Stepping Out On The Town

(No Ratings Yet)

STEP-big

Ladies, Pay Attention.

Fashion isn’t everything — or so they say. It must be true because comfort, cost and reliability seem to be just as important. It’s okay though, because we can have it all. When it comes to uniforms there isn’t much room to build your runway outfit, and you don’t get to accessorize, but at the very least you get to pick your shoes. Most departments have a long list of authorized pants too. Now you can spend your almost nonexistent clothing allowance, if you still get one, on some great gear that works as hard as you do.

Many of today’s options for lady cops (plug your ears, gents) fuse style and cutting-edge technology. Long gone are the days of having to buy boots and pants in the men’s section. Now you don’t have to figure out the female conversion, or settle for ill-fitting gear. Some of the ladies still love the fit of the men’s pants, and don’t get me wrong, there are a couple of good boots in the men’s section. Good news though, they’re building more and more over in the ladies shoes arena. Now, you can enjoy the female cuts or keep to the tradition of the male standards. The tables are turning and they have doubled the options. It sounded too good to be true, so I checked some out.

With all this new tailoring for the shape of the female foot, we do get to keep a bunch of great existing perks working on the male foot. I’m happy to see the side zipper is here to stay. Antimicrobial lining is a necessity for the boys, and a perk for the girls. I have to say one of my new favorites in the extras department is the washable boots. I can reduce the lead in my house, not to mention limit the long list of contaminants I bring as a “gift” to my family (a bonus from working with and for the public).

Since the range in my area is run by the mustache-wearing fashionistas (AKA: motivated sheriffs) in tan and green, I have to have a couple boot options in suede when I teach. They said something about uniformity, or maybe it was the need to be color-coordinated? Either way, when my smartphone tells me it’s going to be over 105 degrees, the last thing I want to do is put on a black boot.

Oh, and guys? If you got this far, do us a favor and pass this issue along to a fellow female-type cop so she can give it a read. Gotta’ help your partners, right?

The Original SWAT Chase has the ever-popular side zipper that actually works as promised.

Original SWAT

The Original SWAT Chase is in my lineup of suede. I rocked the 9″ version for the added stability. I need it as sometimes I get “in my own way,” which is code for I’m just clumsy. The boot is still lightweight, though. It comes in their low maintenance suede, and I love the ability to wipe down a boot. It makes a great desert boot, keeping my feet as cool as can be expected in the heat and sand. They have these great magic ribbed athletic laces that stay put, so I can use my beloved side zipper and not have to worry about retying these once I find the right tie. The bootie inside, coupled with the lush sole, made for a very comfy platform I can stand on for as long as I’m lucky enough to be on the range. Original SWAT understands shoes are something to be very picky about. So 2-way free shipping becomes quite convenient but, trust me, you won’t want to send these back.

Here, Aimee puts her BLACHKAWK! Lightweight Tactical Pants
through a hard 2 days at Gunsite. They worked.

BLACKHAWK!’s Tall Tanto Globetrotter has a great shock
absorber, and it’s not just for basketball.

BLACKHAWK!

Our friends from BLACKHAWK! make a great desert boot, because you can’t have just one tan boot. The Tall Tanto doesn’t come in a “women’s” size, but order them 1.5 sizes down and you’ll do just fine. The sole is made with Vibram Globetrotter shock absorber. I couldn’t play basketball in them, but I’m chalking that up to operator error. The boot could probably do it because it makes a great shock absorber. The sole wraps around, making these shoes darn near waterproof. So when I did get them wet, they dried quicker than anything else I was wearing. I learned real quickly in the Marine Corps dry feet are happy feet, and these boots make my feet happy!

Danner’s Women’s Striker Torrent GTX shows this company’s long experience
in boot making, with excellence in quality immediately obvious.

Danner

Danner has been making boots longer than any cop I know has been working. They are vested in name and reliability. Danner’s Women’s Striker Torrent GTX is a perfect hybrid of tradition and modern style. The Striker Torrent is infused with TFX-8 technology. I have no idea what this science code actually means, but by my translation it means an amazingly comfy, light boot. As a leather fan, I appreciate the full leather upper. As a fan of being cool, I love the GORE-TEX blend. This mid-rise gives me all the support without so much weight. Every cop needs a squared away, great-looking duty boot. Danner has always been one of the spit-shine kings! So if you’re serving on special details for officer funerals, carrying a flag, trying to get promoted or simply have a military standard of uniform excellence, Danner helps you rise to the occasion.

Magnum’s Stealth Force 8.0 was designed for women, from the bottom up.
Can you say clean slate?

Magnum

For the Stealth Force 8.0, Magnum went to great lengths to ensure we had a women’s-specific “last.” Last isn’t where Magnum fell in step in this boot review, it’s a foot model to mold the boot around during design. So, they are definitely not a small “men’s boot” — it’s all about us girls. They are also in the waterproof category, which is a necessity even in urban terrain. These boots have a zero break-in period, meaning they are great right out of the box. This boot is super light, and I’m thankful for the 8″ upper to help keep me steady if I was out late the night before!

Rocky’s Women’s Duty TMC is sort of a dual-duty Chukka,
from tac pants to dress pants, it works.

Rocky

Let’s depart from the usual trends and make a slight deviation. For me, taller is better when it comes to boots. It may be my lack of coordination, tall boots just make me feel safer. I also recognize there are times (like summer) when you just don’t want to deal with taller leather boots. I was looking for something different, aside from what all the cool kids were wearing, when I came across the Rocky Women’s Duty TMC. I’ve never worn a chukka boot on-duty before, but I came to find out postmen have been wearing them forever. I didn’t think the postmen in California ever got out of their boxy delivery vechicles. I like the shorter ankle height and the aggressive sole can give any of the uber-tactical boots a run for their money. I also think I can get them spit-shine color guard ready.

Under Armour’s Valsetz easily bridges the gap between
a sneaker and a boot. Comfy is a good word here.

Under Armour Valsetz

Last but certainly not least, I went on the search of arguably the most coveted boot on the market right now — the elusive Under Armour Valsetz. These bad boys are a fashion staple, right up there with your go-to black slacks or favorite jeans. These boots are so lightweight they make my running shoes want to go on a diet. You can upgrade to the side zipper, but with the speed-lacing shanks it isn’t really necessary. Under Armour made these on their performance shoe platform, and these boots do perform. Wear them on-duty, then shopping or whatever, they can handle it all. The wraparound sole picks up where the average sport shoe would leave off. With the high shock absorbency soles, your feet will think they are wearing sneakers. This comfort mentality runs all the way up your shin, as the super-squishy tongue feels like you’re getting a boot hug. Which is good, even if you’re not a hugger.

Women’s Tru-Spec 24/7 Ripstop Pants get the job done while looking
better than just a way to get pockets for gear.

Tru-Spec Pants

If you’re looking for lightweight options or you just want to try something new, try the Womens Tru-Spec 24/7 Ripstop Pants. These are my new go-to pants. They have the perfect number of pockets, and all those perfect pockets are billowed with Velcro. No more of those flappy pockets looking like wings when you take all the stuff out. If you don’t like to carry a ton of stuff all the time, they lay perfectly flat. I love the comfort fit slider waistband on these. They give you a little wiggle room to move around. These pants sit slightly lower on a gal’s waist than the men’s version, but the cut is completely appropriate for uniformed law enforcement. If you’re like editor Suzi and you prefer a higher waist (Mom jean fit?), the men’s version may be a better option. The women’s run pretty true to size.

BLACKHAWK!’s Women’s Lightweight Tactical Pants are unique in that a woman can
finally order these like the boys have been doing for years. The length is
perfect right off the shelf, because you specify it yourself.
better than just a way to get pockets for gear.

BLACKHAWK! Again

The Women’s Lightweight Tactical Pants from our friends at BLACKHAWK! are what you’d expect from this company. From the reinforced knees, to ripstop, they can handle all those tough moving maneuvers and more. They have the adjustable waistband with built-in “forgiveness” I’ve come to love. And these pants have the most pockets I’ve ever seen. From the double back pockets, to the cargo pockets with hidden zipper side pockets, there’s a place for everything. If you can’t fit it in these pants you shouldn’t be carrying it! These amazing pants come spec-ordered, just like the boys versions. You don’t have to be just short, average, or tall — you can pick your inseam. There’s no need to have anything tailored, you can wear these right off the shelf. One more thing someone should have thought of a long time ago, these pants come with a stay-put ridge to keep your shirt from coming untucked.
By Aimee Grant