According to the Blauer product site, "Weighing in at just 18 oz., Clash LT was built for speed and mobility, while still providing superior support and durability for the most rugged terrain. Offered in both black and coyote tan, this tactical boot is constructed with mixed suede and mesh backed by a premium perforated foam construction to provide the utmost breathability in high temperatures. Our Integrated BOA® lacing system allows for donning and doffing in seconds while maintaining an even laced fit for added support and comfort. Integrated ESS shank gives you stabilization, while our compression molded EVA midsole provides long lasting shock absorption and rebound. Hybrid traction outsole is designed for grip on and off the road." Blauer sent me these boots for testing and evaluation purposes, they would cost in the area of $140 depending on where you purchase them from. I received these boots in May of 2016 and wore them until around September of 2018.
(photo of the Clash boots brand new)
Reason for Purchase:
95% of my job requires me to be working out in the world. That means beating the pavement, driving a car, basically destroying any boot I happen to be wearing that moment. I go through footwear very quickly as I am always on my feet, running, hiking, or working. Prior to the Clash Boot, I was wearing the Salomon XA Mid Pro GTX Boot
, which I reviewed. They were decent boots which did not last as long as these Clash Boots, but they were not designed to do the same thing. I would have probably purchased the Clash LT Boot on my own if Blauer wasn't nice enough to send me one for purposes of review. The boot had everything I was looking for in a warm weather duty boot. As most LEO's would know, a duty boot has particular requirements and the Clash LT boot hits every single one of them. My particular department requires me to have an all black boot, a tip which can be shined if needed, and my personal requirements were that a boot has decent heel/ankle support, some sort of quick lacing system (for easy on/off), is extremely comfortable to walk/stand/run in and to be durable enough to last for 8-12 hours a day, 4-5 days a week for hopefully a year or two.
First Opinion:
When I got the boots I quickly understood that the level of comfort was a direct result of how tightly the BOA system was wound. The tighter I cinched the system the more comfortable they felt. Of course there is a point where hand tightening the BOA system came to its end. Once I couldn't tighten the system anymore that is how I wore them in the beginning. The boots were very comfortable to wear and my feet did not feel moist or bother me after the first week or two wearing them in warm weather.
(photo of them new)
High sides allow for a good bit of stability.
Finish of the boot itself is clean looking and is easy to clean off whenever dirty.
In the Field:
One of the issues I had was that the BOA system would pop open on me from time to time. Nothing consistent that I would label as the product or system being defective. I would sometimes be driving and feel one of the boots get loose. I tried to pinpoint why it was happening but couldn't figure it out. This started happening about a year and half into using them. This did not, and would not, stop me from buying another BOA laced Blauer duty boot in the future.
The high sides actually got rubbed down on one of the boots as I woke a Ryker AFAK every single day on duty. The portions which were rubbed down did not actually effect the overall performance of the boot.
The tread lasted a lot longer than I thought it would. Usually, like with the Salomon XA Pro Mid GTX
part of the rear sole would rub down and have a serious hole which would stop the use of it as a duty boot, this Clash LT boot worked really well and while it has been rubbed down as well it took longer than the Salomon's.
Ownership and Usage:
I really abused these boots and they still look pretty good. There were some days during the winter/snow months where I wore them instead of the Salomon Quest 4D GTX
because they are lighter and they performed decently in the winter-mix type weather. There were instances of them taking on water but that was more my fault for stepping directly into a 4-6 inch puddle or into snow that went above the ankle. They did dry well though, slightly faster than the XA Pro Mid's and definitely faster than the Quest 4D's. Before this Clash LT boot I stayed away from 6" boots as I generally do not like large boots which went high above the ankle.
Final Thoughts and Recommendations:
This boot changed my mind on higher than ankle boots. It also has a very sneaker-like feel to it with slightly more ankle support. I would have worn them directly into the ground but Blauer decided that they wanted to send me their 8" Assail boot for testing. I still have this 6" Clash LT boot and will probably wear it during training and other uniform-type non-duty requirements as they are still functional. This Clash boot is a good example of why staying away from heavy patent leather boots (like Danners) is a good idea and getting into some newer technology boots which Blauer offers at a very reasonable price point.
For me, I buy duty boots knowing I will likely wear them every single duty shift for at least two years. Then I consider the what type of technology the company is applying to their product and how it would effect my daily use of the boot. Since duty boots, unlike your average footwear, require a few features which may be difficult to find Blauer does a really good job of packing their boots with latest technological advancements. The rear heel is reinforced, as well as, the front toe area. The boot has decent stability to prevent you from rolling your ankle or unnatural movements/steps. There are a bunch of other features which I would suggest checking out on their website. If you are in the market for a decent duty boot I'd recommend checking Blauer out for their boots.