All posts tagged Leather boots

Water proof size zip boots from Original Swat

This past week we worked with the company Original Swat and part of our experience at the Police and Security Expo was to learn about the product line.   There were several new colors and styles that aren’t even on the Original Swat website yet and many of our customers were ordering them.   We definitely noticed there were the more popular sizes and we also learned a lot about the competition and what people wanted someone else to make.   Original Swat got a lot of feedback about the Waterproof boots especially the zip up waterproof 1234.   Some people don’t like zippers because they seem to think they won’t hold up, but that isn’t something I’ve ever seen be a problem.

The only issue with the waterproof boots with the zipper was that some people said it felt like there was something rubbing them in the inside of the boot.   One thing that you do  have to remember with footwear is that there is a break in period.   People seem to forget that when they put on something like Original Swat boots that there is a  lot of flexing that needs to take place for the boots to adjust to someones foot.  Whenever I’ve put on sneakers, I’ve had little sore spots at the top of my feet until the footwear flexed.    The real thing to remember is boots are for support and protection, and if you don’t need all of that support, go with some type of shoe.

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After Action report at Atlantic City

We got a lot of feed back from people we ran into at the Police and Security Expo in Atlantic City, New Jersey.   There was a lot more foot traffic this year than previous years which was somewhat shocking considering the bad economy.   One of the best things about selling the Original Swat footwear was the price points.   From what many of the customers have told us, they spend sometimes 3xs as much money on boots for 3 times as much weight.

The Original Swat 1232 have a air cushion in the sole and that were by far the biggest seller.   The other thing people like about that style is that it has a side-zip and that it was light.   Original Swat boots has a 1 year guarantee on their footwear and this is a great thing for a dealer to deal with.  If there is a factory flaw and the boots come apart. You will just need to send in your receipt and Original Swat will replace the boots.

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The cost of everything is going up, but some things are worth it

We have been hit with various price increases over recent weeks related to shipping costs and clothing.  There have been some pretty big price increase on clothing due to production costs and cotton shortages.   We are guessing that there will be price increases on the clothing in 2011 more than once because even our manufacturers don’t know what the forecast is going to be.   We are still crossing our fingers hoping that Eotac has not gone away for good and something will eventually emerge from it.   We just got notice of a price increase coming from some of our footwear suppliers and its probable the same old gear.
Raising prices in an economic downturn tends to not work very well for us, but we have notice a trend away from certain product lines and increases in others.  Sometimes an economic slow down means you have to spent your money wisely because there isn’t any room for waste.   Original Swat boots are well made and even though we have not been selling them for very long, I’ll tell you that as of today, we have only gotten 2 complaints about production issues and the Company took care of both issues for us and the customers have been happy. we’ve sold over 1000  pairs of boots this year and that’s less than a percentage point in customer dissatisfaction.   If you are spending $50-$ 70 on a pair of boots and getting your money’s worth, it’s worth the money.

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Atlantic City Police and Security Expo

Join us next month as we will be representing the Original Swat footwear company and the Atlantic City Police and Security Expo.    We had a very successful event at the New York Tactical Operations convention last month and we moved a lot of inventory.   It’s always good to work events like this to get product feedback and to see what customers are asking for.   There are always slight modifications a manufacturer can do after a product has been fielded for awhile and there have been some minor changes in the time period we have been dealers for the Original Swat boots.   One of the nice things about carrying this line of footwear is that it is not all tactical looking.  The SEK900sz and is considered to be the cadillac of the line.   The all leather boots are very supportive of the ankle and great for kicking in doors.

The less tactical looking Metro traction boots feel  more like sneakers and less like boots but have a very street friendly sole.   It’s important to know that your footwear can handle certain surfaces.   The Dress Oxford boots go great with a uniform and even for those in the CCW world, it’s good to know that you can still move quickly without slide across surfaces.   You can not run well at all with dress shoes and anyone that has taken a defensive training course knows that movement is extremely important.  Original Swat boots will be sold at the Atlantic City show at extreme discounts to Law Enforcement so stop by if you get the chance and say hello.

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Sneakers aren’t going to cut it so don’t try

Another recent event at a local Carbine training event gave me another perspective on seeing novice weekend warriors show up at a class for the first time.  Besides the usual guys that have gear fall off, magazines fly all over the place, guns break, scopes come loose, pants tear.   I saw a guy try and shoot a course in a pair of sneakers.   I know that sometimes people think that being able to move fast is important, and it is, but not having good foot support is really bad.   Unless you have no intentions of having to run around very fast, sneakers are good for you, but i’ve seen so many twisted ankles and stumbling that I would never take a class with anything but boots.   I have a couple old steel toe relics in my closet, I haven’t used them very much, but they are so hardly worn that I can’t thrown them away.

The tactical footwear that I have the most experience with to date is the Original Swat footwear.   I’m not going to boast that they are the best boots out there, but they were well within my price range and I have not been disappointed by them yet.   I am presently wearing 3 kinds of Original Swat boots and I still hate it when I have situations where I can not wear them.  Considering how much weight I am sometimes asked to carry around, I really don’t feel the stress on my feets since I’ve been wearing the Original Swat Air 9″ 1232 boots.   After about 8 months of wearing them I did feel the support begin to wear out, but that’s 8 hard months of work for less than $100.   I could have saved money on some medical bills if i would have been wearing these years before.

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