Bracing myself against the stairs to attempt to stand up I knew I was in trouble. Little did I know that the ripping feeling in my knee was it dislocating and then going back into place creating a path of damage in my knee. My partner got to me and cut up my pant leg to inspect my knee. Feeling him grab my boot I yelled out “STOP! Don’t cut my boot!”. The pair I was wearing fit perfectly and were broken in just the way I wanted them. This is how seriously I take my boots, after rupturing a ligament in my knee my overriding thought was not having my boot cut. I’m now back walking upright again and did not suffer any damage to those boots. The knee on the other hand is a different story for a different day.

I take boots seriously because they can be the foundation of my shift. They need to provide comfort, flexibility, warmth, protection and the ability to breathe all while maintaining a high level of function. I need to be able to stand, run, jump, stop and start all in one pair of footwear. There is no “hang on let me go out my cross trainers on” or “it’s started to rain let me go put something that’s not going to get my feet soaked on” they have to perform on demand in the moment. The Haix Black Eagle® do just that.

I’m going to let you behind the curtain of the world of reviews for a second. When companies send product for impression, they like a fairly quick turnaround. That shouldn’t really be surprising as they have a lot invested in success and part of marketing is getting your product out to the masses. There are some items that are more intimate though and require a little more time to truly establish a true, honest and art failure opinion on; footwear is one of those things. I received my Haix boots and did a cursory inspection of their construction and style. The boot appeared to be firmly built, stitching was even, the zippers had a smooth glide to them and running my hand along the boot cuff and inside along the tongue found no rough edges or stitching that might prove to be uncomfortable. The smooth toe box is shaped nicely and looks as a uniform boot should. Along the sides the Haix boots break up the smooth strictly business look with some raised lines that give a more athletic appearance while still maintaining a professional appearance. The heel is substantial in feel but not in appearance, it does not give the boot a clunky look yet instills confidence in the ability to lazily kick them off. To be clear I said my boots are important to me, not that I treat them well; quite the opposite. The boots arrive with the standard plethora of tags describing the various features of the boot, of most important note the presence of the Gore-Tex logo lets the water know these boots are ready to get it on. The laces feel sturdy and are the correct length, something that is taken for granted until you find yourself immediately having to replace a pair of laces because they aren’t quite right. What you get is what you need with these as the laces thread though external eyelets that extend from bottom to top. The tongue of the boot is exactly what a boot tongue should be, no less and no more than necessary. The boot tongue can be a source of great annoyance if not correct, this tongue is correct, more on that later. The pull loop, another source of possible frustration falls into the same category as the tongue; it’s exactly as it needs to be. The boot looks great, so what it’s a boot, how does it feel?

If you’ve ever gotten a new pair of boots you know there is normally some sort of break in period. This can range from some discomfort for a few days as things settle to your specific foot or a full-on battle of the sole that claims mass casualties on your footbed, heel and toes. While I did not find the Haix to be completely break in free I did not experience extreme discomfort, it wasn’t even a mild annoyance. If I had to categorize it I would say that there was simply the recognition that it was a new pair of boots. With the boots on for 12 hours at a time that reminder quickly faded and the boots were as they needed to be for my feet. I never developed any hot spots on my heel nor did I ever experience any noticeable levels of discomfort. This boot was probably on my top two easiest break in periods for a new pair of boots. I should note that these boots were worn with the standard insoles, I didn’t go buy any aftermarket gel insoles that may skew the overall thoughts on the boot itself. The boot was true to size, an issue I have found to be lacking in consistency lately. I have always worn a size 13 boot and as of late I have found there to be a large variance in sizing form different manufacturers. The Black Eagles size 13 proved to be a size 13.

Straight to work with these boots it was found that they were going to do everything needed. One of the overlooked parts of footwear is the sole and its ability to perform under multiple surfaces. The Black Eagle sole offers traction across multiple surfaces and can handle transitioning environments well. One of the pitfalls of footwear is finding a boot that you can run through a wet yard and then inside to flooring and still have traction. The Black Eagle boots insure a sure footed grip outside across multiple types of terrain but maintain a sure footing when tasks take you indoors.

As for the waterproofing, its Gore-Tex. I don’t really know what else to day other than, your feet stay dry and they are everything that’s expected from Gore-Tex. My feet have never gotten wet and that’s a reflection of the boot and not my careful stepping nature. Anyone who has worn something Gore-Tex knows that if attention isn’t paid to how it’s incorporated it can get hot inside. While incorporating the best possible water repellent the Black Eagle boots are not overly hot. Haix has a “sun-reflect” feature in the Black Eagle that helps so dissipate heat collection common with black boots. This allows the boot to not retain a significant amount of heat in the summer yet remain warm in the winter. This balance makes the boot a good year round choice.

The boot remains a comfortable wear. The tongue stays in place throughout an entire shift and does not require any adjustment throughout the day. The zipper has remained strong and easy to articulate while remaining in place. The boot zips up tightly but does not constrict or become uncomfortable after long periods of wear. Retaining a slim profile, the Black Eagle fits under uniform pants or jeans and doesn’t cause the pant leg to pile up or get caught at the boot top. Worn with jeans the boot retains all its function without appearing overly tactical in nature.

I was skeptical to do a boot review. I’m very particular and as someone who usually finds a boot and then buys the exact same boot when I wear the first pair out, getting a random pair of boots was a risk. I’m glad I took the challenge as I now know that Haix Black Eagle boots are a pair I won’t let anyone cut off my feet.

Material Disclosure

I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.

*The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Spotter Up Magazine, the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.