TACTICAL RESEARCH Mini-Mil TR102 8” Minimalist

Best boots I've worn. I've tried 100 different boots. These are straight foot power. Opposite of Rocky's or Lowa's.

I don't normally write product reviews, but after my most recent hunt, these boots earned it. TLDR: buy the dang boots, you probably won't regret it. The fact you're even looking at them probably means you already need them. I recently spent about 12.5 hours on the Makaha ridgeline carrying a 40-pound pack and a 9-pound rifle. The route covered roughly 2.4 miles horizontally while gaining and losing approximately 2,365 feet of elevation. The terrain was rocky and punishing for virtually the entire trek. There were steep climbs, steep descents, and long stretches of scrambling over uneven rock. The majority of these rocks were 3 feet in height or more and had to be mantled, while many of the rock faces were 9 feet or higher and required scaling to continue along the route. The path was rarely more than 2 to 3 feet wide and, in some places, narrowed to about a foot wide. Several sections had drop-offs ranging from a few hundred feet to nearly 1,000 feet. What impressed me most about the TR102 wasn't the traction, although the traction was excellent. It was the stability. Even carrying a loaded pack and rifle, the shoes felt planted and predictable. I never felt the shoe shifting under my foot or doing anything that made me question my footing. Weight transfer felt natural, with near-zero shift under load, foot placement felt precise, and I found myself focusing on the route rather than worrying about my footing. The single biggest benefit of these shoes is the ground feel. I feel exactly what is underneath my feet. Every minute detail, every rock, every pebble, loose dirt, sand, any change in terrain is transmitted through the sole, which allows for precise foot placement and a greater awareness of the surface beneath me. Maybe I'm just a nerd but I love that feedback to my brain. I harvested a goat during the hunt and packed approximately 40 pounds of meat off the mountain. Even with the additional weight, the shoes continued to feel stable and secure the entire 2.4 mile trek back to my vehicle. What surprised me most was the complete lack of foot fatigue. After 12.5 hours of climbing, descending, scrambling, and carrying weight through technical terrain, my legs were tired, but my feet were not. The TR102 is my first minimalist shoe. I've been wearing them for about a year now, but this was my first hunt in them. I also skipped Belleville's suggested one-week transition period and went straight to wearing them full-time when I first bought them. Looking back, that probably wasn't the smartest idea, but I experienced very little discomfort during the adjustment period. Outside of hunting, I work security and spend a lot of time on my feet. These shoes always get me through entire shifts without pain or fatigue, and I've worked double shifts in them without any issues. Between daily wear, long shifts at work, and now a 12.5-hour hunt on the Makaha ridgeline with a loaded pack, these shoes have exceeded my expectations. If you're considering the TR102 and wondering whether minimalist footwear can handle demanding terrain and long days on your feet, my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. Final note, the tread life on these boots is incredible. The photos were taken after a year of hard use and abuse. If I could change one thing, it would be the coating on the leather. A more durable finish would make an already excellent boot even better. The weight is another huge advantage. I sometimes forget I'm wearing them, and then when I switch back to regular boots, my body immediately reminds me of the difference. Definitely worth every penny.

Getting the size right with these boots is very frustrating. There's lots of reviews saying to order 0.5 size or even a full size larger. I went up only 0.5 size, and the boot ended up way to large! Specifically they fit super wide (and yes, I ordered the Regular width). Belleville needs to do a better job of communicating to customers how these boots actually fit. I would not recommend anyone buy these boots online, as your chances of getting the right size the first time are pretty low. If you can't try them on in a brick-and-mortar store, save yourself the trouble and buy a different brand of boots.

1 month update- these are my go-to boots- honestly one of my favorites. They are not Gore-tex, and it looks like the vendor fixed the title, but they are extremely water resistant. Everything I noted in the initial review still stands, but sometimes you like something despite the flaws! I would love a true Gore-tex boot, and I would love a better fit, but for what it's worth, this is one of my favorite boots for outdoor adventure. ************** I bought the TR101 and TR103 as well in order to compare them. The natural colors have vents in the instep which would make them NOT as waterproof as this boot, if that is a concern. Also the natural colors are made with a roughed up, unpolished leather which creates a rough surface on the inside of the boot. This makes them feel a LOT less comfortable than the polished leather. Now over time, I am sure that the inside would polish itself with wear. However, I am interested in a waterproof boot, and the black boot not having the vents made it a shoe-in. ;) (I talked to a few people that wear Govt Issue for work, and they said that the black polished boots always hold up longer. My guess is that the black boots also use a higher quality leather? This would explain the slightly higher ratings you see here on Amazon.) But, a representative for the company said that all three styles, the TR101, TR102, and TR103 all use the same exact boot mold. So any differences between them come down to materials used. As for fit. It does feel minimal, and it is VERY lightweight, which is a plus. It does not fit like the Merrell or NewBalance Barefoot shoes, it fits decidedly like a boot. When the laces are snugged enough to cut off circulation, there are pockets of fabric that hang loose- mostly in the ankle area. This allows the ankle to slop around a bit. If you lightly kick at something, your toe will contact the end of the boot, it doesn't fit well enough to hold the boot to the foot. Also, the leather heel calls it quits about halfway up the ankle and transitions to fabric, so I can feel the seam carving at the ankle during full articulation. Perhaps this is the heel discomfort many are talking about? Dunno. I have full grain cowboy boots that articulate better and feel better in the ankle, so there has to be a more elegant solution. Anyway, we take away one star for not being Goretex as advertised, not fitting great, but overall not bad, and as I mentioned, wicked light and the only outdoor rated barefoot boot I know of in this price range.

Let me start off by saying I have EXTREMELY FLAT FEET. I have worn over 20 different types of combat boots in my career in the military and in law enforcement. I have worn Solomon, Bates, Belleville, Rocky, Nike, and many more different brands. But this boot is by far one of the most comfortable and healthy for my feet. It truly is a minimalist style boot and if you have gone your entire life wearing boots and shoes that have giant soles, you may want to take it easy with this boot. There will most likely be a a weeks where your calves may be sore or your achilles tendon may be hurting due to your calf muscles being worked much harder than they used to be, but eventually your calves and feet will become stronger and these boots will become very comfortable. I have noticed for myself, that I could be on my feet for a much longer period of time without having my feet and knees becoming sore and thats mainly due to the boot allowing your feet to naturally do their job. The toe box is also worth mentioning that it is very wide. I do not ever feet like my toes are being squished, they always feel like I have ample room to move my toes around in the front of the boot. As for the build quality, the boot is actually pretty tough and doesnt fall apart easily at all. The only issue I have had regarding wear and tear of the boot is the black coating on the leather has already started to peel off where the boot bends. The laces are very strong and do not rip or wear out. They are speed laced. Another minor issue that I have had is the leather finish is not very friendly to polish. I have noticed that after polishing these boots, the shine seems to wear off a lot faster that other boots I have shined (and I have shined many many boots). I believe this is due to the black finish on the leather (like i mentioned it cracks and peels off at the creases). In conclusion, this is a fantastic boot, and although it has its cosmetic flaws with the finish, the boot is strong and holds up even though how thin and light it is. This is the only military/law enforcement minimalist type boot I have seen on the market and it truly lives up to its expectations. I wish more companies made boots like this.