My Magnum Elite Desert boots finally died recently, split along the sole my toe was sticking out… they were very comfy boots but from the off seemed more like a high leg trainer than a combat boot.
They served their purpose for 2 years but had a significant number of flaws. So I looked around for a replacement pair of mid season boots. (I’ve got a pair of Lowa Combat boots for the winter and wet months.)
I looked at various brands, but with one expensive pair of boots and Magnums not really having impressed me, I looked elsewhere…. I was after a pair of light, mid season, high leg, desert tan (I like tan boots) at a reasonable price. Research then, was based on price, but also quality.
I saw that one of the newer companies tendering to the British army was YDS, so I looked at their boots and searched around the net. Reviews on the army forums seemed favourable and the price on the Polmil site was good.
The boots I looked at were the ‘Oasis’ and seemed similar to the Magnums, but the sole was injection moulded to the upper, hence, hopefully avoiding the issues with Magnums.
I received the boots which arrived very quickly and efficiently from Polmil.
Fit:
The large box arrived in only 4 days from the UK.. They were delivered with an extra insole which was supposed to reduce the size by about half a size. I felt the boots (without this insole) came up on the big side, a stark contrast from the Lowas which are about half a size under the stated. I ordered size 11 and they were a big size 11, where as the Lowa’s were a size 11.5 and were less generous.
The Magnums at size 46 European were given as size 12 on the boots. They fitted fine and were very comfortable.
Comfort:
Out of the box the YDS “Oasis” felt a bit stiff, and for the first few hours continued to feel so. After a certain break in period I felt the boots adapt to my feet and henceforth felt pretty comfortable. No hot spots, nowhere rubbed and with the insole added the padding was good.
The Lowa’s felt stiff and tight for a certain period too, were as the Magnums were like slipper out o the box.
After a month the boots are very comfy and fit just fine.
Build quality:
While they don’t compare to the Lowa’s, which just ooze quality, the general aspect is very good. I’m not sure their style is very trendy, as they have the aspect of a cheaper work boot. They certainly don’t compare on the style front to Magnums, Mendl or Lowa.
But they seem very well made. All stitching looks strong and neat. The materials look to be good quality. The sole looks very solid and if their blurb is to be believed the injection molding makes it very solid. Only time will tell. This though is the flaw that killed my Magnums. While their upper and sole were fine, the sole just came away, rendering the boot useless.
I’ve read some bad reports on the rind of the Lowa’s too, so I’ll let everyone know in time how these boots fair.
First impressions are that they are quite water proof, and the suede stays clean even in dirty conditions. My main gripe initially with the Magnum Elite’s was that a first walk through wet grass left my feet wet and the boots badly stained.
These seem to fair much better. Two fishing trips in damp conditions saw my feet remain dry and the suede, once dried out showed no signs of staining.
As they are a desert boot though, they are not very warm… a cold night soon sees the feet get cold… but I suppose as they are designed for summer with a Cool Max lining this is a plus!!
I like the lace system better than both the Lowas and the Magnums… The Lowas have the hook type eyelets.. a speed lace system. I don’t like that… it leaves the laces trailing over the floor when your boots are off and is a pain to tie as some of the hooks need the lace placed correctly or it flicks out…
The Magnum system didn’t tighten properly which meant after each level the lacing loosened and made a good well tigtened boot difficult to achieve.
The YDS though has a locking system that grips the lace at each level and makes a well laced boot a piece of cake…
The Sole:
Both the other boots had Vibram soles… I know this is the nec plus ultra in boot soles, but as the sole came away on the Magnums I reserve judgment on the necessity of the brand.
The injection sole should avoid this problem, but naturally makes resoling, as with the Lowas impossible. I don’t however expect the boots to last past one sole life.
These soles certainly don’t seem to lack grip or appear less robust. I expect wear to be very good.
Conclusion:
So far I’ve extremely pleased with these boots. The price at around £ 75 is very good. They quality seems to be up there with more expensive and well known brands. They are comfortable, look and feel pretty hard wearing.
That the brand was chosen along with more prestigious brands like Lowa, Haix and Altberg to supply the British armed forces doesn’t surprise me. YDS boast to being one of the largest boot makers in Europe, and while they lack the cred of their German competitors, their product seems to be of good quality at a lesser price.
cheers
Gareth
They served their purpose for 2 years but had a significant number of flaws. So I looked around for a replacement pair of mid season boots. (I’ve got a pair of Lowa Combat boots for the winter and wet months.)
I looked at various brands, but with one expensive pair of boots and Magnums not really having impressed me, I looked elsewhere…. I was after a pair of light, mid season, high leg, desert tan (I like tan boots) at a reasonable price. Research then, was based on price, but also quality.
I saw that one of the newer companies tendering to the British army was YDS, so I looked at their boots and searched around the net. Reviews on the army forums seemed favourable and the price on the Polmil site was good.
The boots I looked at were the ‘Oasis’ and seemed similar to the Magnums, but the sole was injection moulded to the upper, hence, hopefully avoiding the issues with Magnums.
I received the boots which arrived very quickly and efficiently from Polmil.
Fit:
The large box arrived in only 4 days from the UK.. They were delivered with an extra insole which was supposed to reduce the size by about half a size. I felt the boots (without this insole) came up on the big side, a stark contrast from the Lowas which are about half a size under the stated. I ordered size 11 and they were a big size 11, where as the Lowa’s were a size 11.5 and were less generous.
The Magnums at size 46 European were given as size 12 on the boots. They fitted fine and were very comfortable.
Comfort:
Out of the box the YDS “Oasis” felt a bit stiff, and for the first few hours continued to feel so. After a certain break in period I felt the boots adapt to my feet and henceforth felt pretty comfortable. No hot spots, nowhere rubbed and with the insole added the padding was good.
The Lowa’s felt stiff and tight for a certain period too, were as the Magnums were like slipper out o the box.
After a month the boots are very comfy and fit just fine.
Build quality:
While they don’t compare to the Lowa’s, which just ooze quality, the general aspect is very good. I’m not sure their style is very trendy, as they have the aspect of a cheaper work boot. They certainly don’t compare on the style front to Magnums, Mendl or Lowa.
But they seem very well made. All stitching looks strong and neat. The materials look to be good quality. The sole looks very solid and if their blurb is to be believed the injection molding makes it very solid. Only time will tell. This though is the flaw that killed my Magnums. While their upper and sole were fine, the sole just came away, rendering the boot useless.
I’ve read some bad reports on the rind of the Lowa’s too, so I’ll let everyone know in time how these boots fair.
First impressions are that they are quite water proof, and the suede stays clean even in dirty conditions. My main gripe initially with the Magnum Elite’s was that a first walk through wet grass left my feet wet and the boots badly stained.
These seem to fair much better. Two fishing trips in damp conditions saw my feet remain dry and the suede, once dried out showed no signs of staining.
As they are a desert boot though, they are not very warm… a cold night soon sees the feet get cold… but I suppose as they are designed for summer with a Cool Max lining this is a plus!!
I like the lace system better than both the Lowas and the Magnums… The Lowas have the hook type eyelets.. a speed lace system. I don’t like that… it leaves the laces trailing over the floor when your boots are off and is a pain to tie as some of the hooks need the lace placed correctly or it flicks out…
The Magnum system didn’t tighten properly which meant after each level the lacing loosened and made a good well tigtened boot difficult to achieve.
The YDS though has a locking system that grips the lace at each level and makes a well laced boot a piece of cake…
The Sole:
Both the other boots had Vibram soles… I know this is the nec plus ultra in boot soles, but as the sole came away on the Magnums I reserve judgment on the necessity of the brand.
The injection sole should avoid this problem, but naturally makes resoling, as with the Lowas impossible. I don’t however expect the boots to last past one sole life.
These soles certainly don’t seem to lack grip or appear less robust. I expect wear to be very good.
Conclusion:
So far I’ve extremely pleased with these boots. The price at around £ 75 is very good. They quality seems to be up there with more expensive and well known brands. They are comfortable, look and feel pretty hard wearing.
That the brand was chosen along with more prestigious brands like Lowa, Haix and Altberg to supply the British armed forces doesn’t surprise me. YDS boast to being one of the largest boot makers in Europe, and while they lack the cred of their German competitors, their product seems to be of good quality at a lesser price.
cheers
Gareth
Last edited:
