I was recently contacted by Magnum, who were looking for some field testers for a brand new, top of the range boot that they are producing.

What they proposed was that they send me a pair of their brand new top of the line Magnum Elite Force 8.0 WPI boots in exchange for me wearing them for a short while and then writing a review on my blog which will then be linked from their own website for their field testers.

I actually get quite alot of offers from companies offering freebies for publicity on the blog, and I have turned all of them down except for the ECG Simulator and this one. I have made the decision that the only things that I will look at or write about are products that I can see have a direct interest to a significant proportion of my readers.

But first the important disclaimer:

The following is the view of a single operational paramedic. It does not in any way, shape or form, show the view point of the North East Ambulance Service and should not be viewed as such. These are my opinions based on my experience of wearing the boots. I cannot compare with any other brands because I have never worn any other boots other than those supplied to me through my work, which just so happen to be Magnum boots also (although not this new model)

Right, now thats over, lets have a look at them:

The first thing to notice when I opened them were that they were the tall ‘military style’ boots. I usually only wear the ankle high boots produced by Magnum (the Patrol), so I was a bit dubious about how comfortable they would be. On getting them out of the box, I immediately noticed how light they were, and when I put them on, I was honestly surprised at how comfortable they felt. The grip on the sole is huge and looks like it will be great to wear when it gets muddy and snowy underfoot.

Now lets get down to the real nitty gritty. They look great, you cant really see from the photo that well, but they are made from various different sections across the upper so that you dont get the usual pinch points across the top of your foot and the front of your ankle when walking. They feel very sturdy and very supportive, and they certainly got approving looks and comments from my colleagues on station.

The unique selling point of this boot though, is the new ‘ion guard’ technology, for which they have just won a prestigious national award for. Without getting technical, this is  a protective film which covers the boot and laces which makes it fluid repellant, not just waterproof. What they claim is that if you are on scene and you get bodily fluids dripping on your boots (theres a pleasant image for you!), it will just bead up on the surface and just run off, thereby removing all contaminents from the boot. It also helps keep the boot clean and free from dirt. It also makes them chemical resistant too.

So lets put that to the test then! Unfortunately I didnt have any blood lying around so I had to go with water:

So, do I get a job on a shopping channel then?…….No, I didnt think so either.

Overall, this boot is one of the best I have seen, and worn,  so far. It is lightweight, looks cool, is cool – i.e. it doesnt make your foot feel like its in a heater, and the Ion Guard feature really does seem to work, and I can easily see how this will prolong the life of the boot and make them keep thier new look for longer.

Further information on these boots and the ion mask technology can soon be found at their new website.

Unfortunately though, I wont be able to wear them for work. The only reason being that it has no reinforced toe cap, which is what our health and saftey people  state is a requirement for our footwear. If it wasnt for that these would be my fab new pair of boots.

So, Dear Mr Magnum, if you fancy sending a pair of these boots over (or similar) with a reinforced toe cap (please!), then I will be more than happy to parade them for you!!

If you are in the market place for a new pair of boots for work, then go and give them a look!