Men's Bates GX-8 GTX Side-Zip Boots Tactical Reviews, Deals, Problems and Guides

Fitst pair I loved, had them for about 4 years and wore the crap out of them. Stayed water proof till the end and I mean you could literally stand in water all day and your feet stayed bone dry. Second pair not so waterproof, actually to just step in water for a few seconds it would soak through and they were stiffer, the leather on the toes popped down and rested against the toe nail which was a little annoying. Just not as comfortable as the first pair. The third pair I haven't had them in water but are extremely stiff and not comfortable, I can't seem to get them to break in and they hurt my feet to the point that I've about given up on wearing them. Sorry Bates but that is my last pair, I will not buy another unless that inside tag reads "Made In USA" instead of Vietnam or China, only then I would give you another chance.

This is my second pair of these boots. This pair didn't disappoint me. As soon as I got them put them on, laced them up, and put them on - great fit (ordered the size I normally wear, no up sizing).
Two days later had a deluge of rain and my feet were dry with the other officers had wet socks.
They do need a bit of break-in if you need to do any running. This is why I gave it 4 stars as opposed to 5 stars.
Highly recommended.

Waited a while to make sure and give an accurate review. First, the look of the boot is nice. Wife even commented that they were nice looking. As far as the fit, seemed to be true to size. Comfort...well thus is where I had a bit of an issue. It took over a month to finally break them in to were they didn't feel like stiff boards. The boots ended up feeling pretty good just too long of a break in period.

I bought a pair of these boots for motorcycle touring. I was looking for a pair of Gore-Tex boots that would provide good foot and ankle protection, yet be comfortable enough for a full day of walking around, thus eliminating the need to pack a pair of street shoes. (Motorcycle boots are notoriously bad for lots of standing and walking.)
I have yet to test the Gore-Tex waterproof feature, but I've worn them every day for the past two weeks and they get more comfortable every day.
I'm looking forward to lots of motorcycle travel this summer and I think these may be the best boots I've owned in my 30 years of riding.

I have really been pleased with the comfort of these boots. The soles have held up better then I had anticipated. The insoles weren't as comfortable as I had hoped; swapped them for an old set of SOLE footbeds that I've had since 9/11. My displeasure with these boots is I bought them 2/14 and the padding on the back of the ankle where the stiff support piece is seperated..on both boots. It seems like the hard plastic of that support piece rubbed on the padding and eventually caused the stitching to fail. Seperated all the way through to the Goretex liner.

I've put these boots to the test and they have out performed any other I've owned...and I have owned many. I'm prior military and these boots offer fantastic support around the ankle for running. Whether your like parade gloss or standard Kiwi, these boots hold a mirror polish well.
For construction the leather holds up against minor tearing, fraying, and chaffing; kick all you want. The steel toe absorbs shock well.

For hunting,fishing, and trapping these boots are incredible. My feet never sweat in the Summer or while running or hiking and have kept my feet warm in a tree stand at approx. 20 degrees F. I've even had my feet in water up to the second(from the bottom) lace with no water penetration.

I've really been hard on these boots and after 13 months the only problem I've had is with the sole starting to wear out and fray at the bottom edges; however, given all that I've put this pair through I'm truly surprised it took this long...I normally can only get a high-dollar pair of boots to last about 3-6 months. You'll get your moneys worth out of these guys!

The positives are pretty straightforward, they are waterproof, the composite toe has saved me from a broken foot more times than I care to count, and they have fantastic support both in the ankle and arch. The downsides are that my socks always seem to be soaked, both in winter and summer even though my pants cover the openings of the boot so nothing can get in. The stitching on the back of the ankle fell apart within about 3 months of having them but the foam cushioning stayed intact. Something in the ankle liner must have broken loose because sometimes the boot gets stuck when trying to take it off and i have to put the insole back in place before taking my foot out. Plus the treads on the soles do not hold out when you're on concrete all day. Despite how fast they broke down I love these boots, I just wish they would have lasted longer than the magnums I had bought for 40 dollars less.

Every year I look around for different boots and every year I come right back to these. This is my 3rd pair over the years, and it's the only pair I can get to last for a year or more. Everything else has failed me before the year is up and I can buy new boots through my work. These break in after 1 wear, best fit after the first week or so. True to size. Waterproof but breathable. Comfortably warm but not hot.

I wore them all day the first day I got them and had no issues with discomfort. The second day Denver got 2' of snow and I managed to get my car stuck and unstuck twice. Had the water proofing on the boots not worked my feet would have been wet and frozen from the heavy snow, however. They held up perfectly and I literally wear them every day.

Most comfortable boot I have ever purchased. Able to wear them all day from the first day. I wear them every day to work. The only problem I have had with them is the leather has a propensity to separate from the rubber along the edge of the sole after about 8 months. (Contact Cement does wonders) Could be I've just worn them out.