Categories
Product Reviews

Product Review: Elite Force 8.0 WPI Field Boots

Everyday EMS Tips readers: Magnum Boots USA has given me a pair of boots to giveaway. Make sure you read to the end of the post for details on how to enter through Twitter or by leaving a comment with this post.

Elite Force 8.0 WPI Boots

5298Boots are an essential piece of equipment for any EMS professional. For the last month I have been wearing a pair of Elite Force 8.0 WPI Boots, with ION Mask Technology, I was given by Magnum Boots USA. I have worn these boots on-duty, around the house, in my office, to walk the dog, on hikes in the woods, while shoveling the driveway and doing spring lawn work, and even while ice fishing in northern Wisconsin. In every situation the Elite Force 8.0 met or exceeded my expectations. These are serious boots that handle the challenges I gave them. I expect to wear these boots for a long time.

My Footwear Requirements

You might remember from an earlier post that these are my requirements for footwear:

1) comfortable out of the box – I don’t have the time or patience to break-in a pair of shoes or boots. I want to wear them the day they arrive for the whole day.

2) lacing that can adjust the fit to my goofy foot structure – I have an odd notch across the top of my foot and high arch that is filled with an orthotic.

3) wear for 12+ hours straight without having to take them off – when I have downtime on duty I usually sit down at a computer or start walking laps in the apparatus bay. I rarely put my feet up and when I do I don’t fiddle with lacing or unlacing (maybe someday I will try a pair of boots with side zips, but for now I want a regular boot).

4) absolutely waterproof if advertised as waterproof – this is important for two reasons. Six months of the year there will or might be snow, ice, and slush on the ground where I work. During snow season I regularly get to step out of the ambulance and into a puddle or snowbank. Secondly, I need footwear that is resistant to blood and other potential infectious materials (you know the stuff that spews, seeps, trickles, oozes, and blasts out of too many EMS patients)

5) I just need things that work. No complex explanations, directions, or installations. Unpack and go. Magnum Boots USA has a video about how the ion-mask technology works to keep my feet dry that I sort of understand, but what is more important than the video is the fact that my feet stayed dry.

Top Features

These are my favorite features:

1. They are truly waterproof. During my ice fishing weekend it was almost 60F. I was standing in the one to two inches of standing water that was on top of forty of inches of ice. The seams did not fail. And my feet stayed dry. The only wetness I felt was the water splashing off my heels as I walked and running down the back of my leg. Easily avoided by putting my pants outside the boots.

2. The laces run through full circular eyelets. There are no cleats to fumble with in low light. The laces are also a heavy-duty construction that should last as long as the boot.

3. The boot heel is called an “External TPU Support.” I am not sure what that means but it gives me a non-scuffing surface to hold the right boot in place with my left boot toes as I take it off.

4. Once I found the right tension of lacing I needed for different places around my foot and ankle the foot became ideal. I don’t have any heel lift as I walk. My toes are comfortably spread in the toe box and don’t slip as I move forward.

EverydayEMSTips.com Recommended

The Elite Force 8.0 WPI Boots with ION Mask Technology from Magnum USA will be part of my paramedic kit for a long-time. For a full description of features, sizing, and purchasing visit Magnum Boots USA.

Win your Own Pair of Boots from Magnum Boots USA.
YOU CAN ENTER ONE OF THE FOLLOWING WAYS:

1. Tell me in the comments section why you need a new pair of Elite Force 8.0 WPI boots.

OR

2. On Twitter follow @EverydayEMSTips and @MagnumBootsUSA. Then tweet why you need a new pair of Elite Force Boots. Include the hashtag #EMSBoots.

THE CONTEST CLOSES AT MIDNIGHT EST ON APRIL 13, 2010.

Important notes: the contest is open to only legal residents of the USA or Canada. One winner will be randomly selected by a Magnum Boots USA staff member from all eligible entries. If the winner’s size is out of stock, Magnum Boots will replace with another style of equal or lesser value.

Would you like your EMS product, service, book, or event reviewed for EverydayEMSTips readers? View ourĀ product review guidelines.

By Greg Friese

Greg Friese, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, is an author, educator, paramedic, and marathon runner.

Greg was the co-host of the award winning EMSEduCast podcast, the only podcast by and for EMS educators. Greg has written for EMS1.com, JEMS.com, Wilderness Medical Associates, JEMS Magazine, EMSWorld.com and EMS World Magazine, and the NAEMSE Educator Newsletter.