In my summer ventures to the mountains of Wyoming and Montana, I experienced all four seasons in a week. Literally we had rain, cold, wind and snow about 100 miles northeast of Cody. Once Mother Nature was done throwing all this nasty weather at us, it got high desert hot.At altitudes of over 3000ft; the air is clear and dry and the sun is bright and hot. If you are going hiking, sightseeing or shooting you need supportive shoes with an aggressive sole without a waterproof liner.
Several years ago my choice would have been BLACKHAWK’s Light Assault Boot. This boot was a practically perfect boot for hot dry conditions with its Cordura upper and Vibram Multi-sport sole; this boot was a tank. Fortunately BLACKHAWK has come out with a new boot, the Trident 6” Ultralite.
With a name like Trident (the Navy SEAL badge), I suspected this was a tough boot. It is available in black or coyote in men’s sizes 5.5 to 14 with a MSRP of $129.95. I chose coyote because black would show the dust from the mountain trails.
Like previous BLACKHAWK boots, the Trident Ultralite uses 600 denier Cordura. This material is lightweight and durable. Unlike its heavier cousin 1000 denier, 600 denier Cordura is flexible and breathable. This helps to keep your feet from sweating and the Agion lining prevents foot and boot odor. Nylon by itself is not very supportive, so the Trident is reinforced with rough out leather. It wraps the body of the foot and heel for maximum support without additional weight.
Support is further increased with the NATO Speedlace System. This system uses the leather reinforcement to cinch up the boot at key locations like the lower portion of the foot arch and around the heel. When you snug up the laces, the boot feels like it is part of your foot. The gusseted tongue also helps keep your foot secure when wearing the Trident loosely laced by keeping your foot in the boot.
Once BLACKHAWK ensured the Trident was supportive, the boot had to give you cushioning. This was accomplished by using Phylon for the midsole. Phylon is compressed EVA pellets that are heated and cooled in a mold to give a precise fit to the upper and outsole.
Comfort is further increased by using Ortholite for the insole. Ortholite is open cell foam that compresses barely 5% over the life of the insole. Combing the Ortholite insole with the Phylon outsole you should not have tried feet or an aching back at the end of the trail or shooting match.
When out on the trail or range we want a comfortable boot and one that gives good traction. The multi-dimensional tread clears debris and grips even on wet grass or muddy clay. The outsole rolls up the toe and up the angled heel. This gives you traction at toe off and when descending a slope. The angled heel allows your foot to roll and stay in contact with the ground where a boxed outsole may not give you traction on a slope with loose dirt or gravel. This is a feature that is generally found on high end hiking boots not boots with a $129.95.
BLACKHAWK’S footwear team packed the Trident Ultralite Boots with loads of features. These features make this boot ideal for hiking, hunting and competitive shooting when it’s hot and dry. If you get caught in a summer cloudburst they do dry fairly quickly. Quality footwear like the Trident Ultralite Boot will make your ventures more enjoyable by reducing strain on your feet, legs and low back. This definitely will help you stay safe and have fun
