Footwear that keeps you going and that’s comfortable is important. We got our feet into some Rocky Mountain Combat Military Shoes and this review talks about them going the distance.
About Rocky
Ohio-based Rocky has been in operation since the Great Depression. The family-run operation has focused on producing “premium quality Outdoor, Work, Western, Public Service and Military footwear as well as Outdoor and Work apparel and accessories.”
“Our footwear is proudly designed in Nelsonville, OH with the best waterproof, outsole, safety toe, and lightweight comfort technologies to offer reliable footwear built to take you anywhere,” is stated on their webpage.
The Rocky Mountain Combat Military Shoe
The Rocky Mountain Combat Military Shoe is a light-weight Oxford-style boot. We got the RKC160 model, which are low cut, 3 inches high. The boots are a decent blend between sneakers, protective footwear, with them also having a rugged and aggressive sole.
“Rocky ® Mountain Combat collection is engineered for elite performance,” is on the boot’s product page. “Crafted with precision and durability, these 3-inch boots are built for those who face the rugged outdoors and demand the best in footwear technology.”
Upper parts of the boot are made of full-grain suede side leather.
These boots are safety shoes and are outfitted with a thermoplastic polyurethane — TPU — toe. The toe end of the boot is covered with a rubber rand to give added protection to the cap.
Integrated into the sole of the boot is a fiberglass shank. This adds stability to the boot and makes them optimal for light-duty work.
The outsoles are designed to be oil and slip resistant.
First impressions
I got my feet into the Mountain Combat boot and at first was not overly wooed. Getting into the boots after wearing tennis sneakers for some time was an adjustment. While there was no real break-in period, wearing the boots the first time felt like the toe box was too small and my gait was adjusted to where there was some slight discomfort.
This all changed after wearing them for the second time and the Mountain Combat shoe quickly became a new favorite boot.
The experience
When I first thought I’d have to break-in these combat shoes, I slapped them on for a trip to a shopping mall. As noted, I was not feeling the love at first. To be fair, I have wonky feet that are wide with high arches and a high metatarsal. So, I have issues with footwear overall.
The day after wearing the boots, I wore them again. No issues. In fact, I wore them for two weeks straight in a multitude of situations and terrains — And then off and on for the rest of that month.
Outdoors? Yes please.
The Mountain Combat shoes shined where they were intended to be used — outdoors and while moving on rugged terrain. Admittedly, I did not go on any Louis and Clark expeditions, I did, however, find myself traversing manicured and unmanicured rocky and hilly trails without any issues. The big “w” here is I never fell and busted my @$$ when moving from lichen covered rock or log to lichen covered rock or log. I was like a gazelle I tell ya.
Construction considerations
Once my feet got used to the gait of the shoes, there were no comfort issues. I did note the toe box felt a little stuffy for my feet, and yes I did get a set of wides, that did subside quickly as I got used to them.
The soles are luggy and aggressive enough to handle walking and climbing on rocks. These were not boots that I ever felt un-surefooted in.
Having a safety toe I thought would be a negative for hiking/outdoor non-work shoes, but it wasn’t. In fact, the safety toe would make me recommend these for some light-duty work in many industries that would require a safety toe.
The fiberglass shank undoubtedly contributed to how my gait was dictated, but they did add a fair amount of stability which was a welcomed addition. They have some give, but are rigid enough to keep the foot super stable.
Light weight
Because everything on these boots is made of polymers or leather, the Rocky Mountain Combat shoes are very light weight. In comparing them to my old-man walking shoes I’d normally wear, I’d say they’re about the same weight. There was no added fatigue of having dragged around a heavy boot all day. These were comfortable and did not stress the body after wearing for 8, 12, or even 16-hour-long days.
The quick and dirty
Pluses: Light weight. Affordable. Well-made. They seem to be durable.
Minuses: Took a little time to get used to. However, the break-in period was near nonexistent.
Overall, I absolutely loved these boots. Rocky markets them as “shoes” while calling them boots in the product description, I can see them filling both roles. There are higher 6 inch models which are similar, waterproof, and considered boots — might be worth a gander.
I’m adding the Rocky Mountain Combat Military Shoe to my regular rotation of outdoor footwear. These boots proved to be a great travel shoe that held up to active outdoor “ing” activities as well as just tooling around tourist towns.
There’s a whole host of Rocky boots and shoes available at Amazon HERE. As well as the full lineup of products at Rocky’s homepage.
