Oakley SI Assault versus Converse Tactical (w/comp toe)

[Gordon]

Anybody tried both of these boots? I'm trying to decide which to buy.

[swatt13]

MightyBudda has a a pair of the oakley's, he said theyre mondo comfortable, waterproof, but expensive, he use to wear cf issue boots. he said theyre worth it, but i cant see myself spending $300+ on boots. pm him if you got questions.

[ILLusion]

i have two pairs of Oakley SI's. Originally got it in black, only to find them SO comfortable that I had to get them in tan as well. Turns out that the tan is built very differently from the black one. Less padding, different materials, as well as breathing/draining grommets on it.

From what I've read (never tested it myself), none of the Oakley SI's are meant to be "waterproof."

[Valcrow]

I love my SI boots, they are extremely comfortable, and i have the flattest feet in the world, the boots keep me in game for the entire day without destroying my entire back and knees. Like my other boots or even shoes did. They're suprisingly light and feel kind of fragile, though I havent run into any durability problems yet.

They're awesome for sneaking around as they make virtually no noise on most game surfaces, (ie, wood, grass cement) However it tends to squeek like a mink with a spear through it on smooth tiled floors. Great traction over all, but gets a bit slippery on wet foiliage.

As for the waterproofness, it doesnt look very water proof as the top of the boot is kind of low in comparison. That said, Ive been through some really wet terrain, snow, etc you name it and it's always kept my feet dry.

Good buy for sure. camp on ebay for a while you might be able to find some cheap ones. Oh, and I have black ones if that makes a difference.

[firemachine69]

Wow, I wasn't even aware Converse made Tac boots.

[Rico]

Oakley SI assault boots are incredible although I can't say much about the Converse boots. Definately comfy, and super supple leather. Might want to get some sort of leather spray on the new boots though. After getting some paintball gunk on my boots it left a white residue that was difficult to wash/polish off.
Troll ebay for a while and you can find some good deals. I got mine for around $200CAD.

[Valcrow]

Originally Posted by Valcrow

I love my SI boots, they are extremely comfortable, and i have the flattest feet in the world, the boots keep me in game for the entire day without destroying my entire back and knees. Like my other boots or even shoes did. They're suprisingly light and feel kind of fragile, though I havent run into any durability problems yet.

They're awesome for sneaking around as they make virtually no noise on most game surfaces, (ie, wood, grass cement) However it tends to squeek like a mink with a spear through it on smooth tiled floors. Great traction over all, but gets a bit slippery on wet foiliage.

As for the waterproofness, it doesnt look very water proof as the top of the boot is kind of low in comparison. That said, Ive been through some really wet terrain, snow, etc you name it and it's always kept my feet dry.

Good buy for sure. camp on ebay for a while you might be able to find some cheap ones. Oh, and I have black ones if that makes a difference.

What my bro said but they are so sexy and comfortable that I even spent the extra $200 to get a pair of Oakley SI Shoes for rugged but more casual wear. Also they are not $300+ they retail from Oakley's website for $200. Get them!

Telkin

[firemachine69]

Well, some aren't shipping till much later (like, the 9th of August), some have a limited availability, and none offer different widths (which is bullshit - seriously, after the $100 mark, I expect to be able to choose a different width).

[DuffMan]

I wear mine all the time; clubs, work, airsoft, everything. They're more comfortable than walking or running shoes I've had.

[Gryphon]

As far as I'm concerned, anything branded Oakley is stupidly overpriced. Their name doesn't carry THAT much of a price tag, I'm sorry.

I wear a pair of 5.11 ATAC Storms at work and they're absolutely fantastic. Anyone that's felt them always comments on the weight, or lack thereof as the case may be. Very comfortable, very reasonably priced, and the zippered side is a dream. I haven't had to lace up a pair of boots for months. The ATAC Shield comes with a composite toe and sells for around the $200 mark in Canada. I know it wasn't mentioned above, but I thought I'd throw it in since it really is a fantastic piece of footwear.

[Gordon]

Wow, thanks for the replies guys. I think I will get a pair off ebay.

The converse boots were made, apparently, as a cheaper alternative to Oakley's. You can get them from www.lapolicegear.com for $20-$90 US depending on which shoe/boot you want.

[Gordon]

I've taken a good look at 5.11 boots and danners as well.
I picked up the digi-desert HRT boots for $40 US off the site above and loved them, but I want to try another brand. Plus I'd be paying just as much for those or black HRTs as I would for the converse from lapolicegear or Oakleys from ebay.

EDIT: Does anybody know what the relevance of the red triangles is? If they are missing them, are they knockoffs?

[Rico]

Originally Posted by Gordon

EDIT: Does anybody know what the relevance of the red triangles is? If they are missing them, are they knockoffs?

My understanding when I was shopping for my Oakleys is that they made two boots for the civi and military market. The only difference was that civi had the red triangle on the outside and military was on the inside.

[ILLusion]

From what I've heard, the red triangle is the civi version. If it has the "O-Metal" Oakley logo on it, then it's the issue version.

That's what I "read on the internet", although I've walked into O-Stores and found the SI boots with the metal badge rather than the red triangle.

PS, a huge factor for me to get the tan version of the Oakley SI's, is because the badge on it is GOLD.

*pimp*

[firemachine69]

Originally Posted by Gryphon

As far as I'm concerned, anything branded Oakley is stupidly overpriced. Their name doesn't carry THAT much of a price tag, I'm sorry.

I wear a pair of 5.11 ATAC Storms at work and they're absolutely fantastic. Anyone that's felt them always comments on the weight, or lack thereof as the case may be. Very comfortable, very reasonably priced, and the zippered side is a dream. I haven't had to lace up a pair of boots for months. The ATAC Shield comes with a composite toe and sells for around the $200 mark in Canada. I know it wasn't mentioned above, but I thought I'd throw it in since it really is a fantastic piece of footwear.

Those would be the ones I've got coming in.