Tactical boots are one of the most popular boots in the world as they have many outstanding features: safety (excellent resistance to negative influences, foot and ankle protection), comfort (foot, heel, toe and ankle support well), flexibility (lightweight, easy to put on) and convenient (zipper, speed-lace lacing system).
Among them, zippers are a highlight of tactical boots. Because zippers bring a lot of benefits to the wearers of tactical boots.
Nowadays, you can see that many tactical boots come with side zips, then you might be curious:
- Why do tactical boots have zippers? Why do bootmakers add zippers to tactical boots?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of zipper tactical boots?
- Can the military use tactical boots with zippers?
Here, we are going to answer these questions for you!
Shall we?
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Why Do Tactical Boots Have Zippers?
Tactical boots with zippers are generally very useful in general, but they also come with some disadvantages.
Let’s learn more right below!
The advantages of tactical boots with zippers
Tactical boots with zippers offer convenience, flexibility, and comfort for you.
Convenience
The most apparent reason that tactical boots often have zippers is for convenience.
Wearers can easily and quickly put the tactical boots on or remove them because they can adjust the zipper to loosen the boot or quickly fit tighter.
The tactical boots usually have a shaft higher than the ankle (the tactical boots are about 6-8 inches tall) for the best ankle support and protection. However, the high shaft and the tight collars will make the boot openings small.
The small boot opening can make tactical boots fit tighter in the ankle and hold up your legs neatly, but this is quite a hindrance slip into or out of boots.
That’s why we need to add zippers to tactical boots.
As you unzip the tactical boots, the boot opening offers wide room for you to insert your foot.
Conversely, pulling up the zipper will narrow the boot opening and help the boot fit tighter with your ankle.
Moreover, zippers and collars of tactical boots can keep your socks and pants staying in place (if you plan to tuck the pants into the boots).
Flexibility
What soldiers need the most is flexibility.
Lacing the tactical boots has never been easy and fast unless your tactical boots have a speed-lace lacing system.
Imagine that the enemy is advancing at lightning speed and our soldiers are still busy… tying shoelaces! How horrible is that!
Therefore, tactical boots with zippers make it faster to put on boots so that soldiers can respond to unexpected situations quickly.
As for zipper tactical boots, if your lacing is a bit tight, you just need to adjust the zippers and they can be looser and better fit your feet.
You don’t need to loosen the boot laces every time you go home to take them off and tighten them the next day. With zipper tactical boots, you can keep the boot laces intact and use the zippers to adjust instead.
Read more: How To Polish Tactical Boots?
Comfort
Those who often go hiking with tactical boots will understand this: your boots that fit perfectly with your legs can suddenly become oddly “cramped” after two hours on long hiking trails.
That’s the truth! When you are tired from long journeys, the tactical boots you are wearing might feel like getting tighter at that time. On non-zipper tactical boots, it can take time and a bit of effort to loosen the boot laces.
With zipper tactical boots, simply pull the zippers down to give your ankle more room.
In addition, when your feet are hot, you can unzip your boots so that the air can circulate better in them, making the foot more comfortable.
Besides, the convenience and flexibility that zippers bring also make you feel more comfortable, right?
The disadvantages of tactical boots with zippers
Some zippers are poorly constructed or made of poor quality material, so they will deteriorate quickly. This will irritate you a lot for sure.
For example, zippers are made of substandard metals, and after prolonged exposure to sudden rains, they can rust and deteriorate quickly.
If you want a pair of tactical boots that are zippered and waterproof, you should note that the zipper area of the tactical boots can be a spot where water easily gets inside.
This is quite an annoying problem. To solve this matter, just scroll down to read more.
Should you choose tactical boots with zippers or without zippers?
In fact, most military branches don’t accept zipper tactical boots, because they think that the zippers can be damaged by the impact of bad terrain.
However, it is the story of the army brigade. In fact, it is normal that police or security departments are allowed to use tactical boots with zippers.
So, check with your human resources department before you go to work to choose the best tactical boot option for yourself.
Overall, tactical boots with zippers are better than non-zipper ones since zippers are quite convenient and makes you more comfortable and flexible.
I have tactical boots with Bates zippers and a pair of Under Armor boots.
One is a pair of tan 2-year-old tactical boots and the other is a pair of 3-year-old boots made of black leather. After all, I don’t see any zipper problems yet.
Tips: You can choose tactical boots with gussets placed behind the zippers as these gussets are quite effective in preventing water from entering the tactical boots through the zippers.
There are a number of great zipper tactical boots on the market, which we’ll cover below.
3 Best handpicked tactical boots have zippers for you
If you have not found a pair of tactical boots with zippers that is suitable for you, then I would like to recommend you 3 pairs! Hope it helps!
1. Under Armour Men’s Valsetz RTS 1.5 Military and Tactical
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Lightweight, durable, breathable | The toe box are a bit narrow |
| Side zip, rubber sole, abrasion resistance | |
| High traction, EVA midsole, comfortable | |
| No break in period, great for hiking, running… |
The first shot comes from the Under Armor brand’s zipper tactical boots.
In addition to its handsome and rugged appearance, the Under Armor Men’s Valsetz RTS is very impressive with its outstanding features: lightweight, durable, ankle support, TPU toe cap, wear resistance, and breathable updated textile upper.
What can you benefit from this design? That is the extreme flexibility, comfort and safety.
You can rest assured the comfort and safety these boots provide you, because they are made up of synthetic leather & and textile upper. Leather is durable and resistant while textile upper is soft, flexible and breathable.
And the important thing that you look for is that these boots have zippers, you can easily put on / take off easily and save a lot of time.
Overall, these boots possess all the basic but important features of a good tactical boot for law enforcement officers. You won’t be afraid of difficult terrain or harsh environments while on duty.
2. Reebok Work Duty Men’s Rapid Response RB RB8874 8″ Tactical Boot
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Suede leather and cordura, rubber sole | Size of boots feel a little strange |
| Cushion insole, EVA midsole, breathable, good ankle and arch support, safety toe | |
| Shock eliminator heel plug, side zipper, keep feet warm | |
| Nylon mesh lining, lightweight, all day comfort |
The Reebok Work Men’s Rapid Response RB RB8874 is a popular tactical boot for its good looking, eye-catching appearance and function.
Besides the wonderful look, the cushion insert insole design will give your feet a great cradle. Also, the lining will make your feet feel cool because they are very breathable and soft.
In addition, the outsole boots are suitable for traveling on difficult mountain roads, thereby supporting the hikers with right balance, stability and safety.
Along with the heel shock support, these boots are almost perfect for those who love to wander.
Of course, it is indispensable that these boots have a stealth side zipper that adds convenience and flexibility to the boots as well as provides additional comfort for the wearer.
You just cannot go wrong with these boots!
3. RYNO GEAR Tactical Combat Boots
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Contrast stitching detail, padded collar, stiff toe | The laces are not really good |
| Mesh lining, slip-resistant outsole, water resistant | |
| Shock absorbent insoles, free returns, good looking boots | |
| Nice for the price, comfortable right out of the box |
The ultimate zippers tactical boots belong to the RYNO GEAR brand, and are also a handsome, masculine pair that will steal your mind at first sight.
The outstanding specialty of RYNO GEAR Tactical Combat Boots is Coolmax lining. This will give you a wonderful cool feeling you cannot find in any other boots.
Besides, these boots also have shock-absorbent insoles to ensure high comfort for you. Good anti-slip outsoles guarantee good balance and stability. These tactical boots are also waterproof, to keep your feet stay dry.
In addition, the contrast stitching detail of these boots makes a strong impression.
There must be a reason that RYNO GEAR confidently declares the free returns and 100% guarantee you will be satisfied.
You might think that sounds exaggerating, but you will change your mind when you first wear them.
If you give these boots a chance to join hiking with you, it will be the best trip you’ll ever have!
Conclusion
Okay, to wrap it up, I will summarize the biggest benefits that zippers bring to tactical boots. And it will also answer the question of why tactical boots have zippers.
- Convenience: You will easily put on / take off tactical boots without having to take off all the laces. Zippers can loosen the boot opening so you can pull your foot out (or tuck it in)
- Flexibility: Imagine you are sitting in the forest (on a hike) and a bear suddenly appears. With zippers tactical boots, you can quickly put on them and run. Zippers will make you more flexible when tightening boots, easy to respond to emergencies
- Save time: With a pair of 8 inch high boots, it will be difficult and time-consuming every time you want to loosen the laces to create more room for your feet or vice versa. But with just one pull down or pull up, you can tighten and loosen your boots quickly.
- Comfort: On a hot, arid terrain like a desert, you sometimes need to give your feet some air to breathe. Unzip your boots and you’ll have that, it’s very easy and quick to do.