Bates Women's 5 Inches Enforcer Ultralit Sport Boot

I bought these boots 2 years ago as an EMT student, and I've kept them through paramedic school, and while working full time private EMS and volunteer fire/EMS. They fit exactly as I had expected, and they're as comfortable as my favorite pair of walking shoes! These boots have kept my feet dry and comfortable, and protected me from slipping and sliding on wet surfaces (super important when you're trying to push a heavy stretcher when you're caught in the rain.. Because EMS is never predictable)! However, if I could go back in time, I wouldn't have ordered these. Hear me out! These boots are fantastic and have been extremely reliable for work, school, and even yard work in all seasons here in northeast Ohio. These boots have seen me though some dicey calls and weather conditions, and are still just as reliable today as they were the day I received them in the mail! However, after putting in countless miles of walking in these boots, I do feel picky about some features.My best suggestion for EMS personnel, when it comes to footwear, would be to buy boots that are mid-calf to protect and stabilize the ankles better. Zip-up boots are also extremely nice for those 3am emergencies where your fingers are too tired to fumble with laces. Lastly, look for a composite or steel toed boot. My poor toes have been stomped on by angry or obese patients, run over by stretchers and wheelchairs, crushed by firewood, and even smushed by furniture. Luckily, I have had no fractures, but I would have saved myself some hurt if I would have splurged on the reinforced toes for my boots!I've tried to add photos to this review. Please excuse the caked on mud and pet hair! You can see the wear on the boots, but remember that I've had these for 2 years now! The bottoms of my boots are worn down, but they still provide anti-slip quality, btw! Trust me when I say they are STILL comfortable, protect against the elements, and reliable. I've had coworkers who have told me that they need to replace their boots every 6 months or every year, which makes it more impressive that I've had these boots for so long! Definitely recommend if you're on a budget and if you're not too picky (like me) about certain features mentioned above. I cannot give these boots any less than 5/5 stars.

The picture is to show what I put boots through in only a week. This is my third pair of Bates in 5 years. Each has gone through daily wear for 2-3 years and held up very well. I'd say there were, maybe, 20 days in those six years I didn't wear my boots at all. The soles start to break down, first. They are supporting over 200 pounds of person who does not get to sit at work. Still, some insoles fix that, and they last longer than any tennis shoes. They're also supportive, but comfortable. There's no break-in period: box to feet and you're ready to go. May want to go up half a size to avoid heel rubbing; I had that issue with the last 2, went from 9.5 to 10, and no issue this time. Also, mine didn't have zippers. Then I noticed the listing says available with or without, but there's no option for ordering. I'm fine with it, but if zippers are a must, go with a different model.

Excellent Quality. Excellent Comfort. I have flat feet and orthodics, so shoes are a big deal for me. Because of my orthodics, my size runs to the wider. It didn't matter for these boots. Nothing was tight. They fit like they were made for my feet, straight out of the box. Not heavy- I sometimes forget that I am wearing actual boots. They are comfortable. I still wore them to break them in, but didn't really need to. I replaced the liner with a flat spenco bottom liner, because I always do with my orthodics, and the boots were perfect for my feet. Their liner is good, and might be fine for others. I just don't use original liners with my orthodics. They appear so well built that they will probably last awhile. (I heard Bates was a good quality brand, and they were right). I had tried other brands before and they didn't match up to what I needed.

I wore these through a 5 week, accelerated academy. 4 months of walking patrol in sand / rain / heat. A standard 5 month academy and hundreds of work days since. ( A total of about 2 years). That doesn't count in between the jobs I was on a farm and they got caked in mud. I love these boots.They weren't terrible to break in (no new blisters, but I'm a runner so have callused feet.) And now they're so comfy.They keep moisture out to their best, but once it's in you're feet are doing to be wet. That's fairly standard with boots. The leather is holding up great. I will take a bit of credit, I clean them with leather soap every month or two (what else is there to do at 3 am on a "off" day?) Then I'd repolish them until I could see detail and color shinning back. They hold a shine fine.I think I'm going to wear out the tread before anything else. I'm almost thinking of getting new bottoms instead of a whole new pair of boots.They are a bit heavy, but I expect that from a boot. The toe is strong and hold up to kicking, no dents or crushed toes.

When I purchased there boots I did not expect them to be comfy right out of the box. But after having them about 9 months the bottom sole is coming off. I work 12-16 hours at a time and where I love these boots I'm disappointed that they are already tearing up. After reading all the reviews and hearing people at work talk about how long their bates have lasted I'm just disappointed that mine are messing up. At least I can say they have lasted longer than any other pair I bought.

These are good quality boots. I ordered my normal size and they fit perfectly. They do need a little breaking in, they were very stiff at first. The top of the boot is very tight and I had to loosen the laces at the top in order to be comfortable. The soles of the boots are great for traction. They seem to be waterproof as I have worked in the rain and my feet did not get wet. I will say that the insoles are lacking. If you need good arch support or more padding, you will need to put insoles in. I have custom orthotics and they fit nicely in the boot after removing the existing ones. Overall, I think they are a good buy but I didn't give 5 stars because of the things I mentioned.