Men's Bates Delta-9 Desert

My feet are very rough on boots and I'm required to stand over 8 hours a day without siting. Today will be my first day wearing these. I've noticed a huge improvement over my last pair and I cannot really find anything wrong with these right now. They came in size 13W as promised and have plenty of room for my big clumsy neanderthal feet. For the price I really hoped they would've included gore-tex, however I don't see myself wading in waters or snow anytime soon since I live in the desert. They are much easier to put on than traditional Bates and came ready for action as promised. I had only 2 minutes to take these out of the box and readily slip them on my feet. Unfortunately my shipment didn't cohere with work schedule and they arrived after I clocked in. I'm only given thirty minute breaks and neglected my meal for these. Lets just say it was worth it. Their breathable, comfy, adjustable and sturdy. I hope they surpass 3 years. I put my foot wear through a lot of abuse. I'm proud to stick behind Bates quality. With or without the proper care.

Now at 163 days on the boots. No problems whatsoever with right boot. Left boot stitching has parted where the top of the heel cup meets the top material wrapping the ankle. Outside boot stitching, not the inside. Started slow but got progressively worse, left heel now has side to side slop and support is lessening by the week. Customer service is working with me from my location to work out a swap/exchange, so all is not lost. Of note, the boots have only gotten wet on 2 occasions, and dried out quickly. Could be a contributing factor, but these ARE military boots and should be able to hang a little tougher.

I've been wearing this boot almost daily for the past 3 years without any problems whatsoever. Lightweight and comfortable right out of the box. Only in recent months has one lace started to wear out. Comes close to Danner quality at a much lower price. My next pair of boots will be this model with GoreTex.

Al Asad Airbase, Iraq: For starters, on this websites scale of 1 to 5, the boots themselves are a 5. Thanks to the Bates company selection of a wimpy lace, the boots fall to a 2 because they "need that special something". 20+ USMC veteran and now DOD contractor working in Iraq, I purchased the boots just prior to coming over. The boots fit properly right out of the box and do NOT appear to run a 1/2 size larger of smaller than other boots. Break-in was not noticeable at all, as my socks were new/thicker and the boots were so comfortable from day 1. Ankle support is great, the boot is lightweight and feels more like a comfortable running shoe than some of the stiff "bricks" I wore on active duty. My one complaint with the boot are the laces. As good as the boot is, the lace outer sawed through at numerous points after only 11 days, exposing the black inner core material. Knowing it was just the start, I started "nursing" the laces and immediately picked up a pair of backup laces for the day when the originals would snap. That day came only 34 days after having received the boots. Now on day 35, I highly recommend the boot to anyone looking for a sturdy, lightweight, well-tractioned boot that requires zero break-in time and feels natural on your foot. Be advised however, that you'll need aftermarket laces within a month.