Blauer sent me these Crush Boots and having worn them for about a week, I can say I am pretty happy with them overall. When I first got them I posted on my Instragram page @vdmsr a bunch of photos and wanted to follow up with a more detailed initial impression post. From the above photo you can see that they very much look like a modern "sneaker" type duty boot or mid-height cross-training type shoe. If you read my review of the heavily used Salomon XA Pro Mid GTX duty boots, you'll know I really like mid-height boots for duty work. Most PD's have a requirement that the boots be black for duty and toe be to hold a polish. While I respect that requirement these are specifically designed to meet the needs and requirements of the daily grind of police street work. You can see that there is molded rubber on the front, sides and rear heel area. That makes for easy clean up if they get dirty, you just hose them down and that'll take care of it. Another good aspect of them is that they are very breathable, definitely not a cold-weather winter boot as they aren't insulated, but good for 40+ degree days at the lowest.
The outsole of the Crush Boots are Michelin rubber and much like the Adidas Terrex Fast R shoes I reviewed (that have Continental rubber) the Michelin rubber outsoles are very durable and grippy. The move to get a brand name tire company to create the soles is a very good idea in my opinion and should be standard throughout the duty-grade boot industry, it only makes sense.
The side guards are good abrasion resistance, so they don't get worn down easily. As you can see the heel area is very much reinforced and I can say that these have an awesome feeling when you start to wear them. The Crush Boots have "Contura" insoles which are very premium in nature and prove extremely comfortable ergonomics. There is a slight period of getting used to the insoles but that's the same with many duty boots. These make you feel like your heel is firmly in place and protected, this may help provide a buffer to sustaining an ankle injury.
One of the most awesome parts of the Crush Boot is they have a speed lace system which is similar to the Salomon speed lace system. The laces stow in the tongue of the boot and its very easy to use. I know there have been some minor complaints about Blauers BOA system, which I have never personally experienced, but the speed lace system is a more modern take on the lacing concept.
Anyway, these will be replacing my 8" Blauer boots which I will be posting a review of soon, I am looking forward to putting them through their paces. Check the Crush Boots out at Blauer, and check out their Crush shoes as well, they look like decent daily shoes for numerous applications.