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Magnum Panther 8.0 Leather/Nylon
£70.95
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Alt-Berg Warrior Mk.II, MoD Brown
£149.95
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Alt-Berg Bergen Scout Boot, MOD Brown
£189.95 were £209.95
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Air Cadet Glider Scholarship Wings
£2.95 were £3.45
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Quality Price Value Great boots for the cost!
I bought these boots when I first started Cadets over 2 years ago and have yet to have any problems with them.
They are comfortable to wear and offer good ankle support, furthermore you should be able to get a decent shine on them.
The only minor problem I have with them is that they can get damp quite easily due to the nylon panels on the sides, fortunately they are quite quick to dry.
Overall these are great boots for the price and I would definitely recommend them. -
Quality Price Value Excellent Lightweight Boots
Over the years I have had many pairs of Classic boots. They are lightweight, comfortable, hard-wearing and versatile with good ankle support and take very little time to break in. I would recommend these for duty and casual wear. -
Price Value Quality Great for casual use
WAT Burgess, you serious?
Magnum is owned by Hi-Tec, and you can really feel the trainer in them. The rubber sole is soft. The leather is soft. The textile sides are soft.
These boots are ideal for wearing on the range, around the unit, or as a 'sensible shoes' option. If this is what you want, you will find a great pair of boots in these. They wear out the box as if they are already broken in, and allow a lot of flexibility in ankle movement. I would not recommend them for much else in cadets for the following reasons:
The instep at the heel is too small. You will not be allowed on an obstacle course with these by anyone who was paying attention on their OCS qualification, since you need the instep to be able to offer enough grip on some surfaces.
The softness of the sole is prone to wearing through after about 200 miles on concrete. That may depend on a number of other factors (your weight, your gait, etc) but I've know several pairs to perish during a task while they were needed. Panic not, gaffer tape saw the day through in every case.
As well as durability, I've know people with magnums during road marching to be more prone to bruising, and blisters on the heel and ball of the foot. I'd put this down to a higher percentage of force being transferred to the foot during a pace, rather than being absorbed by a tougher material.
The softness of the leather means you don't get a lot of ankle support. If you're after comfort in day-to-day wear, I'd recommend these. They are exceptionally light! But if you want something to see you through many miles of concrete, a pair of issue lightweight assault boots will still be going strong long after these have given up the ghost. -
Price Value Quality Very comfortable and tough
I wore these magnums for the 2015 Nijmegen marches as well as all of the training, they were always very comfortable and they still are. They have given me no trouble so far and they are still going strong.
Cdt Sgt Miller, South & East Midlands wing Nijmegen team -
Price Value Quality Absolutely FANTASTIC!!
I first bought these boots when I started with my local Air Cadet unit, and started wearing them regularly on parades to break them in. For just dossing about the squadron or going away on camp they were perfectly fine, but the time they really came into their element was when I walked the Nijmegen 100 mile route march, with the Surrey Wing Nijmegen Team not once but twice in the same pair of boots.
On their specs they claim to be waterproof-ish and it really is an ish as anything deeper than the sole will get wet, but will dry out quickly. The sole construction is great in the way it holds together and didn't wear out throughout any of the training or the marches themselves. Even before they were perfectly moulded to my feet they were comfortable straight from the off, I did pay slightly less for mine, but that's because I bought them with cadet discount at my local Millets otherwise the price is pretty reasonable for such a great pair of boots!!
Yes, there are more expensive boots out there and if you're willing to pay that bit extra, then by all means go for a nice pair of Lowa's or Alt-Bergs with the Vibram Sole or Gore-Texing, but nothing will beat the Magnum Classic for reliability and durability.
After an unexpected growth spurt in my feet my Magnum Classics no longer for but my current boots are a pair of Robusta's and yes they're good, but they're only really for one purpose, and after walking my 3rd Nijmegen last year they have suffered a bit, just goes to show that the cheaper end of the market build boots that are designed to last longer...!
