The latest evolution of the ALTBERG Tabbing Boot will shortly be available and we have just received a preview pair for evaluation, writes Bob Morrison.
~
Developed from the Yorkshire bootmaker’s classic Sneeker model, remodelled in 2008 on the more asymmetric AForme last designed by the company’s Master Bootmaker, the Tabbing Boot is a full leather (except for the tongue gusset) lightweight military boot aimed specifically at the highly active soldier who expects to cover a lot of ground on their feet. Most readers will probably know that in British Army, and especially Parachute Regiment, parlance a TAB is a Tactical Advance to Battle (i.e. what Royal Marine Commandos would term a yomp) and it is for precisely this use that ALTBERG were encouraged by military clients to create their Tabbing Boot model.
This latest (MK-3) version, in UK MoD Brown Nida leather, has a redesigned heel cup shape to make it a snugger fit and the production versions will have a colour-coded Defender sole rather than the black Vibram sole fitted to my early sample but other than this and the redesigned heel it is virtually identical to the earlier model. I do not have a pair of older design brown leather Tabbing Boots on my footwear rack but I still have a pair of second generation suede Desert Tabbing boots which have the original heel design so I snapped these alongside to give readers an idea of the difference. Next time you see these new boots they should be in much less pristine condition.
[© Bob Morrison]
NB: AForme is a Registered Trademark belonging to ALTBERG
Update: an SF-MK3 NO HOOKS version with closed eyelets will be available in early 2023.
[images © Bob Morrison]
~
Pingback : LOWA R-8 GTX Thermo ~ CWW Boot Preview | Joint Forces News