Altama Desert Boots your Opinions wanted

[striker]

Hi,
Found a new (for me) surplus store in Vienna that has Altama Desert Boots for Euro 128. I'd like to have them for summer when my magnums are too hot. Couldn't find them anywhere here whole last summer when I really needed them. (Don't want to buy shoes online).
Since its now winter I have time to decide so calling you folks for help:
What is Your opinion?
Good - Bad ?
Durability ?
Comfort?
Shall I by them or try to find/wait for some Bellevilles.
Usage is for more cop type work, not going into the Boonies.
TIA and brgds
striker

[rokdoc]

They suck for durability. The soles fall apart. IMHO, they lack ankle support, and the soles are crap for shock absorbtion.

[Digital Marine]

Wait for the Bellevilles man! they have the Altamas beat!

[Solo]

They suck for durability. The soles fall apart. IMHO, they lack ankle support, and the soles are crap for shock absorbtion.

Striker,
you are not going to get a better review on them than this. Lets just say rokdoc has had chances to see/read/hear dozens and more opinions on them, coming from those that - at the moment - wear them boots on the field.
Besides, owning a pair myself, I second his statements with personal, civilian experience.

[Frens]

Danner are good too. they are also cheaper than Belleville if $$$ are a problem

[ed316]

Get Danners or Bellville they are way superior. My experience with Altama was not good.

http://www.finnrappel.fi/Danner%20Acadia%20Desert.jpg

[tango44]

What about Oakley?
What do you think about this?

[RGRBOX]

Wait for the Bellevilles man! they have the Altamas beat!

They have everything beat... the Altama's were good when that was all there was to have... but everybody , and I mean everybody makes a better boot then that one....

[scrybe]

I have tried the Danner Desert Acadias, but I've owned two pairs of the black Acadias and a pair of steel-toed Quarrys and love them. Danner makes a great boot.

[rokdoc]

My personal experience on the Desert Acadias, from wearing them for almost 7 months in the field:
They run too narrow, and there was a defect in the sole of each, right at the center of the ball of my foot. It seemed that the sole was thicker in the center, and wore on my foot. I carved it down a bit, and that fixed the problem. The leather lateral reinforcements that run along the lateral and medial malleolus are placed too low, running along the side of the foot, rather than the ankle. Thus, they lack ankle support.
They are very soft inside, because of the foam insulation. I never once got a blister from those boots, in spite of them being slightly narrow for me. (I have very tough feet, though, so ymmv.)

I got them for free, so it wasn't too much of a bother when they started to fall apart, I just went to the Belleville 390s, which was okay because it was starting to get warm at that point anyhow.





For law enforcement work, in an urban area, I would actually reccomend the Oakley assault boot. The annoying squeek is only when wet, and I don't find it that annoying, since I stay outside for the most part.

[GoSka37]

BELLEVILLES! I demand it!They are SUPER awesome.

[Royal]

Never worn Bellvilles so I can't comment on them.

That said I've worn Altamas (black and desert) for well over 10 years for days on base, short urban patrols and the like. They're light, comfortable (with the right width fitting) and cool if (like me) you suffer from hot feet.

I've had black Danners for as long and got a desert pair last year. The black ones are the dogs. The desert ones were fine when there was two foot of water over southern Iraq, but way too hot and heavy for hard work in the summer.

It's a pay off between cool feet and ankle support (as has been rightly said, Altamas have none - although I have jumped in them....)

[striker]

Thanks to all for your advice.
Well, that's as clear as it can get. I'll get Bellevilles if I can find them here.
Might even try to get them online if I can't find a shop that carries them here. Problem is my feet are in between two sizes so I always need both sizes at the same time to figure out which one fits better so a shop would be preferred.
If any of the Austrians know a shop in the Vienna Area that has Bellevilles, please let me know.

Thanks again
brgds
striker

[Digital Marine]

https://www.bellevilleshoe.com/nonfedcart/nonfed_cart_index.htm

This is where you can order them online if it's your last hope!p-)

[Bricchetto]

Hallo, everybody
I live in Rome.
I was looking for Bellevilles, but I didn't found it.
Friend of mine told me they are great boots.

I found a Bates pair (USMC logo), and they look wonderful to me.
I bought them.
They are very confortable and love their "look".

What do you think about?
(IMHO Belleville rock, better then Altama).

http://img484.imageshack.us/img484/4130/bates5gt.jpg.

[ed316]

Hallo, everybody
I live in Rome.
I was looking for Bellevilles, but I didn't found it.
Friend of mine told me they are great boots.

I found a Bates pair (USMC logo), and they look wonderful to me.
I bought them.
They are very confortable and love their "look".

What do you think about?
(IMHO Belleville rock, better then Altama).

http://img484.imageshack.us/img484/4130/bates5gt.jpg.


I wore them when sometimes when I was in the Marines, I would only wear them back in the rear. The traction lugs on them IMO sucks, because of the terrain (Jungle). I used bellville in the field (Iraq, A-Stan).
oh yeah the Jungle was Okinawa

[RGRBOX]

Hallo, everybody
I live in Rome.
I was looking for Bellevilles, but I didn't found it.
Friend of mine told me they are great boots.

I found a Bates pair (USMC logo), and they look wonderful to me.
I bought them.
They are very confortable and love their "look".

What do you think about?
(IMHO Belleville rock, better then Altama).

http://img484.imageshack.us/img484/4130/bates5gt.jpg.

I've got a pair with the in the rear with the gear soles on them, Bates sent em the wrong pair, I'm still waiting for the ones with the feild soles on them.. The sole looks like it would work... but still waiting.. the idea with the in the rear and the field sole is from a marine Commander who wanted them for his MEU. He desided to order each for his Marines...

Bates also has a great pair of Boots that are out, and have had a lot of use in Iraq with the Army. I've tried a pair, and they kick ass. They llok like something out of Starship Troopers the film, but they are great...

[SgtBojangles]

Just to further add to the degredation of Altamas:

I used to wear a pair of black jungle Altamas that only saw use on the weekends whenever I played airsoft. That said, even with light use (compared to the use other boots see in the military), the sole on one of the boots started to detach itself from the boot.

The same happened with my crappy $20 boots. I'm hoping a pair of Bellevilles will hold up more so than my other two pairs...