I showed him a picture and he was amazed....I guess I still need to teach the younger generation our Navy history...lol.

The only thing I don’t like about this is that I often have to incrementally loosen the rows of laces to get it loose enough to take off. It’s not enough to untie and loosen just the top portion. Between the solid footbed and the hard gum outsole, I was convinced that I’d need to break this boot in before it would give me any bend. To my surprise, it was comfortable and flexible enough upon first wear. If you’re seriously considering Golden Fox service boots, the two main things to think about are budget and what you’ll be using them for.Several years after getting out of the Navy I decided to join the Navy Reserves. Most of my active duty had been with the Marines and I wanted to see more of the Navy. Within minutes after being sworn in I was informed that I would be assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines. Well that didn't work out as planned. The Service Shoes became the official working shoe of the U.S. Army during World War II. We have transformed this iconic boot and given it a modern twist, while retaining the essence of its functionality. Given the appearance of a fascinating boot, how it is constructed is more than you would expect from a mid-century style shoe. And those became the four improved features in the I Boot-4, according to the executive summary of the study obtained by Navy Times from the Chief of Navy Personnel. One of the strengths of these boots over many other brands at this price point is how easy these were to break in and how extremely comfortable they felt while wearing them.

According to Golden Fox, the outsole is crepe rubber, which initially surprised me because it looks like standard gum rubber. Typically, I associate crepe with the lighter porous version that gets dirty easily and is hard to clean. The leather looks well-oiled and lush right out of the box, and has the organic hyde scent of full-grain leather. It does feel thin, especially at the tongue and at the sides of the upper. The service boot style remains popular because it is the perfect refinement of a functional practical boot assuming a pleasing form. Plus the 6” height is perfect for fitting with most pants. Where the most confusion and grievances come from is with the sizing. Golden Fox recommends sizing down just a half. Some reviewers say they run extremely large, while others say they don’t run large enough to merit sizing down.This boot can handle occasional high-impact activity, but shouldn’t be used as an everyday work boot. Just be aware: these things are for real. They’re pretty darn heavyweight, and require a bit work to get some flex going. The flip of that is they’re one of the most wear-impervious outsoles on the market. And damn do they look so damn perfect for this boot.

It’s also effectively slip-resistant. I’ve worn this shoe up and down slippery marble stairs at work and outside in the rain, with zero trips to the ground. While not the best, this insole turns out to be more effective than it looks, which I’ll cover in the sole section. We couldn’t be more excited to announce the first-ever Stitchdown-ified boots from Canadian supermaker Viberg, made in collaboration with Standard & Strange. Two true titans of bootmaking and retail, and they let Stitchdown sneak in there too. I’m jazzed. I do wonder about the durability of the outsoles. I have worn crepe soles off of boots in a season. However, They are attached with a full Goodyear welt held on with bold stitching. The use of a plastic welt over the typical vegetable tanned leather means it’ll be pretty hard to resole, though you might manage oneresole if you want to swap the crepe out for something tougher. (Although at this price point, you may ask yourself if a resole is worth it.) Got somewhere to be? Here’s the long and short of this remarkable boot so that you can decide if it’s right for you. Pros

2. Chippewa Aldrich Service Boot

Regardless, it isn’t just one of those affordable boots that looks strong and lithe, but will fall apart because of its budget construction. To modern eyes these are toned-down, military-style, 6” boots that have a vintage air and look amazing with everything from khakis to jeans. You can basically wear these anytime you would wear moc toes. They definitely have more of a rough and rugged look, certainly suitable for casual adventures.

These boots run a touch big, but they are not particularly wide, so if you have wider feet as I do, you may want to go longer to make up for the narrowness. I did find that they loosened up nicely and shrunk down where I needed them to except at the toe box, but that may be because there is a tremendous amount of room there.

This confusing sizing also poses a problem if you wear a large size shoe, since Golden Fox doesn’t offer half sizes past size 11. In 2016, when Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson announced the Navy would ditch the “blueberry” NWU Type I uniforms he also vowed to deliver new and improved safety boots for the fleet. These are constructed of a full-grain leather and have a nice tannic scent out of the box. They use Crazy Horse leather that is well oiled and waxed. The wax bonds with the fibers and so you can easily hide scuffs and scratches by just rubbing them, handy.