The satisfaction of a great piece of footwear is only second to the touch of a beautiful woman. At least to me, it is. I’d love to say I’ve humped as many women as I have miles in boots, but that’s just not possible. I live by a few mantras, and one of them is: be picky about what you put between the ground and you. This includes your mattress, your tires, and of course your boots. The AmeriTac Strike Elite Boots and I became good friends the moment I put them on. I wear boots daily and have a closet full of boots from brands like Bates, Danner, Propper, and more. You won’t find Sperrys on my shoe rack, but you will find boots that have crisscrossed the world a time or two. The AmeriTac Strikers have certainly earned their place on the shoe rack.
The Lowdown on the AmeriTac Strikers
These are six-inch tall boots that come in black and my first black boots. Until now I’ve been an FDE type of guy. The AmeriTac Strikers have a padded tongue and collar that never dig in. I lace my boots tight, so I like the extra padding. In the past, I’ve had boots that have gnarly imprints and causes severe irritation where the top of the boot met the skin. CoughBatesRATscough.
They feature speed lacing aglets which again are a manner of convenience. As much as I love wearing these boots after a long day, I want them off. The Speed lacing aglets make them quick and easy to put on and take off. Since I like my boots laced tightly this is a significant advantage to me. I don’t have to start pulling the laces at the bottom to loosen the top. I unwrap them from the speed aglets and pull them off
The internal mesh lining is also lovely and soft, which aids in hotspot resistants. Less hot spots mean fewer blisters.
Puttin’ in Work
The AmeriTac Strikers are extremely supportive. This was evident from the first day I put them on. You can the feel it, and it feels nice. I never really had to break the boots in. I didn’t go on any hikes the first week of wear, but I also never got foot cramps wearing these. In fact, they felt positively amazing through my average day. After about a week I hit the trails.
My first hike was after a fresh inch of rain and living on a dirt road meant mud. I figured it was a good time to give these a good road march test. A simple three-mile hump at a moderate pace with a light pack was comfortable. My feet felt fine, I splashed through puddles at the end and didn’t have any moisture meet my socks. I didn’t submerge the boots or go out of the way to be miserable, but they beat the splash test.
I hiked over lime rock mostly, and the outsole offered solid tread. I never slipped, rolled my ankle, or met my usual clumsy fate. After the hike, I dropped my pack, ate my Lunchable and decided to do a few sprints.
I hate running, and I hate running in boots more. The AmeriTac Strikers were still comfortable when running, and sprinting. I also found stopping quickly, or make sudden directional changes easy. Sometimes it’s not how fast you can run, but how soon you can stop that matters. The tread digs in, even on wet ground, and allows for stable footing. I still hate running though.
Kicking them Off
I’ve been wearing these boots daily for over a month and have found no serious flaws. As it’s warmed up, I like the 6 inch tops over the standard 8 inch Propper’s I’ve been wearing. I can wear shorter, and lighter socks, and have a little more ventilation down there. From the field to the grocery store they are comfortable and supportive.
Looking cool with my 80% lower receiver Glock.
One feature I adore is the placement of hard nylon on the rear of the boot. It’s ribber and allows me to use one boot to kick off the other without damaging the boot. Sometimes the little things can make me seriously giddy.
The AmerTiac Strikers are solid boots for hiking, hunting, working, and tactical use. They also look slick, which isn’t the biggest concern, but it’s still one to consider.
*Photos by author
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