Field Test: Magnum Precision Ultra Lite II Work Boot

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Aggregates producers all over the country wake up every morning and lace up their work boots before heading to the quarry. It’s a ritual and a tradition. When you are tromping around a quarry all day, operating a machine or crawling around screening towers, you better have maximum comfort.LC-BOOTS-400

I agreed to field test a pair of Magnum Precision Ultra Lite II Work Boots by Magnum Essential Equipment during my visit to Prairie Material’s Lowell Quarry in Indiana (see page 16.) Here is my report.

Magnum Essential Equipment has its historical beginnings with a company called Hi Tec, which founded Hi-Tec Magnum, a division that evolved as a result of a demand from the FBI training center at Quantico, Va., for lightweight, athletically built black tactical boots. Until this point the agents were wearing the Hi-Tec Sierra Lite Hiking boot but the request came for an all-black, high-top version with a shineable toe, giving birth to the original tactical boot constructed using sports shoe materials. In 2001, Hi-Tec Magnum officially separated from Hi-Tec to become the stand-alone company Magnum Essential Equipment.

According to promotional literature from the company, “This hard-working boot features a durable leather upper with gusseted tongue and i-shield treatment as an added barrier against water and oil. An ASTM-rated composite safety toe and electrical hazard protection offer peace of mind. The M-P.A.C.T contoured footbed with memory foam wicks moisture and absorbs shock. The slip-resistant, flexible rubber sole with toe traction, heel brake zones and ladder grips of the Magnum Precision Ultra Lite II utility boot delivers a confident footing with every step.”

The boots also feature Ortholite footbeds, which provide highly resilient support and cushioning for much longer than conventional footbeds. Ortholite quality footbeds utilize a foam material crafted from an open-cell polyurethane layer which has been proven to retain 95 percent of its cushioning after the first year, Ortholite’s open-cell foam is also lightweight and breathable, allowing air to pass through the shoe and excess heat and moisture to escape for cool comfort. Treated with an environmentally friendly biocide, Ortholite footbeds are also anti-microbial.

Okay that sounds good, but does it pan out where the rubber meets the road in a quarry environment?

Certainly when you lace these babies up, they feel light, yet durable. I took the opportunity to walk over uneven terrain, stand on the side of stockpiles and berms, and move in and around the processing plant, and I always felt like I was getting maximum performance with sufficient ankle support and good traction.

Probably the best feature is that I didn’t feel like they needed that uncomfortable breaking-in period typical of an industrial grade boot.

All Magnum footwear is backed by a one-year warranty and a 60-Day Comfort Guarantee.

That’s my story and I am sticking to it.

Check out more at: http://us.magnumboots.com.

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