Best Rocky Tactical (military and police duty) boots – TOP 3
Rocky – one of the favorite brands (and hand-down one of the best) of tactical boots out there. This guide on best Rocky tactical and duty boots is also one of the first we ever complied back in the days when SoleLabz was just starting out, so this is something like 18th update
Anyway, the last 5 or 6 updates have seen no change at the top, with the C4T dominating.
Spots 2 and 3 have seen boots bouncing in and out – the S2V is there most of the time as the runner-up or third best rated. The 8 inches Alpha Force is a stable top 5 Rocky but it’s bouncing in and out of the top 3 (most of the time switching places with other versions of the S2V, and there are dozen a dime, each better than the next one).
But enough about what was and getting back to what is…
Rocky tactical boots – TOP 3 best rated
| Picture | Model | Rating |
|---|---|---|
 | Rocky S2v | 92 / 100 |
 | Rocky C4T | 90 / 100 |
 | Rocky Alpha Force | 88 / 100 |
So, there we go, these are the top-rated Rocky boots on the market today. Let’s move on to the individual reviews to see what makes them so good…
Review of 8 Inch S2v – the best Rocky duty boot
Fact sheet as provided by Rocky:
- Materials – suede leather for the upper(triple-stitching) , hardened rubber for the sole
- Measures – shaft top arch is 9” and the heel is 1.5”
- Ankle support – roll stop sole pattern
- AR 670 1 compliant
- New technologies that allow the air to circulate in and out (they call it sieve tech.)
- Sole stitched to the uppers all the way round
- Flame resistant (coating of ptfe)
- Lining – moisture wicking (tri-lex)
- Shanks – fiberglass
The PROS – parts of the positive reviews:
- By far the most comfortable boot I have ever worn and I’ve worn dozens, and it’s right out of the box…
- This Rocky is great, snug fit that doesn’t compromise movement…
- A very comfortable boot with a great traction…
- I have ankle problems since high-school and volleyball and this is the only boot that does it for me in terms of support. The foot stays in place and the heel moves with it even on steep descents. If ankles are your concern, it doesn’t get any getter than this…
- For years I would just save money by going with whatever standard issue I can get my hands on, and then I tried the Rockies S2V and there was no going back. After 3 months I’ll say that I don’t regret the dime, I was wrong all along for compromising my foot health by thinking they’re all the same (boots)…
- This is my second pair of these. Before them I wore a few 5.11s and Bellevilles and nothing compares to this boot, especially having the price in mind. It’s great value for money…
- I am wearing tactical boots for work for almost a decade now and the only other time I had this feeling of quality and the perfect balance between support and comfort was with the Danner Acadia, but that boot costs twice as much…
- This is one strong and durable pair of boots, they’ve now taken over 6 months the abuse of being on asphalt and scorching sun for 7-10 hours a day 6 days a week, without giving in or structurally changing in any way…
- It’s an eye-turner, very well designed and crafted; I get compliments of these Rockies ever since I received them…
The CONs – what customers didn’t like:
- I was so excited about these after reading all the rave of the reviews but it wasn’t a joyride breaking these in, they felt like a new boot for weeks…
- This is a hot boot, know that if you are considering it, not as well-ventilated as their fancy technology terms would indicate.
Ratings of the S2v
Review of C4T – 2nd best rated Rocky duty boot
The fact sheet (basic info):
- A combo of leather and fabric
- Sole – rubber
- Measurements: arch to shaft 7 inches, heel approx. 1.5 inches, platform 1 “
- Resistant to water and fast drying
- NATO hooks, speed eyelets
- Laces – 550 cord
Excerpts from the positive review of the Rocky c4t:
- I guess it’s time I said a few words about these since I’m on my 3rd pair. I’ve put these through a range of duty stuff, anything from light office days to heavy rucking and they are one tough nut. I get about 2.5-3 years out of these while I typically got about a year and a half out of any Danners, Nikes or 5.11 I used to wear
- Two best pair of tactical duty boots for my need out there, the Under Armour Speed Freek and these boots. The difference is – the Freek Costs twice as much…
- I got the C4T in desert sand color two years ago and I stuck with Rocky ever since, there’s simple nothing out there that matches price to quality balance…
- I used these for FOB and convoy duty and I am very pleased…pair it with the right smartwool socks and you’ll never see a blister in your life, I don’t care if you’re hiking the Appalachian or running across rocky fields of Afghanistan…I did both…
- Surprisingly light. I was looking for a proper supportive duty boot and I got it. I was expecting it to be heavier and tougher on the skin but these hit the sweet spot. I’ll definitely get them again…
- These excel both as an ever-day boot and as a duty boot, they adjust and cradle my feet and I think I found the boot for me. Time will tell if they’re as durable as people claim in the reviews
- They’re not waterproof, but unlike other similar boots I owned (like the Danner Tachyon) they go great with spray on water-proofer
- It’s been a year and they practically didn’t change a bit. I’m pleasantly surprised by the durability, having in mind how light this boot is…
The not-so-positive reviews:
- The glue at the toe area started coming apart after only a few weeks…
- The fit is too tight, I had to return these and go a size larger…
- If you have extra-wide feet trust me, save your money and get something else. These cut the circulation to my feet and when I wanted to replace them I realized they were out of stock in the wide versions…
- They don’t cope well with snow and ice, they pretty much loose all the traction Rocky is bragging about in the advertising
- These run small, if you are going with these make sure you read the reviews and opt-in for half, maybe even a full size larger boot
Ratings of the C4T
Rocky Alpha Force 8 inch – details and user reviews
What Rocky is saying about the Alpha Force 8:
- Materials – textile (Denier Nylon 1000) and leather (full grain) upper, rubber soles
- Water-resistant
- Slip and oil-resistance, molded EVA & rubber outsole (RigiTac technology)
- Side-zipper for convenience
What users are saying in their reviews of the boot – PROs:
There are two main reasons I choose this Rocky over Danner and Under Armour, the feel (which is not something you can describe until you try these on) and the price
- They look so cool and aggressive; they’re a talking point since I got them. I love the aggressive design, the soles look like the threads of a tire…
- Well-made, you can feel the quality of the materials and the stitching right out of the box
- I got this Rocky as a duty boot and they are pretty good for the price, it’s especially important for me that they hold shine well when needed…
- This is a heavy-duty tactical boot, well-made, sturdy, durable and 100% waterproof…
- I used to be a Danner man if you will until I started developing a stabbing ankle pain so I decided to read reviews and shop around. I wound up with these and the support for the ankle is at a whole other level, the pain is slowly subsiding…
- I’ve been struggling with Plantar Fasciitis for years and I needed something with good arch support or it was 20-30% more investment in a good gel-insole. These do the job without the need to buy or add anything else…
- If there’s a perfect motorcycle boot, this is the one. Great on the road, solid traction even in oily and dusty conditions. They’re also a good winter boot, very warm and dry. So far I can’t find anything to complain about…
- I love these, the break-in time practically doesn’t exist, they are comfortable the same day
- This is my second pair of the Alpha Force. It’s been 5 years since I got my first pair and they are the kind of boots that make you forget about looking around for anything else
- I wanted to save some money so I got these. Honestly I didn’t expect the boot to be this well made, it’s the best 100 bucks I’ve spent this year…
- One great winter boot, great traction and very warm. During the summer, my feet are reasonably cool. Until getting these I had a summer and a winter boot…enter Rocky Alpha…
CONS:
- A nice boot but a ridiculously short lace, it doesn’t even make any sense. I had to get better laces at a local store…
- I got these in 12 regular and they felt too snug so I replaced them for a wide. I just received it today and it feels practically the same. Now, I’m going through a hassle of returning this for an extra wide…
- The sole on mine started separating the first week…
- This is a good boot but it runs narrow, so keep that in mind if ordering online
Ratings of the Alpha Force
A little something about Rocky – the company
Initially known as Rocky Shoes & Boots, the company is now called Rocky Brands Inc.
Found it 1932 in Ohio by two brothers, William and Mike Brooks, it got a long way from being a small-time work and western footwear to be one of the best known brands of tactical, military and duty boots. The headquarters of the company is, however, still in Nelsonville where the whole story started.
Very nostalgic and American of Rocky, we’ll give them that.
Mike Brooks was running things (as the CEO) for decades before deciding to turn the baton over to David Sharp, the chief operating officer in June of 2011. You can read more about the transition here.
What’s relevant for us here at SoleLabz is that Rocky continues to make great tactical and duty boots and we always feel a certain turmoil when we have to leave out all those S2V models out of the top 3.
Bottom Line, we like Rocky and it’s one of the most loved brands around the office and when we do get to test some of their models it’s always a battle.
About the guide and the reviews of the best Rocky tac boots
Our readers know the ropes, but we want to leave the Sole Labz newbies with a few simple takeaways – the information we present here about tactical shoes in all of our guides and categories is:
- Reliable and tested, proven over time in a statistical model that’s tweaked dangerously close to perfection
- The reviews and ratings are up-do date – we get back to each guide every two months and although we don’t buy and review new tactical boots every two months, people online do and they share what they find in their reviews.
- We take those reviews, run them through our statistical model and come up with new ratings in each of the quality categories
Bottom line – we take all the guesswork away and leave you with “bone-dry” reliable information.
We’ll keep doing it. Choose smart and be safe,
Sole Labz team
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