MAGNUM Boots launched navy blue PATRIOT versions of their ULTIMA uniform boots aimed at French Police and Gendarmerie at MiliPol 2023, reports Bob Morrison.
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Initially suggested by a French Police officer, who reckoned a navy blue boot would look smarter when worn with regulation blue police uniforms, the European wing of MAGNUM took a gamble and commissioned two production batches of blue 6-inch and 8-inch ULTIMA PRO RC PATRIOT boots to see if the concept had legs… only for one of their specialist dealers to immediately snap up the lot for their Gendarmerie clients. Based on this response, these two boots have now become available as part of the COLLECTION FRANCE 2024 range but should there be sufficient demand from other European ‘blue light’ customers they could become more widely available.
Introduced in 2021, MAGNUM’s ULTIMA Collection was the company’s first foray into producing environmentally-friendly and sustainable footwear using uppers fabric made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Both 6.0 (i.e. Low) and 8.0 (i.e. Mid) ULTIMA uniform footwear models, the latter with a YKK side zip for speedy donning and doffing, are available in sizes from UK4 to UK13 and as these waterproof membrane boots qualify as vegan they have also proved popular with those in the uniform services who prefer not to wear leather.
Tested and certified as work shoes to European Standards (EN ISO 20347: 2012 OB E FO HRO HI CI WR AN) the navy blue PATRIOT models have a MICHELIN carbon rubber outsole (rather than the MAGNUM sole usually found on the ULTIMA) with lateral stability studs for running and the heel is spatulated to make vehicle driving easier. Both heel and toe areas are protected from abrasion and the collar and tongue are well-padded for comfort. Produced in standard EU35 to EU48 sizes for both models, the PATRIOT 6.0 boot measures 12cm and weighs 450g for EU42 and the PATRIOT 8.0 side-zip boot measures 17cm and weighs 535g for EU42.
These MAGNUM PATRIOT models are so hot off the last that I have not been able to try them yet, but as I have worn MAGNUM police and military boots on and off for 25 years of the brand’s 40 year history (and indeed the only trainers I own are an old black pair of the type produced by MAGNUM for a UK MoD contract over a decade ago) I am quite confident they will be comfortable and durable.
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