Belleville 880 ST 8 Inch Waterproof Black Leather Steel Toe Boots for Men - US Navy Flight EH Rated 200g Insulated with Gore-Tex and Vibram Fire & Ice Outsole; Berry Compliant

This is the Navy "Flight Boot" and is while more expensive than the normal issue(NWU) boot, is worth all the money and then some. I had repeated issues (pain, wear, leaking, etc) with the issued boots (also Belleville), until I finally gave up and bought a pair of these.Improvements:1) They are sized much more closely to my normal size. I wear a 10 running shoe, these are 9.5, which makes sense due to the insulation. I had to buy a 7.5W in the issued boot to get something that wouldn't slip and eat my heel, but due to the size it caused toe and foot pain.2) Much, much more waterproof than the issued boots. I've stood out in rainstorms in this for multiple hours supporting drydocking evolutions and my feet were still warm and dry at the end.3) The 200g insulation is about the right amount. My feet get a little warm with lots of sustained walking, but it more than makes up for it when you're standing around for long periods of time in the cold. (Something that the military is good at making you do.)4) Good build and lacing. The boot isn't particularly heavy, and with a combination ladder and infinity lacing, holds snugly. It does appear that the sole is slightly softer than the issue boot and therefore wears a little faster, but it also grips wet surfaces (like ships) much more firmly.5) Last and importantly: While the numbers and naval messages claim that this isn't a 9" boot, when measured side-by-side with the issued boots they are the exact same size. So, you can wear it with the NWU and be in complete compliance with the uniform regs.Summary: Best Navy boots I've owned, good replacement for the NWU issue boot. Go get a pair, you won't regret it.UPDATE 02MAR15: So, I've had these for a bit over 2 years now, though about 8 months of that was at a duty station where we didn't wear the NWU. As I expected, the sole is wearing a bit faster than the harder NWU issue boot, but there is still some tread left. The upper is still in good shape (except where I've damaged it), and the boot insulation and interior is holding up great. I'll probably buy a new pair over the summer, but these continue to be the best pair of Navy footwear I own. If you miss your old boonies, this is about as good as you're going to get.

i work in manufacturing. i needed an excellent work boot. i tried these, and of all of the things i can say, these are the most comfortable boots i have ever worn. they are just so comfortable and i had not break in period. they are wonderful in that respect.i cannot testify as to how effective the steel toe is, but i can say i never feel anything. and that may have something to do with the fact that these boots do not take external abuse very well. sure, you feel dandy, comfortable and find... but at the end of the day it looks like you dipped your toe into a granulating machine.so for visual appearance, they do not hold up and they are very vulnerable to scuffs and gouging. but they feel great.

Bought these to replace my <1 yr old Bates boots because Bates' quality are less than acceptable. Anyway, these are insulated so I recommend getting half size bigger. The insulation is great and keeps my feet warm in the cold Virginia weather. It's currently 60-65 degree here and the boots are still bearable. I used mink oil/paste to moisten the boots for 2 days before wearing and they were broken in by the 3rd day. The leather seems like good quality but we will see. The soles are nice and bendy unlike the other brand that is standard issue buy the Navy.

so far, so good..i useually get Red Wing and generally get four or five years out of a pair....these breath better, and i had them broke in in two days, ( vs. almost a week with the RWs ) hopeing they will wether the storm of the years well enough that i consider Belleville again in the future.

2 WEEK REVIEW: They seem to be a good quality boot. The size I purchased is a little big compared to another popular brand offered for military standard boots, but because of the lining inside, they seem to fit well enough. My husband says they are comfortable so far. He did not have any blistering on his heels, and did not need to "break them in". They have a good shine to them, and do not seem to need polishing out of the box. I suggest getting a half size smaller in this style/brand. Overall a great buy and worth the money. We will see how they do long term to decide if I would buy them again.

They fit great. I order them because they are much cheaper that the stores here. I use them at work on my old Navy base. I am a civilian now. They last and are rugged as my old issue boots were.

The boots are extremely nice but extremely heavy. I wear a narrow and it is impossible to find a steel toe boot in a narrow. I can wear very thick socks and wear the boots but these particular ones were way too wide for me.

These are amazing boots. I wore a pair of these while serving in the U.S. Navy and loved them. I ordered a new pair from the same company, Wellco, and they lasted me five years with constant wear. Wellco does not seem to be making them anymore, and the Navy is now going through the company Belleville for their flight deck boots. They are exactly like the ones made by Wellco.