All posts tagged Waterproof boots

Original Swat Boots, Warranties, product diversity and price points

Original Swat BootsFootwear in this industry is probable one of the largest parts of the market, we could probable triple our footwear product line just based on what people are wearing, locally.  Bates, Danners, 5.11 Tactical Footwear, Under Armor, Rockies and on and on.   Some need an all leather boot, others are concerned about safety toe, and most are under the impression that means steel toe, well, in our industry, it’s to prevent bad guys from stomping on your feet, stretchers from falling on your toes, and many in corrections or airport security are going to want to composite safety toe boots so they don’t activate metal detectors.   We have found over the years that we can’t accommodate everyone with just one product line, but the majority of our customers are very happy with our footwear selection.

We’ve often found, recently, the some of the most stable and best quality control comes from the companies that own their own factories and aren’t constantly outsourcing to different 3rd world Countries for manufacturing, 5.11 Tactical is notorious for this.  Original Swat Boots are all made in the same factory and they ever have probable or need to increase production, they make their decision on their own so there are rarely long delays in getting backordered items.  It was only this year that a strike by the Port Authority in California caused shortages but that seems to have cleared up.   Check out  our website or stop in our store because we are a full line stocking Pennsylvania dealer for Original Swat Footwear.

Top

Original Swat Footwear Company boots, if it fits and it’s comfortable wear it!

Original Swat BootsWe knew awhile ago that if we want to cater to our customers  as much as possible from, pants, shirts and footwear, we’re probable going to have to bring in several name brand products to be able to accommodate.   One of the things we noticed in this industry is that sometimes companies can try to do too much and should really stick to what they are good at and offer good warranties and customer service.  We’ve seen plenty of companies that make clothing get into making Flashlights and other Law Enforcement gear but we tend to not jump on board with those because why carry much other than Streamlight and Surefire Flashlights when dealing with Emergency Services and Military and Law Enforcement?  When it comes to footwear, it’s different world and we have never found a company that will work for everyone so we pick and choose our footwear companies carefully.

We’ve done wear tests with a ton of the Original Swat Footwear Company and truth be told, it didn’t work for everyone, but if we can pick a brand that works for most people in this field of work, Original Swat Boots usually get the job done.   There are always changes being made to their product line and sometimes production changes that people don’t notice, but the previous complaints about some of the issues with the boot zippers breaking has been addressed and we have the new designs coming in almost weekly, granted not everyone had issues with breakage but I assume the factory hear it enough to improve the zipper tab.   We have been testing out some of the Under Armour Footwear as well as Bates Boots, 5.11 tactical footwear, but our customers often have their price points that they are willing to spend and some footwear companies only offer 30 day warranties and if there are issues, you’re screwed, Original Swat Mens boots and Womens boots all come with a 1yr factory warranty and Free Shipping.

Top

People with bad feet might want to look into wearing these Original Swat Boots

original swat bootsI’ve had bad feet for several years, including years of treatments and then 2 surgeries on the same foot.   The year after the last surgery I had my sales rep walk in and show me the Original Swat footwear companies tactical footwear line.   Several Employees and I got free stuff and instantly love the feel of the boots.  I was instantly won over with the style 1232 boots that had a bubble on the bottom that gave extra shock support.   Many Police Officers and even school security like the Style 1261 boots because they are a lower cut boot with the same foot support.   These boots are very light and the biggest shock was how well priced they are.   We have a  lot of Police Officers come in here on their clothing allowances and are always pinching pennies trying to squeeze as much of their duty or tactical gear into that budget.

These boots are polishable and there are composite toe and waterproof boots.  Along with the extra foot support are the 1234 Original Swat boots that are almost identical to the 1232 but are waterproof.  I usually get about 9 months out of them before I feel the support start to go but these boots are worn 7 days a week because I needed the support to get through a work week.   I’ve had customers tell me they’ve gotten 2yrs out of them.  This year there will  be a lower 5 inch waterproof boot which is something many of our customers have been asking us for. We also have some really good blowout sales on the Original Swat footwear line from styles that were discontinued after newly improved designs came out.

Top

Original Swat Footwear have you heard of them before?

We have been stocking the Original Swat footwear products for almost 3yrs now and have put in 3yrs of running the Atlantic City Police and Security Expo for them.  It’s nice to get positive feedback from customers about a product year after year and this past year was the most successful.  When the customer base grows and they keep coming back, you know you’re doing something right.  These tactical boots keep getting lighter and lighter and it’s always fun to see someones face the first time they pick them up.   The Original Swat style 1232 are my favorite because the air cushion that it has really gives you more support.  I’ve got worn down feet and I can really tell when the sole of a boot or shoe is giving in.
After spending about $20 per month on replacing Doctor Scholls for my feet the costs of having sneakers that were light, but lost support really started to add up.   I picked up a different kind of gel insert that supposedly has a 2yr warranty, but we shall see,  the lightest tactical boots that we have right now are the Original Swat Chase low series.  These are available in Black and Tan.   If you compare this product line to most of what you see at Cabel’s or Dick’s Sporting goods, you’re probable dealing with atleast a 40% lighter boot.  That really means something to a Police Officer or  an Operator.

 

Top

Original Swat at the Atlantic City Police and Security Expo

We will once again be attending the Atlantic City Police and Security Expo for Original Swat Footwear.  We have been very happy to attend this shows because as a vendor, it’s a great way to learn about the product and understand what people are looking for.   When we first started carrying the Original Swat footwear, it wasn’t because we knew they were the best it was because we need to carry a footwear line to diversify our product line and the first thing that jumped out at us is the boots were not all that expensive.  From a dealer standpoint we didn’t want to start off with footwear that cost us $250 a boot that sold for $300 and then find out nobody wanted it.

Well, we made a great decision and we have had very few complaints for the footwear and out of the hundreds we sold only 3 have come back with issues.  We did notice that Original Swat Boots gave us a broad selection of footwear that covered everything from the new Athletic Chase Low footwear and the Classic 9″ boots that can be had in a lace up or the 1152 side zip boots.  There are composite toe and composite shank boots and there is no need for steel toe anymore.  The Waterproof tactical boots have been a big win for our customers that work in the EMS.

Top

Do zippers fail?

There was a  lot of discussion in the past about how to secure accessories ect. in shirts and pants and some people really wanted zippers on their tactical shirts.   Most of the 5.11 tactical shirts that we have used in the past were velcro, but velcro is loud and if you are in a situation where you have to be covert, velcro is really loud.   The first version of the Woolrich Elite tactical shirts we saw which were basically an improvement over much of 5.11 tacticals tactical clothing was, was received very well.   There were some pocket variations that people didn’t like that 5.11 still had a edge over, but zippers on shirts was better received.

The Woolrich Elite 4910 was the discreet carry pant and there were suppose to be hidden zippers on the side, but they were not hidden very well and I honestly would not recommend stowing a firearm in a pocket that is zippered shut.   I have yet to have a zipper fail, but some people that have used boots did not like zippers.  The Original Swat boots have tactical boots that can be zip up or lace up.   I think the majority of our customer base prefer zip up and only one person that I have met really complained about boot zippers failing on them.  It kind of reminds me of all of the people that I knew that had card doors that were bent because they always slammed them shut on an angle.  I think those are the ones with zipper issues.

Top

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.

Top

The Atlantic City Police and Security Expo

We will be attending the Atlantic City Police and Security Expo for Original Swat footwear and this will be our 2nd time attending the event.  It’s always nice to work at these conventions because we get to meet our customer base and learn about new products.   There are always new products coming out and slight production changes.   Nobody designs the perfect product in a Laboratory, the perfect product usually comes after it is fielded and then customer feedback and design improvements take place.   Just look at the number of F15 fighter planes we have and also the changes that have taken place.  You can make a nice design, but there can always be application differences that can broaden your product line.

Nobody in the Security field wants to wear steel toe boots, considering how so many locations will have metal detectors you can’t be setting off all of the beeps every time you take a BG through.   The Classic 9″ safety toe from Original Swat boots has a composite toe that gives you the same protection.  Other options are the Air 5″ and the Classic 9″ light safety toe.   It’s not common to have boots that are lighter than the old steel toe boots but still give you protection like the Air 5″ boots give you.   There are many more products that we will be having on display at the Police and Security Expo.

Top

The hard part about ordering tactical gear and accessories

I recently got into a conversation with an old timer in our area that talked about the good old days where gun shops and hunting stores had everything you needed. Now you gotta drive an hour or more to find a decent gun shop and most of the time you’ll find disorganized merchandise and even unpriced items with knowledge lacking individuals.   I remember taking a trek to a shop looking for an LWRC upper and the guy tried to sell me an LWRC upper receiver for $1700 and told me that they were hard to get.   I stopped at another shop and ordered the exact same one from another dealer for $1200.   Sometimes knowing what you are looking for, holding it in your hands and knowing  you like it before you buy gets consumer confidence going.

Ordering gun parts and tactical gear and accessories is no different.   We sell an awful lot of clothing and many of our customers show fear of ordering until they hear a voice on the other side of the computer monitor.   We can do quick searches on the internet and find out that some of the top responses are companies with over 300 complaints by  the better business bureau.   Tactical gear and accessories like Original Swat boots and tactical pants are big sellers but people want to hold them in their hands or try them on their feet first.   Now that we have a retail store it’s nice to have people stop in and know they got what they came for.   Unfortunately there is still the need for people to try stuff on and the internet hasn’t killed every business.

Top

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.

Top
Page 1 of 1