Garmont T8 NFS 670

The Garmont T8 NFS 670 is the boot most active-duty Army and Air Force personnel actually buy with their own money once they decide the issued boots are a mistake. At 525 grams per half pair (about 18.5 oz per boot), it is among the lightest 8-inch tactical boots that still passes AR 670-1 and AFI 36-2903 inspection.

The upper uses 1.8mm suede leather and breathable polyester inserts. There is no waterproof membrane, which sounds like a deficiency until you realize that for hot, dry, garrison and field environments, an unlined boot dries in hours instead of days. The Ortholite Ultra footbed delivers genuine cushion that does not pack out in the first month, and Garmont's "Zero Optical" ball-bearing lacing system reduces friction so you can crank the laces tight at the ankle without sawing through the eyestays.

This is the right boot for ranges, schools, garrison, formations, and warm-weather deployments. It is the wrong boot for cold, wet, mountain, or rocky scree environments where you need waterproofing and a torsion-controlled chassis. If those are your problems, look at the Quest 4D or Lowa Zephyr instead. For everyone else, this is the high-ROI buy that replaces issued cardboard.