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Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Rocky AlphaForce boots > Owner Review by Zach WahrerRocky
AlphaForce Zipper Boots By: Zach Wahrer
Name: Zach Wahrer
Age: 25 Gender: Male Height: 5' 10” (1.8 m) Weight: 155 lb (70 kg) Email: wolfstamme@gmail.com City, State, Country: Dublin, Texas, USA
I have
been hiking and camping ever since I was a young child, seriously
backpacking for over a year and growing increasingly interested in
mountaineering. I also rock climb. Right now I mostly do three day,
two night weekend trips with my wife and two dogs for conditioning
with a bigger climb thrown in every so often. I generally carry a
heavy pack and seek the steepest terrain possible in order to train
for trips to big mountains. I have mostly been backpacking in hot
weather, but am also seeking some cold weather experience.
Product Information: Manufacturer: Rocky Brands Inc
Year Purchased: 2007 Manufacturer's Website: http://www.rockyboots.com Manufacturer's Listed Weight: Not listed on website Measured Weight: 3.4 lb (1.5 kg) for the pair Size tested: 10M Widths Available: Medium, Wide Sizes Available: Men's 7-11 including 1/2 sizes, 12-14. Colors Available: Black MSRP: $99.99
Product Description: These
Rocky 8" Zipper AlphaForce Boots are marketed as duty boots and are
made primarily of black
leather, featuring black 1000 denier nylon in the areas not comprised of leather. They are
waterproof and have a heavy duty 7” (18 cm) zipper on the inner
side of the boot with a double snap flap that prevents the zipper
from unzipping while in use. Behind the zipper there is a gusset made
of some type of
stretchy, waterproof material that keeps water from entering the
boot, but allows the inner side of the boot to be expanded for
quicker, easier footwear changes. Most of the stitching on the boot is
double stitched, with only two exceptions: on the inner edge of flap
for the laces (which is just a hem anyway) and the top edge of the
zipper gusset (also just a hem).
The boots, per side, feature eight shoe-lace eyes and one riveted “D” at the ankle. Round laces come with the boots. The sole is made of molded EVA with a rubber outsole. It features an aggressive tread pattern that is labeled as “Non Marking”, “Slip Resistant”, and “Oil Resistant”. The “Rocky” logo is placed on the tongue, sole, and heel of the boot. Insoles are made of foam and are 1” (2.5 cm) thick at the heel. Boots are marked “Made in China”. Field Information: I originally
bought the Rocky AlphaForce boots to use them for training in
preparation to enlisting in the military, hoping to get something
close to the boots currently in use by the Army. As such, my initial
use was road and trail marching of which I did probably close to 75
miles (121 km) with a 60 lb (27 kg) pack over the span of three
months. My longest trip was a 10 mile (16 km) road march (Logan Co.,
Ohio) with a 30 lb (13.6 kg) pack on hilly terrain in sunny
conditions of about 80 degrees F (26 degrees C). I also used the
boots in cold conditions for a 6 mile (9.6 km) winter training hike
(Old Mans Cave, Ohio) with a 50 lb (22.6 kg) pack over hilly, hard
pack trails in temperatures around 30 degrees F (-1 degrees C).
Comfort during these uses was excellent, even with the quick marching
on hard surfaces (roads, hard pack trails, etc.).
After my plan for joining the Army fell through, I became more interested in backpacking and mountaineering. I continued using these boots for backpacking and general hiking, finding them an excellent choice for both. I use them on every climb we take. 11 miles (17.7 km) on the Lonestar Trail in Sam Houston National Forest, mainly flat, well established trail with temperatures in the 70 degree F (21 degree C) range with some rain and a 51 lb (23 kg) pack. 9 miles (14.5 km) over 3 days in Dinosaur Valley State Park, TX, on rocky, steep trails with temperatures in the 90 degree F (32 degree C) range with a 50 lb (22.7 kg) pack. On this trip we crossed a river a few times and the waterproofing kept the water out all the way up to the 8” (20 cm) mark. 14 miles (22.5 km) over 3 days at Colorado Bend State Park, TX on rocky, steep trails and some off trail hiking through scrub and cactus with temperatures in the 90 degree F (32 degree C) range and a 42 lb (19 kg) pack. Never got stuck by any of the cactus (prickly pear) plus the 8” (20 cm) height came in nice when not on trail in the form of at least some protection from possible snakes and tough plants. 5 miles (8 km) over 2 days at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, OK, on steep, rocky trails and also scrambling and bouldering with temperatures in the 90 degree F (32 degree C) range and a 42 lb (19 kg) pack. We climbed Elk Mountain (2270 ft., 692 m) which has approximately 600 ft (183 m) of vertical gain on a mile (1.6 km) long trail. The boots did very well, giving me excellent traction on steep boulders and hills. I haven't used the boots extensively in snow, but have walked around in a few Ohio winters in them with excellent results. The waterproofing kept my feet dry and the tread pattern on the sole seems to work well. With a good pair of socks they seem to be decently insulated. I wouldn't want to wear them in sub-zero weather, because the times I did wear them in the snow, I was just on the edge of comfort with maximum insulation and the temperatures were just slightly below freezing.   Summary:
Overall, these have been
excellent boots for hiking and climbing, even though I don't think
they were designed with that use in mind. They broke in fairly quick,
with only minimal blistering (probably more from wearing cotton socks
than the boots themselves). They have held up very well over the two
years I have owned them and they seem like they will give me many
more years of use. They are extremely comfortable on long, rocky
hikes and the waterproofing allows me to slog through anything less
than 8” (20 cm) deep without worrying I'm gonna get squishy feet.
The zipper makes taking them off after a tiring day of hiking a quick
and easy affair. The one downfall of this boot is the fact that they
don't breathe well. I don't have excessively sweaty feet, but the
boots seem to hold in all the moisture. Wool socks seem to help keep
the moisture away from my feet a bit better, but it's still not
ideal. Other than that (and it's something I can deal with), they are
excellent boots for traction, comfort, durability, and style.
Read more reviews of Rocky Shoes and Boots gear Read more gear reviews by Zach Wahrer Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Rocky AlphaForce boots > Owner Review by Zach Wahrer | ||||||
