Top 10 Navy SEAL (Special Forces) Boots

Whether you’re looking for a pair of good hunting boots for the season or gearing up for a military deployment overseas – you will need a good pair of boots.

What is the best boot? The boot that fits your foot the best, drains well and lasts a long time in rough terrain.

You could have the most expensive tricked out tactical boots known to man… but if they are ill fitting – they will destroy your feet.

Check out the list of the Top 10 Special Forces Boots and footwear and you decide what is best for your feet.

SGPT also suggest you train in your boots… Yes that’s right, you do your daily workouts in your boots. Why? Train in the gear you use. Check out SEAL Grinder PT’s 6 Month Training Plan HERE!

#10 Under Armour Valsetz

Review by JC:

The Under Armour Valsetz is great!, it feels good and it is super comfortable.

It works great in the rain as it has a really good tread.

The Under Armour Tactical Zip Boots is a great boot for Law Enforcement and SWAT.

The female police officers that I work with would like to know when the female version will come out.

We know several guys that have used this boot for GORUCK and SEALFIT Kokoro.

Video Under Armour Tactical Zip Boot Review

Check out the Under Armour Speed Freek Boots @ Amazon.com

#9 BATES 922

These are a great overall training boot as it protects the foot while draining easily when getting in and out of the water.

The Bates boots are really lightweight. The Dura-Shock sole also helps on long runs and continual pounding running to the chow hall and obstacle course.

If you need a boot for colder weather, the Bates M6 and M9 have 400G thinsulate insulation.

The Bates M9 does not look like a snow boot but can take harsh conditions for short durations.

I would not wear it on an Arctic expedition but it can do well in snow in the mountains.

We got this question from one of our athletes “What boots are currently being used by US Army Rangers?

What are Rangers issued?” I got in touch with one of my buddies in Ranger battalion and he was just issued two pairs of boots.

The Salomon Quest 4D GTX boot and Salomon winter weather boots are standard issue for US Army Rangers at Ft. Lewis.

#8 UNDER ARMOUR SPEED FREEK

Video – Under Armour Speed Freek Hunting Boots Review

Check out the Under Armour Speed Freek Boots @ Amazon.com

We have observed the Under Armour boots and tops being worn by Navy SEALs and urban SWAT team recently.

Under Armour Speed Freek Hunting Boots Review by Duckhunter

The Under Armour Speed Freek Boots have that broken in feel right out of the box.

Keep my feet cool and comfortable when roaming the hills while scouting for big game or shed hunting.

The traction is very nice when walking on all types of terrain.

#7 DANNER RAT TEMPERATE

Video – Danner RAT Temperate Military Boots Review

Lowa Men’s Zephyr GTX Mid Hiking Boot,Anthracite/Green,10 M US

Danner® RAT Temperate Military Boots Review by CT
The first pair of danners I put on I was impressed with. As much as I was impressed with that first pair over other boots, I am that much impressed with this pair over those.

I’ve read reviews where people said “no break in” before, and thought people were exaggerating.

I put my foot in these boots, and I could flex my foot in in direction: forward, backward, right, left and they boot just moved with my foot with no discomfort. I could bend down and flex the toe and the supple leather in both the toe and the back of the boot just flexed perfectly with my movement.

The Danner USMC RAT boots are amazing. I tied them as tight as I would a pair of boots a year old and they just moved with my foot perfectly. I can’t emphasis enough how there was absolutely no break in with these boots.

#6 DANNER RIVOT TFX

Video – Rivot TFX® Hot Military Boot Review

Check out the Danner Men’s Desert TFX Rough-Out Hot Military Boot

Danner Rivot TFX® Hot Military Boot Review by Anton
I am using this boot for training up for and going through ranger school. To start off, i put warm as a con because i live in the pacific northwest, my feet were super warm in this boot and I am concerned about going down to georgia in the summer.

That being said, the pro’s of this boot outweigh however hot my feet have gotten, so far.I have tried many boots, and am writing this review so that readers can get a good idea of what the Danner Rivot Boot is all about.I have used/own the following boots: issue Alama’s, issue Bates, Danner Desert Acadia’s, Danner Roughout TFX, Garmont T-8, Nike SFB, Lowa Desert Elite, Lowa Uplander Desert, OTB 8″ Bushmaster, Salomon, and the Rocky S2V’s.

I also don’t just walk around the street or go to the range and get them muddy. I’ve done climbs of over 6000 vertical feet in rough terrain, including snow, ice, mud, scree, rock, dirt, etc.

#5 LOWA ZEPHYR

Video – Special Forces Boot Reviews – Lowa military boots

Check out more info on the Lowa Men’s Zephyr Mid TF Desert Hiking Boot

Lowa Zephyr boot review by Doc
These boots are AWESOME. They are indeed the lightest pair of boots (summer Bates included) I have ever owned.(15 years and counting) I ordered the GTX version for the added water protection and my dogs didn’t really “sweat” in them.

The laces provided were flimsy and didn’t last very long. Simple fix..take white “issue” laces-ask your supply and soak them in tea (you have limited resources downrange-those that have been will attest) and these laces still are in the boot to this day(almost a year out of country).”Break-In” time is virtually non-existent with these as well.

I actually took a PT test in them (once) and they felt like sneakers(and yes, I passed). I have plantar fasciitis (read:flat feet) and between those and some good orthotics, I’ll probably order another pair for my next deployment. Unfortunately, LOWA is a German manufactuer so there is no NSN. (Cannot order via your supply chain) Bottom line:WELL worth the money.

Only this time I’ll secure them BEFORE movement into theatre. And yes, order them a size larger as they are made in Europe so they tend to run a size smaller than what you’re used to in the US. (I only gave them 4 stars because of the laces issue.)

#4 NIKE SFB

Video – Special Forces Boot Reviews – Nike Military Boot

Check out the NIKE LUNARCE Special Field Boot

Nike Special Field Boot Review by CORNELL from Stuttgart, Germany
Good boot buy it if your in the military and if your any law enforcement. I run:16-30 miles a week,I run primarily to:Stay in shape.

#3 OAKLEY LSA

Check out Oakley Men’s LSA Terrain Boot

#2 of the Top 10 Special Forces Boots

Check out the Oakley Men’s LSA Water Boot

Oakley LSA boot review by Ian Hill
I live in Florida and frequently hike through very wet/swampy areas and have a difficult time finding a boots that can drain water and dry out fast enough to keep my feet comfortable.

Water proof boots don’t work in many of these areas because the water goes over the top of the boots and then they take forever to dry out and leave you with swamped feet. For a while I have been using Vietnam style jungle boots, but I sure am glad I found these as they are much more comfortable.

The Oakley LSA Water Boot drains water incredibly fast and also dry out extremely fast. In addition, they are very comfortable. The second day I had them I took them out into the sticks and wore them for about 8 hours and had no blisters or hot spots on my feet, and this was without any sort of break in period.

They are great for warm weather climates because they breathe exceptionally well, keeping your feet quite cool. They are also very flexible and feel like you are wearing a comfortable sneaker more than a boot. Overall, these boots are absolutely wonderful if you live in a wet and warm climate. I highly recommend them.

#1 DANNER DESERT ACADIA

Video – Desert Acadia® 400G Military Boots Review

Check out the Danner Men’s Acadia Boot

Desert Acadia Military Boots Review by Major “O”
I wore these boots in the winters of Afghanistan. I took a 45 minute ride in a Blackhawk Helo from Kandahar AF out to a base in Helmond province. When we got there the Army guys were about frozen wearing the GI Issue boots.

My feet were nice and warm. Even with an average sock on. Danner is my one & “ONLY” choice for quality footwear.

Runner Up Boots #1

Salomon XA Pro boots and Salomon Quest boots.

If you are training for SEALFIT Kokoro, 20X Challenge or GoRuck here are a few tips. You want a boot that is light and drains well. Get a boot that fits your foot as every athletes feet are different and boots are cut different.

A question we get weekly from our readers “What are the best boots used by US Special Forces?”.  It all depends on the mission first as that will tell you which boot to choose. The Bates 922 is probably the go-to boot for most missions but probably not for cold weather snow work.
Question: What are a good Special Forces hiking boot? The US Army Rangers are issued Salomon hiking boots for arduous mountain and snow terrain.

Question: What is a good Special Forces zip boot? has a great boot.

Question: Are Danner boots used by Special Forces. Yes; we had a pair of Danner Acadia boots issued on the SEAL Teams.

Question: Which Solomon boots are used by Special operations? The Solomon Quest 4 GTX boot is issued to Special Forces.

Question: What are a good pair of German Special Forces boots? The Haix boots are made in Germany and used by elite forces including GSG-9

Question: What are hiking shoes used by Special Forces? We used a thin hiking shoe similar to Pallidiums for some training. Rumor has it that Navy SEAL Team Six used Vasque Juxt Multisport Shoes for the raid to kill Bin-laden.

Question: What is a top rated rough out boot? The Danner Desert TFX Rough-Out Hot Military Boot gets great reviews.

Question: What about Keen boots and water shoes – Do you see Navy SEALs wearing these? I have not personally seen Team guys wearing them but that does not mean they not use them. Special Forces platoons are often known as 16 guys dressed differently doing the same job.

Question: What Hanwag boot do the Green Berets use? We just emailed a Green Beret buddy and will post that answer up here asap.

Question: If you had one Special Ops boot to pick which one would it be? You can’t go wrong with the Bates 922 but I also like the Oakley SI Assault 6″ desert hiking boot and Lowa zephyr spec ops boots.

Question: 6 inch special forces desert boot? The Voodoo Tactical Desert Boot is a good 6 inch desert boot. It is low cut 6 inches and a very good price under $60 US.

Question: What is a pair of multi-sport shoes used by special ops? The Vasque Juxt Multisport shoe is used by SEAL Team Six aka DevGru. The Teva Raith eVent waterproof hiking shoe is a similar multi-sport shoe.

Question: What in the heck are “danner navy seal rat boots”? Check out the reviews above but all it is are the Danner boots issued to Navy SEALs.

Question: What is a good tropical field boot? The Altama jungle boots is a very good jungle tropical boot.

Question: What is the best all around Danner boot? That is a hard question but the Danner Acadia or Danner RAT get high ratings.

Question: Coach, how can I know if bates 922 fit with different sized feet? Many athletes have feet that are slightly different in shape and size. The best thing is to try on the Bates 922 boots and get a feel for them. You can always add a thicker sock to compensate.

Question: I have flat feet and trying to train for Special Forces – what do I need to do to trick out my boots? You need to add a good orthotic like the Superfeet Green Premium Insoles. This will help you.

Question: Coach, which boot would you prefer with the Salomon quest or jungle boots? I would go with the Salomon vs jungle boots.

Question: Is the lowa zephyr boot good for water? yes; absolutely the Lowa Zephyr boot drains well and is light weight.

Question: What are the Under Armour Air Force combat boots? The Under Armour Men’s UA Alegent Tactical Boots are Air Force authorized.

Question: Do you know any Navy SEALs that use Keen boots? I don’t know any personally but they may use a boot like the KEEN Targhee boot.

Question: Are the under armor speed freek any good for plantar fasciitis? Adding a good boot insert like the Superfeet Green Premium Insoles can help.

Question: What’s a boot with good drainage? The New Balance Tactical Abyss II has great drainage.

Question: Which do you prefer with the jungle vs desert boots? It depends on the mission but I am partial to jungle boots as most of my training is in the forest and streams.

Question: What about the garmont sentinel gtx hiking boots? We are working on a review now.

Question: What about keen vs salomon boots? Or Keen vs Merrell? Both are good boots but I would try them both on and see which one fits your foot better.

Question: What about Danner vs 511 boots? Check out the reviews and information above

Question: what about the ua jungle rat vs nike sfb? Both are good boots. I would try each pair on to see how they fit and then make a better decision.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brad McLeod is married with two kids and an all around average family guy. His SGPT motivational audios have been downloaded in 30 countries around the world.

He grew up in Tallahassee, Florida and despite training all the wrong ways – made it to Navy SEAL training in Coronado, California.

He flunked out of Navy SEAL BUD/S training after making it over half way through (6 months of grueling training). After a year in the Fleet Navy on the USS Cleveland (LPD-7) he came back to graduate BUDS and serve on SEAL Team Four.

His story is simple–Don’t Ever Quit on your Dream! Put one foot in front of the other and fall forward.

Proceeds from this website go to help raise funds for the Navy SEAL Foundation on CrowdRise.

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