, hebben we de zool verbeterd door anti-skid klinknagels te verwijderen en zorgvuldig een bepaald waterdichte suede leer als bovenwerk te hebben geselecteerd. Bovendien hebben we veters in drie verschillende kleuren opgenomen om verschillende stijlen te presenteren. I do wonder about the durability of the outsoles. I have worn crepe soles off of boots in a season. However, They are attached with a full Goodyear welt held on with bold stitching. The use of a plastic welt over the typical vegetable tanned leather means it’ll be pretty hard to resole, though you might manage oneresole if you want to swap the crepe out for something tougher. (Although at this price point, you may ask yourself if a resole is worth it.) The Pershing Boot, or trench boot, of WWI was replaced with a more pragmatic and comfortable boot. First the M-42 was released and this featured a cap toe, also known as the Service Shoe. This had a two-piece stitched sole and was often worn with a canvas gaiter, which is a strap over the boot and around the leg to offer protection from branches and thorns, and to keep mud and snow from entering the top of the boot. This boot can handle occasional high-impact activity, but shouldn’t be used as an everyday work boot.

The President’s comfort technology is worlds better, offering a cork midsole and an EVA-comfort footbed. One of the strengths of these boots over many other brands at this price point is how easy these were to break in and how extremely comfortable they felt while wearing them. These boots are incredibly easy to take care of. Brush them frequently to keep dirt from wearing away at the leather and seams. Also, keep them oiled and conditioned and they will last a very long time. Consider applying some conditioner, like Cobbler’s Choice, once or twice a year. Got somewhere to be? Here’s the long and short of this remarkable boot so that you can decide if it’s right for you. ProsChamois in general deserves its accolades as a do-everything rugged leather that’s still darned beautiful, and it rewards heavy wear about as well as anything out there. Especially when flipped to its reverse side, the “fat-liquored” leather has a truly unique feel to it, and is unafraid of basically any elements. It’s also legitimately self-healing—even nice big scratches will generally disappear just by…walking. And the nap only gets better with wear. Wonderful stuff. The Sole: Dr. Sole Raw Cord Full Sole Crazy Horse leather was originally used in saddlery and is renowned for its toughness and durability. It is a full grain cowhide and so perfect for this style of boot and a value at this price point. The insole insert, although not pretty, is very supportive and very comfortable. It has quite a pronounced bump for arch support that may not be suitable for all feet, but felt rather nice and supportive on mine. It comes out easy enough and you can certainly swap it out for something else once it wears out. While not the best, this insole turns out to be more effective than it looks, which I’ll cover in the sole section. The metal eyelets give it an authentic service boot touch. However, having to perfectly and incrementally loosen the laces everytime I take them off is time-consuming. This isn’t a good rushing-out-the-door shoe.

And those became the four improved features in the I Boot-4, according to the executive summary of the study obtained by Navy Times from the Chief of Navy Personnel. If you’re seriously considering Golden Fox service boots, the two main things to think about are budget and what you’ll be using them for. Mainly, the soft padding on the middle inner part of the foot combined with that solid footboard, makes for a good balance of support and comfort, for casual wear.

It’s also effectively slip-resistant. I’ve worn this shoe up and down slippery marble stairs at work and outside in the rain, with zero trips to the ground. These boots are a bit of a project in putting on. I find that I need to loosen the laces or unlace them down to the 4th eyelets before putting my feet in. Once I l get my foot in there, the comically tiny pull tab is no help. These are not boots that you grab when rushing out the door in a hurry. The leather looks well-oiled and lush right out of the box, and has the organic hyde scent of full-grain leather. It does feel thin, especially at the tongue and at the sides of the upper. I consider these casual boots and would not recommend them for work, hiking, or rough wear. They are heavy duty enough, but in that I-bought-some-boots-from-Eddie-Bauer way. Sure they look tough, but I wouldn’t bet my life or safety on them. They are based on military specifications, but I wouldn’t expect them to handle an enlistment. However, it was bendy enough on day one and is even more flexible now that I’ve worn it for a good week. This also surprised me since I couldn’t even bend the sole with my hand when I took it out of the box.

We couldn’t be more excited to announce the first-ever Stitchdown-ified boots from Canadian supermaker Viberg, made in collaboration with Standard & Strange. Two true titans of bootmaking and retail, and they let Stitchdown sneak in there too. I’m jazzed.

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To modern eyes these are toned-down, military-style, 6” boots that have a vintage air and look amazing with everything from khakis to jeans. You can basically wear these anytime you would wear moc toes. They definitely have more of a rough and rugged look, certainly suitable for casual adventures. Between the solid footbed and the hard gum outsole, I was convinced that I’d need to break this boot in before it would give me any bend. To my surprise, it was comfortable and flexible enough upon first wear.