Men's Tactical Research Mini-Mil Boots Tactical Reviews, Deals, Problems and Guides

Been 35 years since airborne school, but I still try to run from place to place during the course of my daily work as hydro plant operator, carpenter, and property manager. I absolutely love my mini-mil boots. Been running the new way for a few years now ( pitter pattering around really: more of a trot than a run)....and I'm wondering if my feet are getting bigger from the change to minimalist running. Or the shoes are being built smaller....at any rate, both my Merrell trail gloves and these Mini Mils needed to be size 14 to fit properly, even though I've never had anything over a size 13 since the 10th grade (1973), and often if boots came in 12.5 ( asolo), they would fit...So they run small maybe. But this company took the 13's back with no problems, even though it took me a day to realize they were a bit tight. Much appreciated! That's service that will bring me back, though I will be more careful about how a boot feels initially, in the future.
Yes, I am loving this boot: It trots great, keeps the debris out when in the shop or doing the yard landscape duty, and it looks cool with my various kilts. I run trails here in the Cascades with them (well; trotted trails) and they are plenty light but still protect my feet while giving me that accurate ground sensing that is fundamental to all this barefoot/minimalist/wild-man running thing.

So lead me, follow me, or get the hell out of the way, but whatever you do, Drive on, Ranger! and there's nothing wrong with taking care of your body while you do it, so you can do it for a long time, by transitioning to a better trotting technique, in such an awesome boot as these Tactical Research Mini Mils.

I think these boots are awesome! I have three years of everyday use for 7 months of the year on the first set. My second set is still pretty new, not so beat up, not snow sealed 10 times. That first set will not give it up! I used them today on an 8 mile trail run in the north cascades, with no socks! I did go a full size larger, from 13 to 14 initially, and I love the room for my feet to work it out, that's the reason for that big toe box. These are moccasins, and if you want to get back into running after nerve damage from a back injury, read Born to Run, get up, get out of the door. I was disabled 10 years ago. The barefoot style of running got me back. I'm 59. Hey! Best Mimi Mil hack ever! : pull out the eyelets and those stupid barrel eyelets up top. That's the first thing I did to my new pair, and I love them that way. The suede is plenty strong for the laces since you don't need to crank them up tight. And for you active duty guys, they will still look great and meet standards with those eyelets gone. The idea is for your foot to get strong, not be supported by the boot, and that will happen. All you want is that kevlar enhanced sole to smooth out the sharp stuff, and the 8" height to keep out the trail debris. Now that I don't have the eyelets, I can use them with my skyke roller skis too, without the barrel eyelets cutting into my shin. Takes about 15 minutes with good needle nose pliers to get the eyelets out without doing any damage to the boot. Then, if you snow seal, or your laces fray, you can actually re lace up the boot. Yeah, it's a pain to get them on and off due to needing to unlace so much , but it's easier without the eyelets. I put my boots on in the morning, ride my bike to work, do construction and maintenance and whatever all day, then go for a run, all with the same foot gear. I've logged many miles on the PCT running from Stehenkin to highway 20. These minimalist boots take some time to get used to. This year, after a great winter, I put my mini mils on for the first time in March, and I did notice some calf pain while my body got used to them again. If your boots are very supportive ( AT ski Boots ) your muscles have less to do, it stands to reason. Get these boots, start running very short distances, give yourself time to adjust, practice eliminating heel strikes, and have fun. Perfect with kilts.
RLTW cheers, bob

I have had two pair of these boots in the last couple of years. They are great if you wear minimalist sole running shoes. All the shoes i wear are "barefoot" style or minimal drop. Wearing these full-time at work makes the chances of injury less likely when you are an otherwise minimalist shoe wearer. The transition doesn't set you up to have pains and aches when running and rucking. If you are not already accustom to the minimal drop, proper conversion and acclimation is very important. Your shins and calves will hurt if you are not prepared for the change.
For the review that says "blisters"... well that's operator error and not the fault of the boot. I noticed I had to change sizes as well as break in the ankle/heel a little. Proper socks, size and tie is important. These run smaller than the Nike's and other Bellville boots that I have worn before. I found I wear a full size smaller in these than i did in the popular Nike boots. These boots look good and feel amazing. From the first time I put them on they felt broken in and like I was wearing a sock. It helped also to get rid of a long case of achilles tendonitis caused from the daily transition from boots to shoes. Since these reflected the drop my legs and feet were used to in my running and crossfit shoes, I was able to eliminate my post run pains.
I hope to see the coyote version come out soon for wear with the new Army uniform.

I run and walk using minimalist footwear as a matter of principle and lifestyle. These boots are everything I wanted in a boot. They're hard core and strong enough to break things and stomp around, but without to much pressure on the foot and achilles tendon ( as there is with the Vivobarefoot Gobi). They're waterproof, breathable and they come in wide wich i think is great. If you're into barefoottedness, you'll notice their effect on your gait. They're bulky, loud, and as result I wouldn't run with them as a first choice. However they're still wrote comfortable for running, I would suggest learning how to work them. They get softer, so that's aplus. The lacing is over and around the middle of the foot where the arch is, which is a sweet spot. You can tighten them securely and your feet won't fall asleep. The ankle and calf could use either padding or what I did which I relaced them so that body of my foot is tight and the ankle/ calf is looser.

First delivery was two different sized boots - labels said the same size, but NOT. Replaced quickly. Had these for a few months now. Bought for use as a motorcycle boot -- replacement for my 45-year old US Marine Corps issue combat boots. Wish I'd paid better attention to the size warnings. I ordered my actual size and they're barely big enough, but OK. (1/2 size up would have been better, and in fact one of the initially sent mis-sized ones was a better fit). Very lightweight, but (I hope) seem to provide the protection wanted. OK, but nothing special, comfort-wise after a few uses. A bit overpriced. Not sure I'd buy them again.

Love these boots. The first pair I ordered were way too small and not to size so definitely order a half or size bigger or you'll be in trouble. The new ones are great and a size bigger than I normally wear. There like you'd expect, as close to a barefoot feel and foot control you can get with a solid boot around your feet while bending to the surfaces your on. There still new so I still have to see how they hold up over time but being the same quality build from what I can see as my other Tactical Research boots that I've had for 3 years now my expectations are pretty good. I wear them for duty though my duty is a mix of surfaces I walk in. but they grip all of them well and let me glide along as needed. If you're doing a lot of hard surface walking and standing I think you'd be better off with a boot with more cushion and sole to it because these don't have it. That's what makes them minimalistic of course.

I liked these boots because they boasted a mere 2 mm heel to toe drop, which research shows is healthiest (0 mm drop is ideal) for proper walking mechanics as they mirror a barefoot experience. However, I found the heel on these to stick out way too far in the back, which was annoying but tolerable. Then I realized the hard leather on the sides ended right on my ankle bone and was causing pain and blisters after a couple days use. I feel like this would happen with most people's feet and not just mine. Whoever designed these shoes wasn't thinking about where bony processes are located in the foot. Luckily, the site was nice enough to allow me to return them for in-store credit. Over all, I love the idea of these boots, but the actual product still needs tweaking before it's something I would wear every day.

I was in the market for some new boots and had grown tired of the big, clunky boots that I'd had in the past. I saw these and, being a fan of minimalistic footwear, knew that they'd be perfect for me. After receiving them I noticed that they were lighter than any other boot I'd ever seen, but were much more stiff than I had expected. Yet, that was not too big of an issue, as it took less than a week to break them in. Although thin, the sole is actually quite strong, durable, and even flexible. The leather was a lot lighter in color than what I wanted ( I expected a "tan" boot, not off-white), but they still go well with the ACU and I'm sure the red soil of Hawaii will give them some color. All in all, the best boot I've ever owned, highly recommended, and I will be buying a second pair soon.

Best boot I've bought in years, and the first in years to fit just right. The toe box is wide enough to allow natural foot movement and there are no rub spots anywhere in these boots. They're super breathable and light weight. That does concern me a little when it comes to longevity, but at $140 a pair, I'm not going to complain. These are minimalist boots, so you will feel everything you're walking over and I actually love that. Having that better connection to the ground under my feet has actually made me more comfortable with my footing even on shifting or uneven ground. I wholeheartedly recommend these boots and will continue buying them myself.

I recently purchased these and followed the advice to go up half a size, which was good advice. They fit well even with 2 pairs of socks. The break in period was not as long as most other boots I have worn in 15 years of Military service. I currently walk 3-5 miles a day in them (to and from work, chow, etc) and have no issues. The ankle support and achilles support rubbed a bit at first but after a few days seem to be breaking in nicely. It is definately more strenuous on the calves to walk long distances in these so warm up and stretching is important! I would recommend these to anyone else who does not need a safety toe boot.