- Mini-Mil TR102 Minimalist Tactical Boot - Zero-Drop Barefoot Boots - Slip-Resistant Tactical Shoes for Men - Breathable Lightweight EMS & Military Footwear - Lace-Up Closure

I personally love minimalistic foot wear. I have several models of VFF and love them all. KSO, Signa's and Flows. This boot is nothing like wearing VFFs however it is a great step forward from the clunky boot designs. Compared to my Desert, Jungle and Winter boots I was issued this is by far superior. The boots are very light. The fit is very snug around the heel which is initially uncomfortable but as I wore the boot it became more comfortable and actually feels like true ankle and heel support. The feel of the boot while running, walking feels less like a boot and more of a sneaker. I feel more nimble in these boots compared to my others. The toe area is roomier than standard boots which actually makes a difference when moving around intensely. When I wear these boots I have a better feel for the terrain around me. One thing I hated about my Winter boots is they pinch my toe knuckles when I take a knee, these boots do not have that issue. After wearing these boots go for a walk in normal military grade boots and you will feel a difference in how "clunky" standard boots are, also they're very breathable. As far as people complaining about the interior being unlined, just wear dress socks or underarmor socks, you still feel barefoot but protect against the unlined interior. I would've rather deployed with a pair of these... Also these boots run small!!! I wear a size 10 jungle boot. These are 10 1/2 and are much more snug even though they're a bigger size. To be honest I should've got an 11. in VFF i wear 43. That should give you some sort of idea of sizing. I followed the instructions and measured my feet. I recommend sizing up half a size after measuring your foot. Oh as far as cold weather with these boots. It's currently below freezing and I wear these with dress socks and I remove the insole. My feet are not cold. I will update this review once I've spent a couple weeks on the mountain with them.

They are as comfortable and functional as any of my street and hiking barefoot shoes I have. Which is to say, if I was interested in military style boots as everyday wear, I would have no issues wearing them every day. As it is, I wear them for 12+ hour shifts. At first, I did get the ankle bite like many people in military boots do, but that went away when I stopped tying them tight around the ankles. They haven't had any break-in period for me, but again, I have been in almost exclusively barefoot style shoes since Christmas. As for quality, I would say they are made as good as any military boot. They passed the scrutiny of my retired Marine husband. I would say they will be just as durable as any other military-style boot. I do wish the toe was rubber-wrapped, since we kneel down so much in EMS, but I will deal and just be careful so as to prevent scratching of the leather. The sole grip seems fine so far, I have been in a handful of greasy kitchens and wet floors, and they seem a bit better than my Haix and Danners were. Now that I have had them for a month or so, I can say that I really like them. For years, I was wearing Haix and Danner EMS/Wildland/Station crossover boots. I thought I loved those until I started with barefoot shoes earlier in the year. These may not have as much flexibility as true barefoots, but they have tons compared to regular boots, which is great. I will say, that like others have mentioned, sizing is a bit wonky. I am a woman and wear a women's 7.5 (men's 5.5-6)/37-38 in non-barefoot shoes, and 38 in barefoot shoes. I first got these in a 6.5 regular and they while they fit, they fit more like a regular shoe instead of barefoot. I switched to a 6.5 wide and they fit perfectly. They may actually be a little too long, but I am okay with that. Anyhoo, I am very glad I finally bought these and wish I had done it sooner!

1 month update- these are my go-to boots- honestly one of my favorites. They are not Gore-tex, and it looks like the vendor fixed the title, but they are extremely water resistant. Everything I noted in the initial review still stands, but sometimes you like something despite the flaws! I would love a true Gore-tex boot, and I would love a better fit, but for what it's worth, this is one of my favorite boots for outdoor adventure. ************** I bought the TR101 and TR103 as well in order to compare them. The natural colors have vents in the instep which would make them NOT as waterproof as this boot, if that is a concern. Also the natural colors are made with a roughed up, unpolished leather which creates a rough surface on the inside of the boot. This makes them feel a LOT less comfortable than the polished leather. Now over time, I am sure that the inside would polish itself with wear. However, I am interested in a waterproof boot, and the black boot not having the vents made it a shoe-in. ;) (I talked to a few people that wear Govt Issue for work, and they said that the black polished boots always hold up longer. My guess is that the black boots also use a higher quality leather? This would explain the slightly higher ratings you see here on Amazon.) But, a representative for the company said that all three styles, the TR101, TR102, and TR103 all use the same exact boot mold. So any differences between them come down to materials used. As for fit. It does feel minimal, and it is VERY lightweight, which is a plus. It does not fit like the Merrell or NewBalance Barefoot shoes, it fits decidedly like a boot. When the laces are snugged enough to cut off circulation, there are pockets of fabric that hang loose- mostly in the ankle area. This allows the ankle to slop around a bit. If you lightly kick at something, your toe will contact the end of the boot, it doesn't fit well enough to hold the boot to the foot. Also, the leather heel calls it quits about halfway up the ankle and transitions to fabric, so I can feel the seam carving at the ankle during full articulation. Perhaps this is the heel discomfort many are talking about? Dunno. I have full grain cowboy boots that articulate better and feel better in the ankle, so there has to be a more elegant solution. Anyway, we take away one star for not being Goretex as advertised, not fitting great, but overall not bad, and as I mentioned, wicked light and the only outdoor rated barefoot boot I know of in this price range.

I bought these shoes specifically for a SWAT team try out at my agency. I wear primarily barefoot shoes and have owned these in the past even though i bought them too small. I had to try them out first so I ran two miles at the gym with them on first. The test went well but there was a minor pain in the back of my left heel. The heel counter kind digs in but the discomfort subsided quickly. I find that I prefer wearing them pretty tight which isn’t usually the case but they felt good snug. On the day of the try out I had to run with a weighted vest and helmet on through grass, mud, water, bushes and other natural terrain. The shoes were comfortable the entire way! My ankles were locked in and never had to worry about stepping on a pointed rock or anything like that. Even after standing in water on and off throughout the run they were still solid and very comfortable. I washed em off and put them on the boot dryer that night and they still look good, just gonna need some oil or something to prevent the leather from drying out. Overall if you prefer barefoot shoes but need something super solid for a fair price these are a MUST HAVE! (Make sure your already used to barefoot training first or you risk injury)

These are the best minimalist boots available. There really is no competition for Belleville at the moment. They're adequate, and if you're set on minimalist footwear, you won't be uncomfortable in these, they are very comfortable. Unfortunately they aren't very well made, the uppers specifically are already showing signs of wear after a month or so. Pros - The only real option for a minimalist boot that doesn't look like a moccasin - Supremely comfortable - Good breathability - Wide toe box, better grip than traditional boots - All the other stuff minimalist shoes are good for Cons - Uppers are poor quality, already scuffing or flaking within a month - Lace-loops are placed in ergonomically incongruent places. They tend to dig into the side of your foot - Long break in period - Hard sole adds to the break in period (on the bright side, its probably the most durable part of the boot) - Traction in snow and ice could be better - Lack of competition in this market means these are unlikely to improve soon All in all, I expect I'll have to replace these within a year if I wear them everyday.

Let me start off by saying I have EXTREMELY FLAT FEET. I have worn over 20 different types of combat boots in my career in the military and in law enforcement. I have worn Solomon, Bates, Belleville, Rocky, Nike, and many more different brands. But this boot is by far one of the most comfortable and healthy for my feet. It truly is a minimalist style boot and if you have gone your entire life wearing boots and shoes that have giant soles, you may want to take it easy with this boot. There will most likely be a a weeks where your calves may be sore or your achilles tendon may be hurting due to your calf muscles being worked much harder than they used to be, but eventually your calves and feet will become stronger and these boots will become very comfortable. I have noticed for myself, that I could be on my feet for a much longer period of time without having my feet and knees becoming sore and thats mainly due to the boot allowing your feet to naturally do their job. The toe box is also worth mentioning that it is very wide. I do not ever feet like my toes are being squished, they always feel like I have ample room to move my toes around in the front of the boot. As for the build quality, the boot is actually pretty tough and doesnt fall apart easily at all. The only issue I have had regarding wear and tear of the boot is the black coating on the leather has already started to peel off where the boot bends. The laces are very strong and do not rip or wear out. They are speed laced. Another minor issue that I have had is the leather finish is not very friendly to polish. I have noticed that after polishing these boots, the shine seems to wear off a lot faster that other boots I have shined (and I have shined many many boots). I believe this is due to the black finish on the leather (like i mentioned it cracks and peels off at the creases). In conclusion, this is a fantastic boot, and although it has its cosmetic flaws with the finish, the boot is strong and holds up even though how thin and light it is. This is the only military/law enforcement minimalist type boot I have seen on the market and it truly lives up to its expectations. I wish more companies made boots like this.

The boots were comfortable out of the box. No issues with rubbing the back of the heel like I've heard can happen. The boots are minimalist. To me they're a combination of tactical boots and wrestling shoes. Exactly what I was looking for. They seem well made. The only thing I am not crazy about is that they don't seem to have a wide toe box, like I thought they would. My toes aren't cramped or anything, but they are about 1/2 inch narrower at the top box than my very comfortable Jim Green African Rangers. Would I buy them again? Probably not. But I don't regret the purchase.

So far this boot has been just what I've been looking for and more. Its extremely lightweight and definitely a minimalist boot. I've seen various mentions of this boot having a 5mm drop and a 2mm drop. I'm inclined to think its the 2mm drop. Or its just that comfortable. The boot does take a little breaking in as the seams can cause some irritation, especially around the inner and outer ankles, but no more than any other boot I've tried. The tongue is very large being that its apart of the liner and it does take some adjustment once on but its not difficult. I work Fire/EMS and needed to don and doff these fairly quickly. I tried several zip in laces and could not get any to come close to the lacing pattern on this boot, so I used elastic laces. Problem solved, though nothing beats zippers for speed. Can't blame them for not having zippers as that's a specific boot but a different model or a lace in would be nice. I would give five stars but after a few weeks of wear, the sole started separating from the boot a little. Nothing a little glue couldn't fix, but it was a fast flaw. Also, the leather is definitely thin and scuffs fairly easily. I understand its for weight, but don't expect to keep a parade shine on these. Overall, they are the one boot I found that fits the bill for a minimalist boot I could wear for my job. Maybe as the minimalist movement gains ground they will get improved or there will be other options out there. They aren't perfect, but they are pretty good and that's all I need.