Introduced in 2018, the Strife (Mid) Boot by Viktos balances the rugged demands of life at work, in the field, or on range, with the urban comfort to a tactically inspired lifestyle.
The upper half of the Strife (Mid) Boot is made from leather and nylon segments stitched together using double-line nylon thread.
The hardware includes unique metal hook lace brackets with a pass-through eyelet that allows the wearer to choose which style fits their needs best. The laces are Dupont nylon with plastic tips.
Sidewalls on the Strife (Mid) Boot are also made to Viktos’ patented Parariggers™ sidewall that gives the boot structure along its sides, while mitigating potential fold-over or failure of the material.
The interior lining includes a breathable/waterproof lining to help ensure your feet remain dry but breathe adequately. A 6” throat on the boot provides the ideal height to support the ankle in light/moderate environments.
The Strife (Mid) features the same sole as other Strife/Johnny Combat series footwear, drawing on its combat-focused outsole that gives the wearer a solid grip in a variety of environments. The lug design gives the sole a self-cleaning flex that helps ensure debris or rocks do not remain lodged.
The reinforced toe box to the boot is rounded rather than tapered to accommodate the natural splay of toes as the foot rolls under the body’s natural weight.
Specifications:
- Full-grain leather
- 600D nylon
The Viktos Strife (Mid) Boot comes in a Gunstock (featured) or Nightfall color and is available in sizes 7 through 15. Viktos states maintaining the Strife requires “…treating all leather products with a cream or water based wax treatment. Please note that leather treatments may alter the leather’s original appearance, however, it will not affect the performance properties of the leather”.
Product Evaluation Scores:
- Cost – Average (3/5): At an MSRP of $140, the Strife (Mid) Boot has an affordable blend of materials and design that excels in urban or moderate field environments. There is an equal blend of leather and nylon that will help ensure the product’s longevity. Generally, the cost of boots in this category can run the gambit and are radically affected by; materials, source manufacturing, colors/dyes, and branding. Bearing in mind the Strife (Mid) is designed to be an urban/suburban/EDC boot – other market alternatives would include but not limited to; XA Forces (Mid) boots ($169.95) by Salomon, the Moab 2 boot ($139.99) by Merrill, or the Raide 2 (Mid) boots ($109.95) by Bates. As such the Strife (Mid) is in the moderate (or average) range of price, and duly affordable by the consumer in comparison to other quality manufactures for the materials used.
- Comfort – Good (4/5): Sizing for the Strife (Mid) ran true-to-fit (meaning a size 11 will fit as a US-sized 11 shoe – not based on the actual physical length of the foot). It took about a week for the leather to break in but when it did the Strife was very comfortable. The heel was very well supported, and the boot held strength from the heel, up the Achilles line, and across to the laces. Thus, it was apparent the boot was designed to give support when needed. The sole held a shock-resistant steyr foam lining on the outer edging that helped support and pad the foot bed. The toe box did indeed feel wider and accommodated the natural splay of toes when under heavy load (with a test case using a 70lb sand bag with stressor drills). Traditional boots often have a tapered toe box that harken back to ancient times when boots needed points to aid in mounting horse stirrups. Even today that design can pinch your toes or jam them when under load. The Strike (Mid) was very comfortable and over the course of a 30-day evaluation cycle fit comfortably. One suggestion for Viktos to improve the Strike’s comfort rating would be to add (even a minimal layer) of padding to the tongue of the boot. The tongue was not stitched/attached up to the top of the throat and given the thin material it easily folded over to create minor pressure points if laced tightly. Any added padding would not only improve comfort but mitigate the pressure on the front of the foot.
- Durability – Good (4/5): Over the course of testing; worn as EDC and range boots, the Strike (Mid) held a good level of durability given its tested environment (which included pavement, grass, loose rock, water and mud). The intent for the Strike (Mid) by design is as an urban/suburban/EDC boot, and as such the materials were intended to excel in those settings. The leather exterior took a good amount of rough edges and abrasion, with only light/moderate scarring to the material itself—none of which penetrated the inner layers of the leather. The nylon and interior lining aided in breathability and flexibility to maneuver various terrain. The double line stitching and very thick bartack provided a very good level of durability to prevent any separation of the materials. The only one negative aspect noted in evaluation was some minor edge separation between the steyr foam and leather due to use of the heel to grab at barriers as well as a few frayed threads. The lack of a polymer toe and heel cap would detract from taking the Strife (Mid) into more rugged field terrain, but for the city or suburbs it will do very well.
- Functionality – Good (4/5): Perhaps the biggest functional improvement of the Strife (Mid) Boot was its toe box, with its rounded design rather than tapered. A clear benefit to this was as the foot rolled on the ball, toes have a natural tendency to roll and splay open. The rounded toe box accommodated this and thus made the boot more comfortable under load. The leather sections were all in high stress points of the boot for added strength and stitching ensured the boot held up under use. The tread was similar to other Strife/Johnny Combat boots by Viktos with its self-cleaning lug design that did keep small rocks and debris from building up. It was noted mud did cake up in the serrated toe and trusstic of the sole, likely because of the arch design, but was easily knocked out. At no point did moisture penetrate the interior in light/moderate rain. The only negative aspect noted from a functional point was the plastic tips on the laces started to wear/split, and it would be recommended to Viktos to consider using the same metal tips they use in their combat line of boots.
- Weight – Average (3/5): Each individual boot weighed in at 1.6 pounds (or 3.2 pounds for the pair) which is reasonable considering the use of leather and thick lug design, but the weight became exacerbated when mud became caked into the bottom serrations. In comparison to the market alternatives noted above; the XA Forces (Mid) boots (1.02 pounds per boot) by Salomon, the Moab 2 boot (1.15 pounds per boot) by Merrill, or the Raide 2 (Mid) boots (1.2 pounds per boot) by Bates show the diversity in footwear weight. However, in the market alternatives they have differing lug design and some underlying materials, thus the variance in weight. As a whole, the features of the Strife (Mid) Boot—although heavier—helped ensure it not only lasted in the daily life of a tactical mindset, but on the range as well.
Overall Rating – Above Average (18/25)
Product Link: https://www.viktos.com/products/strife-mid
I am reviewing this product as a courtesy to the manufacturer and via STL Shooting Enthusiasts, so that I can evaluate it and provide my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give positive reviews. All views are my own, and based off my personal experience with the product.
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