Mini Mil TR102 Minimalist Tactical Boots for Men, Zero-Drop

I personally love minimalistic foot wear. I have several models of VFF and love them all. KSO, Signa's and Flows. This boot is nothing like wearing VFFs however it is a great step forward from the clunky boot designs. Compared to my Desert, Jungle and Winter boots I was issued this is by far superior. The boots are very light. The fit is very snug around the heel which is initially uncomfortable but as I wore the boot it became more comfortable and actually feels like true ankle and heel support. The feel of the boot while running, walking feels less like a boot and more of a sneaker. I feel more nimble in these boots compared to my others. The toe area is roomier than standard boots which actually makes a difference when moving around intensely. When I wear these boots I have a better feel for the terrain around me. One thing I hated about my Winter boots is they pinch my toe knuckles when I take a knee, these boots do not have that issue. After wearing these boots go for a walk in normal military grade boots and you will feel a difference in how "clunky" standard boots are, also they're very breathable. As far as people complaining about the interior being unlined, just wear dress socks or underarmor socks, you still feel barefoot but protect against the unlined interior. I would've rather deployed with a pair of these... Also these boots run small!!! I wear a size 10 jungle boot. These are 10 1/2 and are much more snug even though they're a bigger size. To be honest I should've got an 11. in VFF i wear 43. That should give you some sort of idea of sizing. I followed the instructions and measured my feet. I recommend sizing up half a size after measuring your foot. Oh as far as cold weather with these boots. It's currently below freezing and I wear these with dress socks and I remove the insole. My feet are not cold. I will update this review once I've spent a couple weeks on the mountain with them.

They are as comfortable and functional as any of my street and hiking barefoot shoes I have. Which is to say, if I was interested in military style boots as everyday wear, I would have no issues wearing them every day. As it is, I wear them for 12+ hour shifts. At first, I did get the ankle bite like many people in military boots do, but that went away when I stopped tying them tight around the ankles. They haven't had any break-in period for me, but again, I have been in almost exclusively barefoot style shoes since Christmas. As for quality, I would say they are made as good as any military boot. They passed the scrutiny of my retired Marine husband. I would say they will be just as durable as any other military-style boot. I do wish the toe was rubber-wrapped, since we kneel down so much in EMS, but I will deal and just be careful so as to prevent scratching of the leather. The sole grip seems fine so far, I have been in a handful of greasy kitchens and wet floors, and they seem a bit better than my Haix and Danners were. Now that I have had them for a month or so, I can say that I really like them. For years, I was wearing Haix and Danner EMS/Wildland/Station crossover boots. I thought I loved those until I started with barefoot shoes earlier in the year. These may not have as much flexibility as true barefoots, but they have tons compared to regular boots, which is great. I will say, that like others have mentioned, sizing is a bit wonky. I am a woman and wear a women's 7.5 (men's 5.5-6)/37-38 in non-barefoot shoes, and 38 in barefoot shoes. I first got these in a 6.5 regular and they while they fit, they fit more like a regular shoe instead of barefoot. I switched to a 6.5 wide and they fit perfectly. They may actually be a little too long, but I am okay with that. Anyhoo, I am very glad I finally bought these and wish I had done it sooner!

1 month update- these are my go-to boots- honestly one of my favorites. They are not Gore-tex, and it looks like the vendor fixed the title, but they are extremely water resistant. Everything I noted in the initial review still stands, but sometimes you like something despite the flaws! I would love a true Gore-tex boot, and I would love a better fit, but for what it's worth, this is one of my favorite boots for outdoor adventure. ************** I bought the TR101 and TR103 as well in order to compare them. The natural colors have vents in the instep which would make them NOT as waterproof as this boot, if that is a concern. Also the natural colors are made with a roughed up, unpolished leather which creates a rough surface on the inside of the boot. This makes them feel a LOT less comfortable than the polished leather. Now over time, I am sure that the inside would polish itself with wear. However, I am interested in a waterproof boot, and the black boot not having the vents made it a shoe-in. ;) (I talked to a few people that wear Govt Issue for work, and they said that the black polished boots always hold up longer. My guess is that the black boots also use a higher quality leather? This would explain the slightly higher ratings you see here on Amazon.) But, a representative for the company said that all three styles, the TR101, TR102, and TR103 all use the same exact boot mold. So any differences between them come down to materials used. As for fit. It does feel minimal, and it is VERY lightweight, which is a plus. It does not fit like the Merrell or NewBalance Barefoot shoes, it fits decidedly like a boot. When the laces are snugged enough to cut off circulation, there are pockets of fabric that hang loose- mostly in the ankle area. This allows the ankle to slop around a bit. If you lightly kick at something, your toe will contact the end of the boot, it doesn't fit well enough to hold the boot to the foot. Also, the leather heel calls it quits about halfway up the ankle and transitions to fabric, so I can feel the seam carving at the ankle during full articulation. Perhaps this is the heel discomfort many are talking about? Dunno. I have full grain cowboy boots that articulate better and feel better in the ankle, so there has to be a more elegant solution. Anyway, we take away one star for not being Goretex as advertised, not fitting great, but overall not bad, and as I mentioned, wicked light and the only outdoor rated barefoot boot I know of in this price range.

After several weeks of almost daily use, I feel I can give this a proper review. Pros: - The shoes are lightweight - Insoles and outsole are thin - Minimal drop (as the name implies) Cons: - Heel lifts no matter what I've tried. - 8" boot with no zipper. - Thin sole can cause pain over time if you normally patrol on concrete/hard surfaces. - Heel cup WILL cause blisters without some form of padding during break in. - Break in period takes FOREVER. - Boot must be tied relatively tight, otherwise the outsole can be felt as your foot comes down. - Laces are slippery, so double knotting is essentially required. Notes: After a very lengthy break in period, the heel area no longer causes hot spots. However, I'd advise using a bandage over your heel until that area is broken in. I STRONGLY recommend against starting a day long patrol with these straight out of the box without some sort of padding there. The issue with the heel lifting is probably the most troubling. Since the heel lifts up, it causes even more friction on the heel even after it's broken in. I have tried several hiking techniques to lock down the heel, but you have to REALLY cinch it down to minimize it. I eventually purchased a pair of Superfeet Copper insoles to take up a bit of extra space and to assist with the heel lifting issue in addition to the heel lock lacing. This has made the shoes much better, but they still lift up a little. I blame the lacing across the ankle area as well as the heel cup design for this problem. *** For those who are interested, lace up the boot 3 eyes from the front as usual. After the 3rd eye, loop the laces as though you are going to finish tying them, then loop them one more time. Then thread the laces through the same side (don't cross over). Continue lacing the boot as usual until you get to the 6th eye. Do the same triple loop you did after the 3rd eye. Now lace the boot up to the very top. What this does is give you 3 zones of tension. One around your foot, one at the ankle area, and one at the top around your calf. Adjust the tension you prefer around your foot, then cinch down the triple loop to lock it off. Then find the 2nd triple loop and pull the ankle area as tight as you comfortably can, then cinch it down. Then adjust the tension around your calf and tie your boot at the top. I usually add another triple loop as I'm tying it to help keep the laces from loosening up in the process. This is the ONLY METHOD I could find to keep the heel relatively planted while I'm running. See picture if the instructions aren't making much sense. ***

Let me start off by saying I have EXTREMELY FLAT FEET. I have worn over 20 different types of combat boots in my career in the military and in law enforcement. I have worn Solomon, Bates, Belleville, Rocky, Nike, and many more different brands. But this boot is by far one of the most comfortable and healthy for my feet. It truly is a minimalist style boot and if you have gone your entire life wearing boots and shoes that have giant soles, you may want to take it easy with this boot. There will most likely be a a weeks where your calves may be sore or your achilles tendon may be hurting due to your calf muscles being worked much harder than they used to be, but eventually your calves and feet will become stronger and these boots will become very comfortable. I have noticed for myself, that I could be on my feet for a much longer period of time without having my feet and knees becoming sore and thats mainly due to the boot allowing your feet to naturally do their job. The toe box is also worth mentioning that it is very wide. I do not ever feet like my toes are being squished, they always feel like I have ample room to move my toes around in the front of the boot. As for the build quality, the boot is actually pretty tough and doesnt fall apart easily at all. The only issue I have had regarding wear and tear of the boot is the black coating on the leather has already started to peel off where the boot bends. The laces are very strong and do not rip or wear out. They are speed laced. Another minor issue that I have had is the leather finish is not very friendly to polish. I have noticed that after polishing these boots, the shine seems to wear off a lot faster that other boots I have shined (and I have shined many many boots). I believe this is due to the black finish on the leather (like i mentioned it cracks and peels off at the creases). In conclusion, this is a fantastic boot, and although it has its cosmetic flaws with the finish, the boot is strong and holds up even though how thin and light it is. This is the only military/law enforcement minimalist type boot I have seen on the market and it truly lives up to its expectations. I wish more companies made boots like this.

The boots were comfortable out of the box. No issues with rubbing the back of the heel like I've heard can happen. The boots are minimalist. To me they're a combination of tactical boots and wrestling shoes. Exactly what I was looking for. They seem well made. The only thing I am not crazy about is that they don't seem to have a wide toe box, like I thought they would. My toes aren't cramped or anything, but they are about 1/2 inch narrower at the top box than my very comfortable Jim Green African Rangers. Would I buy them again? Probably not. But I don't regret the purchase.

My poor review correlates equally to the quality of product construction, as well as this particular vendor. Ordered the boots as a “new” product. Showed up in a tied off plastic bag in a blank regular box, with no tags on the product. Immediately I noticed the toe box was dirty and the shoes already had creases. These were definitely worn for a bit by someone and returned. I would have been fine with it if I wasn’t paying for a new product. I also can’t get over how strange the fit and construction is. I have several pairs of minimalist shoes that I enjoy, so this isn’t a new field for me. I feel like I have to fight the boot to get my feet in and out due to the tongue construction, as well as the lack of a side zipper. I ordered the wide option but the toe box of the boot doesn’t seem wide at all; maybe just taller toe box or something. Feels a bit too snug in my size at the front and back, but I feel sizing up would be way too big. Even tried taking the inserts out like others recommended, but I’m not feeling it. The heel construction is super stiff with a really hard edge that scrapes my heel, and I already know they would chew my heels up. I had high expectations for these, especially for their price point, but I am very disappointed. I hope someone else can engineer a better minimalist boot. I have processed my order for a return, and will be sending them back.

These are currently my favorite minimalist style boots, but they are not perfect. I'll start with what I don't like. The main issue is that they are not as waterproof capable as all-leather boots would be. I use Huberd's Shoe Grease on almost ever leather item I own, and it even helps the water resistance of canvas. But since so much of this boot is canvas, I can't achieve the level of water resistance I get with other, all-leather boots. I ride motorcycles in Southeast Alaska, where it rains more often than not, and even freshly treated these boots don't provide the water resistance I need to keep my socks dry for short commutes, so I have to swap boots when getting on and off the motorcycle. Secondly, they aren't built to last. I am currently on my third pair. My first one lasted over a year before one of the side toe seams burst and the second lasted under a year before the heel part of the sole broke away. The third one I just received so I expect it to last another year. This is in line with the lifespan given by other reviews, and this is with both the shoe grease treatment I use (which increases boot life) and a large amount of walking (security officer and farm work, both of which decrease boot life), so you may be able to get over a year if you treat them more lightly. Still, this isn't a $300 pair of boots, so I'm not that concerned. Thirdly, these aren't true minimalist boots. They still have a heel life, though it's minor, and the sole isn't as thin as most minimalist footwear on the market. If this is your first minimalist piece of footwear your feet WILL need to adapt, but if this isn't, your feet won't be used to it either. With all that said, I still recommend these boots. They're probably the best value for your money for minimalist boots on the market, lasting longer than certain other more-expensive brands. The sole is dependable, grips well, and lasts a long time (it's where the sole meets the leather that's failed the two times). They're also not garishly colored; I can't stand brightly colored or multicolored footwear, so a plain black boot appeals to me. It's nice that there's at least one of those available for people who don't want shoe coffins. They're comfortable. If I'm wearing them casually, I don't even tie up the laces; I have them speed tied so I just loosen them, slip my foot in, and walk around. They are light, a pair of these wears less than a single shoe in some other popular styles. Wearing these, even though they're not truly minimalist, still feels like freedom, and it's freedom you can experience even while shoveling oil-soaked asphalt, patrolling lonely stairwells at night, chopping firewood in winter, or pulling fence in summer. I recommend them, even as I occasionally look for better alternative. There just isn't one yet.

Best boots I've worn. I've tried 100 different boots. These are straight foot power. Opposite of Rocky's or Lowa's.

Getting the size right with these boots is very frustrating. There's lots of reviews saying to order 0.5 size or even a full size larger. I went up only 0.5 size, and the boot ended up way to large! Specifically they fit super wide (and yes, I ordered the Regular width). Belleville needs to do a better job of communicating to customers how these boots actually fit. I would not recommend anyone buy these boots online, as your chances of getting the right size the first time are pretty low. If you can't try them on in a brick-and-mortar store, save yourself the trouble and buy a different brand of boots.