Oakley 8" Assault Boots - Temperate

There are several different Oakley assault boot configurations and it isn't because they're made in different countries. There's a temperate climate boot that does not have stitching all around the outside of the sole, and it is a much warmer boot. It's available in black or desert tan. Then there's the desert boot only available in desert tan. This is made of a lighter material with stitching all around the outer sole.

The boots I purchased are the black temperate climate boots made in China. I found that they're sized about one half a size smaller than athletic shoes. I normally wear size 12 sneakers, and I had to step down to size 11.5 with the Oakleys. The leather construction is cheap, as in $30 worth of cheap. It feels like the fake leather they use on cheap belts or wallets, nothing like the leather used on military issued boots.

There's a sticky leather used around the inside of the boot neck and at the heel. The heel leather tends to peel off. The rubber used for the sole and around the forward part of the boot is of medium stiffness, but the boot still needs break-in time to feel flexible. The ankle area feels extremely stiff out of the box and Oakley should have gone to an all-Cordura material for flexibility. The soles are still rather thick and don't feel like sneakers. They also make a lot of noise when wet and they also squeak on polished surfaces. The tread compound appears to wear easily.

The price of these boots was definitely not commensurate with the manufacturing quality. I've read numerous complaints from owners regarding the boots falling apart within 6 months and I don't have any reason to doubt these reports.

I noticed quite a few movies that had main characters sporting Oakley's latest accessories (backpacks, optics, footwear). Terminator Salvation was one of them. John Connor seemed to show off the Oakleys whenever possible, but in a manner that made it seem like the boots were uncomfortable.

Pros: Fairly stylish, soles have decent traction on rough surfaces, feels light weight

Cons: Still needs break-in time, felt very stiff, still did not feel like running shoes, ankle area was too tight, cheap construction and materials, extremely high price tag - most "military-spec" boots are available at a lower cost

Overall: 2/5 stars, you're paying the price premium for the Oakley brand