Best Budget Combat Boots 

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A couple of things: 1. The OD canvas jungle boots are the most aesthetic boots the US military every issued. Jump boots, btfo/gtfo. 2. I've had a fair bit of experience with the green jungle boots and if the Rothco's all wear/age like yours, they're the same quality as the Altama green jungles. 3. Whatever the standard was back in the 'Nam days was higher. I've owned two pairs of original/NOS 'Nam half greens. Those things will go multiple resoles if you take care of them. Best boots I've ever owned, tied with Rocky SV2's. 3. A couple is two. We're done here. Good video.

We love this! Our jungle boots are one of our top sellers, they are comfortable and durable. We are so happy you love them!

Your spot on on the Jungle Boots, wore them in the Army and the Rothcos are my go to for beating around in the woods and rucking. I have far more expensive Rocky's, Lacrosse, and Oakleys but when I'm doing "boot stuff" where they are gonna get ground-on I grab the Jungle Boots.

Old grunt from the 25th ID (light) I rocked the US made jungle boots all over the Pacific Islands and Asia, when I got out camping trips and regular outdoors stuff that was my boot. Haven't tried that brand but for $39.00 I'd give them a shot great job brother love the content.

The key to getting comfortable leather boots is to wet them down a bit and wear them until dry. Our DI's made us do this on day one and never had an issue with comfort. I have an old pair of Rothco's in OD green and they are still in great shape after a few years but, I have always kept them clean and polished after use.

Still blows my mind that soldiers these days dont have leather boots. My first pair were the old school all leather boots from the 80s. Went to the black jungle boots as soon as I was out of basic. The one issue I always had, were sometimes the soles, split. In which case, we usually just brought them to a korean tailor and had vibrams put on.

I was issued 2 pair in 1971 by the USAF during my Vietnam tour (Not SOUTH Vietnam either!). Made it home and wore them a lot till about 2013 when they finally came apart. I am 75 years old now, but will check these out!

Great video, I did take your advice and bought the Merrell Moab 2 boots found in your Amazon store. They are so far the most comfortable boots I ever wore. Either hiking on dirt, grass asphalt or concrete and tile hospital floors where I work as a maintenance technician. Thank you....more energy, less effort....Keep your reviews coming brother.

Was issued Jungle Boots and the Slant Pocket Jungle Fatigues at my first duty station in the Army, that was our field uniform. Jungle Fatigues, Jungle boots and a boonie hat with no unit insignia. Jungle Fatigues were still authorized for wear when I first entered the Army, I bought a pair and made the mistake of wearing them the day I graduated Jump School, this Lieutenant who was my Stick Leader gave me my Blood Wings. Because of the Slant Pocket and the name tapes required to be horizontal, the pins from the Jump Wings went into my collar bone. Was issued the Jungle boots again when we went to the middle east for Desert Shield and Desert Storm, then we got the Tan Suede hot weather boots just as we were leaving to come back to the states. The first jungle boots I was issued were very uncomfortable, the later ones were not so bad.

I got my first pair at Benning in 87. They were the best boots for patrolling in the woods, wading thru streams and the Panama soles really do shuck mud reliably. Why more modern boots can’t copy that design is a mystery. I still have w fairly new pair of the later with black nylon uppers. Only drawback is that they hurt on road marches on hard surfaces.

Thanks brother for your input....your videos are great! Blessings to you and the family!

The separation from the sole also happened to 2 pairs I was issued in the army, so seeing that here on the copy boots isn't off putting. I wore my issue ones until they fell apart so probably won't have a problem buying a pair of these.id just pair them up with a good set of insoles and break them in properly

Thanks man. Went down the rabbit hole for some ol school military boots. Wound up looking at Rothco. Reviews scared me away. And then your video came up today. Appreciate the review. I also love my Merrill’s other than they kill my feet. But I’m about to fix that too. As far as Rothco I’m gonna roll the dice at that price. 👍👍💥

I had some of the all leather combat boots in the 80's when I was a kid roaming through the woods shooting black birds, squirrels, rabbits, playing bb gun war, riding motor bikes in the mud and they never failed! I know I used them for a good 10 years I think I lost them moving. Wish I still had them. They did suffer a hole via a poor loser in the bb gun war when he shot my foot point blank!

Back in the 70's I wore surplus jungle boots. Loved those boots. Been wanting another pair for a long time. I'm going to try these out. Thanks.

My buddy gave me a pair of rothco boots with a side zipper. I was kind of not liking them at first due to reviews online but I've used them a lot for yard work and other things and theyve held up. The only issue I have with them is the sewing on the upper that started to come undone. I used some E6000 glue and now they've stopped coming undone. I might switch from altama to rothco because of these boots I have and also because rothco is cheaper. I wouldn't recommend for really heavy use but for yard work or just walking they do a good job with comfort if you put more comfortable insoles in them. My next pair will probably be the jungle boots you had on here since I love jungle boots due to the sole and breathability. Thanks for sharing this info and making me realize rothco isn't all that bad.

These have become my go to regular boots. They are cheap and durable and breathe well in the Phoenix sun. Cheers and thank you for your service, sir!

Bought a pair in 1973. I can't remember what company made them. I did lawn maintainence, goofing around in the woods etc. until I joined the Coast Guard in 1976. Went home on leave and took them back to wear on Liberty. They lasted so long and were comfortable, so when I saw the Rothco Jungle Boots on E Bay I had to get them. Great Review!

I've found a good contender, similar to the mountain combat hiker boots by welco, or Bates. The harmony T8 Bifida. It uses the same sole as those boots and it's moderately priced as most other army boots are. They did really well in the woods at ft Stewart. But after 2 years they started to seperate near the toe box. Great wide fitting boot.

I've had a pair of the original ones since 1991...still holding up great. Love them!

I'm definitely a fan of leather boots as they give way more support than something that looks like a boot but is more functioning like a high top basketball shoe. The only trick is the proper sizing and like you mentioned, understanding that with leather boots you have to methodically break them in. When that leather boot gets your sweat and weight in them over time, it definitely does mold that boot to your feet.

It's funny you posted this, just a moment ago I was talking about my pair of those, the boots are currently on my porch totally trashed from mowing. They are reallllllllly starting to come apart, I glued them up last summer and they held just fine for a while. To me, those are disposable boots, you buy a pair and wear them to death and then go get another. They are good boots, I got my money's run from them, I wore the shit out of them and took them through rough shit. As a general purpose back yard boot, they work just fine.

My feet are a nightmare....arthritis, nerve damage.. you name it. I HAVE to wear good quality boots! Been wearing Merrill's and Salomons for years now! Great boots, not cheap! I'd be happy to give the Rothcos a try, and I have inserts and orthotics for days! It'd be nice to be able to go hiking in a pair of $40 boots! Good review Sir! Stay prepared!

Love my green jungle boots. I still have one pair I wore in the Army. Had them well over 20 years. I use them for yard work as well.

Pbr is good, but it gets to tasting like seltzer water after a while. I have been doing the pbr tall boys for a couple of years, but today I tossed back some miller high life in clear glass bottles, it went down like gold dust, 82 degrees out and the pond is almost warm enough to swim, western Maine.

We (Rangers) wore Altima jungle boots with the Panama soles back in the 1970s, and I too can attest to their usefulness and can easily recommend them! Don't know what is being issued today, but I doubt if they are still using jungle boots!

I would love to find a new pair like the ones I was issued in Air Force basic training in 1988. I wore those for twelve years after I separated in 94. Currently rocking the Red Wing king toe-still going strong 6 years in.

Great to see a fellow PBR man! Good info on the boots - thanks for sharing!

I used to wear the issue jungle boots while on active duty from 1972 up through the late 1980's, and while hunting too. I never had a pair fall apart. I would eventually get bored with the old ones as they got beat up and buy a new pair. After many years without a pair of jungle boots in my kit, and after watching this video, I decided to get a pair of Rothco size 11W. I normally wear them with Grip 6 wool socks and they were comfortable from day 1. Quality wise, they are holding up well, too. FWIW... I normally wear a size 12 or 13 sneaker, right now a size 13 Asics Gel Contend 7. Your mileage may vary on the sizing. Try the boots on at a store first.

I used mine as hiking boots for the deserts and mountains. They're perfect for that purpose. Got em for $15 open box in tan.

December will be the second year I’ve owned a pair of jungle boots. They were a more pricey McRae batch that I wear to work at my retail job. You’d be surprised how many people like these boots, I can say these boots are great. I haven’t done any hiking or tucking in them yet, but they are an all-around good boot. I wore them to a funeral for my best friend’s father when he passed away due to COVID to remain formal after giving them a nice polish. I love jungle boots, they’re so aesthetically pleasing. The only downside is possibly the sole, it’s not terrible but isn’t great, just decent. I can also say that break in period for the boots sucks, but after that they’re really great and will keep your feet protected and pretty comfortable too. I’d recommend jungle boots, just remember to order a size below your average due to military standard sizing.

2007 German combat boots (sold usually as para boots, Balthes jungle boot, haix AirPower jungle boot have all had my eye lately

I wore those leather with the green canvas upper from 1982-1992 while at 7th ID and 25th ID ….. my issue with those were no arch support but definitely durable.

i did about 700 of my 1200 videos in the mt hood forest where i did survival and adventure videos. i had cheap nam boots. 3 months later the sole split in half. i bought altama jungle boods in od green. they lasted over a decade and they still got tons of life left. i only polished the black part once at the end of each summer. i wiped them off between adventures. but it is worth getting the altama version of the jungle boots. in my opinion.

The Rose Anvil channel recently did a video about these ( I am thinking that is maybe why your video came up on my feed) . I was impressed by the price. My favorite brand is Patron as they are cheap and made in Mexico but I may try these and see if they are better then Patron.

I had a pair of those. They were off gassing from the rubber so bad I kept them in the shed for a year. Word them once or twice and both times got a headache. Finally donated them

My brother-in-law was in the service in the late 90s and got me a pair of those boots love them! Thanks for the feedback!

Up front blunt grunt !!! Love it

Was in in 1997 in the marines and we were issued the black all leather combats. Loved and hated them. Love my mccree jungles

I had a pair of Altima boots for over 5+ years in warehouse and outdoor environments.I don't know how many miles I walked in them, but I literally wore the tread smooth and the heel to the point where it was painful to walk on concrete for any length of time. They held up and no tread separation! They're at least twice the price of Rothco, but I got everything, and more out of those boots!

Love the honesty, I have the bates version of the jungle boots. 135.00 dollars good boots but not cheap

Good vid. About thirty years ago I had a pair of Altama jungle boots. They were tough.

I found with the old Altama boots that the best way to break in a leather boot is to shave the hair off your feet and ankles. Tape your feet with athletic tape so that your foot can still move around as it should. Put on the thickest socks you have. Then put the boots on and soak them in hot water. They have to be completely soaked. Then walk them dry. The tape if done right will prevent blisters while you walk. As the leather moves and dries they will form to your feet.

Great content. And loved this style boot years ago. Take the opposite argument though prefer the lower heel way before the 9 drop craze

I just got my pair, and I gave them a good slathering of leather conditioning lotion. I then walked around in them for a bit and stretched the toe by flexing my foot behind me. When the crease started to form, I laid a good amount of conditioner in the stress area and they are breaking in pretty quick. I put in a pair of inserts from a pair of Blackhawk ruck boots that the PU midsole started to rot after a disappointing two years of ownership.

Those combat boots gave me nothing but foot problems when I went to bootcamp in 2001 Ft. Sill Oklahoma. ...good thing for the VA.

Lovin' it. The growth train is here. Thanks Bro.

I finished Dads from 1969 (original vibrant soles), then have had a couple of pairs of Altimas over the years. Great boots, love them. Saw a pair of Rothcos today, was a little afraid they may not have been leather. I’d bought a pair of jungle boots for $20, and they lasted about a month...so I don’t do pleather boots. Pretty much Altima’s or Corcorans for me from now on.

I miss the hell out of my SPEED LACE, USGI issue all leather boots I got in the Army. It took a while to get them to break in really well, but once that toe ares leather gave way and softened up, those were the best dang boots I ever owned. Wish I could have kept them going. I dont think you can put soles and heels on them.

The only issue I've found the metal shank in the sole of the my jungle boots would conduct the cold up from concrete or hard top. I learned not wear them during morning formations. My feet would start to go numb in short order.

The soles on those boots work great they grip the dirt perfectly and there light. They look great as well. The pair I had the rubber wore out when walking on the street the that being said off road they are great.

I had the original black and green jungle boots in 98. Loved them. I've been thinking about picking up some McRae jungle boots.

Nice 👍 . Thanks for the tip I have been looking for a ok boot to trash out for the cheep $$

Wore them though high school, I didn't want my parents spending too much money on shoes for me. They were awesome.

Good report. You spoil your viewers with no frills reporting. Please continue. I am a Merrell Moab fan, though I now use the shoe instead of the boot. The boot collar puts a bit of extra force on the plate holding my fibula on, and can be a problem with my stride. Laced properly for my foot, the 8 or 9 inch boots don’t bother the plate. I wear a 12 wide Moab with Superfeet inserts. How do the Moab and Rothko boots compare? I prefer high top bots when using my weed eater. I can get enthusiastic about my work and every now and then get the whirling string to close to pants leg. The higher tops of my old work boots keep the line off my skin (I wear long pants which help too, but I still prefer high boots for weed eating.) Keep up the excellent work with your channel.

Best way I ever found to break in combat boots is to wrap your feet in athletic tape, put on a good sturdy pair of socks, put the boots on as tight as you can fit, soak the boots down in hot water, and walk them dry. The tape will keep you from getting blisters. And your boots will be almost completely broken in in a day.

Weird, I got one of these Rothco boots and I tried tying my shoes (albeit they were wet) and an eyelet popped out. And these were new. I have other cotton Rothco products and they are decent quality for their price but I became sceptical of the boots after that point. Maybe I'll give them another try one day once I figure out what size I should be getting.

I would say 90% of the peeps in the late 90's wore the Altama black nylons, and 10% wore the green nylons, the black version looked more uniformed but the green had that nostalgia. Nowadays, I wear corcoran mauraders, they are super comfortable!

Boots, boots, boots, boots...... Brings back interesting memories. Great video, killer channel. Thanks bro!

Great boots.I have 3 pair of them, original U.S.A. quality. Also the full leather upper version. I won't have to buy boots ever again. Scotland's got some wilderness to explore.

I love jungle boots. Have bought 4 pairs of Wellco jungle boots for work and leisure as they are kind to my feet. I can also attest to their door-kicking ability as an EMS. They are foot-worn sledgehammers.

The heel helps your calves and helps prevent plantar fasciitis... by not over stretching. I never tried, but Ive heard that if you soak your leather boots, then wear till they dry they will be broken in....🙄

THANK YOU for your opinion regarding the heels! I am so sick of the flat-soled design on modern boots (and trainers). I find they really degrade my posture and make my legs ache from the knees down.

Didn’t have the same luck with my pair. Never broke in right and didn’t last 1 season of moderate yard work...

Good stuff brother! Good sunset! Got a short 5 miles in this am.

i lived on mt hood 15 years. i did over 1000 adventure videos. from fishing. to hiking. to mushroom hunting. to survival on national tv show and so on. guns. archery. rafting. camping. product reviews. i did it all. wearing altama jungle boots. now i had cheap ones once. 3 months the soles were cracked. my altama i had for 8 years. hiked over 1000 miles in them. still in great shape. i shined them once or twice a summer. the altama never needed a additional liner etc. the ones they come with were awesome. if one cant afford it i suggest rothco. i have use a few of their products. but they are cheap and wont last to long if used hard. if you want to use them for many years without one seam coming out. not one issue with the soles. use altama. they lasted through hundreds of my videos in rain forests and on volcanoes in the forest.

Hello Mr.Boots, in my opinion, they are actually durable and cheap. I also have a pair of these shoes and have entered the Rainforest forest.It is the perfect shoe for that environment. In fact, it was proven during the Vietnam war era. The shoe product is still being produced today. I hope, the production of boots not stopped, in fact it is good that the boot is improved, especially the material.

I need a high ankle support water proof boot, heard you mention the MOAB 2's a couple times. I live in alberta, and most of my hiking is done in the rocky mountains, so streams are pretty Cold year round. Do you have a video on those boots?

Used the old style German Army Para boots for years till they went missing in a drying room. You can still get the MFH or Mil Tec versions (the European versions of Rothco) but I can't vouch for their quality. Did see the German version of the jungle boots not long ago which were the Para boots with the nylon parts on the side like the American ones. Was tempted to buy them, if I lived in poisonous snake country I'd have at least one higher legged pair of boots.

Finally a video that the item was actually budget friendly, most go like this..... I know everyone can't afford $1000 for this item so here is a "budget friendly" low cost option...for only ;$899 you to can own a version of this item. I shouldn't be surprised by this seeing Grunt Proof is a legitimate and trust worthy channel for good information and advice, keep up the good work.

Grunt Proof...THANK YOU for your honest perspective...and i,too,am not a fan of the "Gym Shoe Boot",as well.

Just got a pair of the Rothco's. Not quite a great fit, but I ordered them from their sizing chart. I'll see what happens

Polishing boots can be very therapeutic. Especially when your drinking a PBR 🍺

Good review , thanks for sharing , God bless !

Dude - I’ve been following this page since I found you about 2 years ago or so. I even won a pair of shooting gloves from your issue stockpile for the greatest joke in the world. It’s nice seeing the evolution. I’m digging it, man. Representing the REAL grunt life. Not this range bunny horseshit. #11B

I used the Carolina boots AG8 replacement footbed. I only paid $10.99 for my Rothco jungle boots at a hardware store in Fargo ND about a year ago. The original issue in RVN were not much better. About as comfortable as walking on a slab of steel. Not durable either. The jungle ate em up. The tops were ripping from rot! The Rothcos are ok, but I really like my Marine Corps issue Danner RAT boots, the temperate weather issue. They were comfortable from the first wear. WL Drylie SSgt USMC 0369 active duty 1970-1976

I'm not a fan of Rothco jungle boots I've found that the outsoles wear out super quickly I like the ones McRae makes a lot they also have speed lacing which is a huge plus also bens backwoods sells nice ventilating insoles

I don't know about Rothco's . But I damn near cried when I wore out my last pair on RVN issued boots . Have any idea at all , how they compare to the ones we old fuks had BITD ? For that price I might just grab a pair on your word . Nice review .. bg

Yes! I use jungle boots for river walks way to woods

in my opinion i prefer surplus belleville hot weather boots for budget friendly. they have lasted years of abuse in really mountainous region where i live (sharp rocks)

Wore them for 22+ years (USMC/Army/USMC again). Got my first pair in '79...$12 at the Army version of Clothing Sales (USMC) don't recall what they were called. Wore them every where but Norway & Germany (winter months). Wore the desert version in Somalia. Still have two GI issue pairs (one's never been worn). Best boot I ever fielded. Excellent review. I'll pick up a pair and retire my "antiques". 👍

The best classic jungle boots are the german/dutch "Kampfstiefel Tropen". I bought a few pairs for realy cheap and are using them now for more than ten years. The quality and craftsmanship is better than on the classic Altama boots. The have to be broken in but after that the are like sneakers.

Yes love my jungles favorite boots of mine since my first pair in 2006

Belleville has some minimalist combat boots, same style. Might be worth a review.

3:04 Had me howling...lol

The best boots I ever had were underarmour combat boots. They were so comfortable but the draw back was the soles wore out fast. But damn they were comfy

First day in The Nam, went to take a shower, there was a vet in there, buck ass naked taking a shower with his jungle boots on! Oh shit, a burn out...nope, new boots that he was breaking in. So, I put on my new boots, took a shower, wore the boots the rest of the day and it worked, that broke them in. Jungle boots are the best damned boots ever, large lugs are my preferred model.

Bro I have a pair of the same boots mine are completely black and I have a year with them they work fine!!! At first obviously u have to break them in well before they become comfortable but for the price good boot. I’m wondering if during the Vietnam war soldiers wore black boots too or only the ones with the green canvas.? Please let me know if someone knows

When I went into the Army im 2000 we had solid leather boots. Our drill sgt had us toss all our boots in the shower bay and run all shower heads on hot through the night. Once they dried they were soft and fit flawlessly. Spent a good time putting that Army shine onto them, but worth it. PBR all day! Keep on keepin on man!

What is your thinking on the raised heal versus flat? Or is it just a personal preference?

Have you heard of or tried the NORTIV 8 Men's Military Tactical Work Boots Side Zipper Leather Motorcycle Combat Boots? They are $42 on Amazon.

Wondering if the Rothco desert "jungle boots" are just as good. The jungle boot really suits my feet, but sadly a good desert boot in jungle boot configuration has become really hard to find.

Not sure on the Rothcos. Investing in a pair of good boots will serve you well. What is the shirt you have on? Didn't spot it on you amazon page.

Mr Grunt Proof can you please recommend whare I can buy Vietnam Jungle Fatigue's with Slant Pockets?

Had a pair for a few years. Good for stomping through cow patties. Don't try to go any real distance tho

Is there a difference between a combat boot and hiking boot? Pros and cons for each?

Why do you like this type of heel? How does it make movement more effective?

I got a pair you really need inner souls and ruff to fit on good

Can't go wrong with Army surplus, if you're not in the military. Picked up a pair of British Army Altbergs for £40 ($48), if they were new the civilian equivalent would £200 ($244), these boots are almost like slippers. I ensured all the interior of the boots with cleaned with antibacterial cloths and brand new Altberg insoles were fitted inside of the boot! Cannot go wrong really!