I put over 30 miles of hiking into a pair of 5.11 Coyote Taclite 6” Desert Boots while on an R&R trip to southern Utah. Intended as a desert tactical boot, the Taclites will serve well in most all mobile situations.
5.11 literature states the boots need no break-in period. To this, I can attest. They went from the box to trail with no aggravation. These hiking boots are extremely light, but have a substantial amount of suede leather in their outers for durability.
Some of the popular lightweight “boots” found on the market today are little more than glorified running shoes. I found the Taclites to have a more sturdy construction, with enough 1200D denier nylon for good ventilation, but not so much that they would snag or tear easily.
Some other features of the Taclites are an antibacterial and moisture wicking lining, “stay tied” sausage shaped laces, and an oil and slip resistant outsole with a fast roping control thread of harder polymer.
I hiked in Snow Canyon State Park, Zion National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park with these boots. The traction on loose gravel, sandstone, slick rock, and mud was outstanding.
On one hike in Zion, we did 2300 feet of vertical elevation in four miles, one way. The Taclites were great going up, and also when descending. Sometimes a boot’s design can jam up your toes when going down on steep inclines. This was not the case with the 5.11’s.
When we were done on the trails, the boots looked the same as when they had arrived. A quick brush off of the outers, and the red mud and dirt came right off.
I picked up these boots for under $100.00 from an on-line retailer. All features considered, I think they are an excellent value for all terrain or tactical use footwear.
I will be writing a review of my black pair of 8” upper 5.11 Taclites for on-duty use, so stay tuned!
Randall is a twenty-four year police officer in Florida. He is notorious for boot abuse.