Nike “special” field boot.

The Nike Special Field Boot. It doesn’t need to wear a helmet or anything though.

I dislike Nike. I dislike what they’ve done to running, how they present themselves and their practices as a company. I don’t entirely agree with anything they’ve done since marketing Pre.

On top of that my MTI at basic wore a pair of Nike Special Field boots and I have very vivid memories of being put on my face and staring at his boots while pushing in the Texas heat.

So I really didn’t want to buy this boot. I bought a pair of Tactical Research Mini-Mils, a pair of Corcoran Marauders and whatever cinderblocks they issued us at basic. But after years of well educated footwear decisions, my feet have been well taken care of and I see no reason to tolerate boots that are anything less than totally comfortable.

So I tried the Nike SFB. It’s not a true “minimalist” boot like the Mini-mil, but the trade off is that its a bit more protection, and still gives a flexible sneaker like feel under foot, not unlike a pair of Frees with an ankle. In fact, the sole is based off of the Frees, with some rubber lugs for more grip off road.

These aren’t the boots you want to ruck in, but for walking around base they’re great. The ankle has zero structure to it, which adds to the sneaker like feel of the boot. It’s available in every service’s color, and is extremely lightweight by boot standards (men’s size 9 is 15.9 oz.).

Apart from being lightweight I’ve found the boots to be really breathable. The uppers are a mixture of nylon and synthetic leather. Although they’ve only got two small vents on the interior of the foot, they really do a great job breathing. I’ve got Bootsy Collins level funk nasty foot stank and the only time my feet have felt remotely overheated was during a PT session on astroturf (which incase you don’t know, is named astroturf because it’s the surface of the sun pulled down and sprayed green). But seriously, that shit is hot, and I don’t

expect any boots to be able to help me there.

They run pretty true to size, if a bit wide. Don’t try cramming your 12E in a medium, but my C had a little more wiggle room than ideal. Running on it on flat ground has been fine, and it even allows for an unimpeded forefoot strike. There is a distinct lack of structure to the upper, which creates for some slippage if your foot isn’t perfect. As a result, running downhill is not recommended, but walking downhill I haven’t had a problem.

Water resistance exists. It’s a thing. These boots have it, but not in spades. See breathability. The two generally don’t co-exist well.

As far as marching goes, flexible sole makes for an easy roll step, but the tread makes pivoting difficult (as any tread will do)

So far I’ve had mine for about 7 months, worn them 5 days a week and done day hikes, PT and marching in them. The rubber pods are still attached to the sole (unlike some previous pairs of Nikes that have had a problem with this). I’ve got strings like a pre-fairy Pinnochio, but none of them seem to matter to the structural integrity yet, and Day 1 I wound up with a gigantic stain on the toe. The things dirty easy, but they clean up just as easy.

Seven months in, the midsole has packed down and my lugs are getting pretty worn, all of which is to be expected.

Pros
*Feels like a sneaker
*Lightweight
*Flexible
*Versatile
*Breathable
*Quality is good enough.
*Sticky rubber pods

Cons
*Kind of stringy, so buy a pair of scissors with them.
*Sometimes I get flashbacks to my MTI and start sweating profusely.
*Stained pretty easy.
*No toe rand or cap of any sort.

The bottom line
It’s a flexible lightweight boot, highly recommend checking them out if you’re a runner and hate what combat boots do to your feet. Great for walking around post and such, kicks ass in the heat. Don’t expect to ruck in it unless you’re really confident in your feet and ankles.