Sunday 25 October 2009

Magnum Boots - A Review

Just like Medic Triple Nine, I have been asked to review a pair of Magnum Elite boots. Obviously, a disclaimer is needed first - the opinions in this blog entry are, as always, completely my own, and not necessarily those of Basics. I have a conflict of interest, and that is that, as a result of agreeing to review the boots, I get to keep them! As a Basics Doctor, and especially as a bloke, I love the opportunity to try out new gadgets. All right, that's that out of the way; now on to what I thought of the boots.

These are a new style of boots, known as Elite. The main selling point of them is what is known as Ion-Guard. It is a special waterproof coating that actively repels moisture, which is designed to keep your feet dry, even when submerged. It will also repel other fluids, such as blood and urine, which I didn't try.

Let's get the bad out of the way immediately. These boots do not have steel toe protection. This essentially means that they are unsuitable for most pre-hospital practitioners. I contacted the the manufacturers, and they assured me that there is a new boot coming out, known as Shield, which will be much more suitable for us.

But, apart from that, how did the boots fair? I have certain key factors that I consider when considering which boot is right for me.

The obvious one is comfort. These boots get a resounding thumbs up for this. I wore them for a day while at work in the hospital, and I had no problems. There are no uncomfortable seams, and they did not rub at all.

Second obvious is looks. These boots do look the business, as can be seen here:
Magnum-4.jpg


Now for an unusual one. I don't as a rule, walk around in my boots all the time. As a Basics Doc, I need to be able to jump into my personal protective equipment quickly, at a moment's notice. And, when I looked at how high up the ankle these boots come, I was expecting problems. I was, therefore, very pleasantly surprised when I saw that the boots do not have the usual eyelets for the laces. Instead, there is a very clever arrangement, that means that the boots can be opened wide very easily, and subsequently tightened remarkably quickly:

Magnum-5.jpg


And finally, the water repellent coating. I and Mini RRD did the water test this evening, and as you can see from the photos, there was a very definite running off of water, and my foot was completely dry, despite his best efforts to soak me.

Magnum-2.jpg


Magnum-1.jpg


I would be very interested to know what happens when the boots get scuffed, as they inevitably will. Also, especially considering a recent job I was on, I am interested to find out how they fare with diesel...

So, in summary, as a stout pair of walking boots, a resounding YES. As a work boot for pre-hospital care, definitely not, certainly until the new ones come out, with the steel toe-protectors.

Now, anyone out there want me to review a new car, I'd be happy to oblige - as long as I can keep it!!

8 comments:

  1. My brother currently uses them, and I am sure that the fluid repellent factor is a major consideration in his purchase.

    He's a prison officer, so it must to keep his feet dry if it rains!

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  2. Nice! Shiny! If they need someone to test the fit of their half sizes, I'll volunteer to test the 3 1/2. If they let me keep them ...

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  3. I wonder what they are like to drive in all day? Some boots can feel a bit big and clumsy on dainty little tootsie's like mine when im driving. :0)

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  4. I shelled out for a pair of 'Stealth Force' Magnums, with the composite toe after a couple of pairs of cheap sub-£25 steel toe boots that had been heavy and left me with blisters whenever I wore them for several hours. They're lovely. Soft & comfy but with the sturdy sole and protective toecap I need, I can wear them for 12 hours with no problem. Of course as soon as I knelt down to practice c-spine immobilisation they got scuffed, but I have some waterproiof polish and I hope by applying plenty of polish after each scuffing they'll last a good long time. Even with traditional eyelets instead of the loops you got on the Elite they're easy to open, and little details like a cut to allow the ankle part to flex easily towards the toe make all the difference.

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  5. For my stuff, they would need good ankle support and be tough for walking on Ballast? But they would certianly need toecaps!

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  6. I've used Magnums for a few years now, and have always been impressed. They already have a version with composite plates in, rather than a steel plate. It covers the sole as well as the toe, to prevent puncture from below.

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  7. Try to get a pair of Haix boots, huge difference in feet and durability compared to the Magnums. Also the included front zipper helps speed things up to.

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