By Alan M. Petrillo
Boot manufacturers have responded to firefighter requests for custom-fitted, more comfortable, yet very protective firefighting boots that are a far cry from the heavy, at times ill-fitting fire boots of decades ago.
The models of fire boots being made by manufacturers cover a wide gamut of styles sized to fit feet large and small, narrow and wide.
Todd Herring, vice president of product innovation and strategy for Fire-Dex, says his company has continually been focused on improving the flexibility, function, weight, and overall protection in its fire boots, especially with its FDXL200 red leather firefighting boot. “Our FDXL200 is an all-leather boot with a removable insole, a Vibram Fire Knight sole, and composite toe and puncture protection that’s so comfortable it’s like wearing running shoes,” Herring says. “The boot is designed with barrier protection to fight against hazardous liquid splashes and with ribbing that eliminates ride-up and maintains a seal with any leg dam, including those containing particulate barriers.” He adds that the boot is compliant with both National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting (2018 ed.), and NFPA 1992, Standard on Liquid Splash-Protective Ensembles and Clothing for Hazardous Materials Emergencies (2018 ed.).
1 Fire-Dex makes the FDXL200 all-leather fire boot with a Vibram Fire Knight sole and composite toe and puncture protection. (Photos 1-2 courtesy of Fire-Dex.)
2 The Fire Flex Warrior fire boot made by Fire-Dex is a cobranded product made exclusively for Municipal Emergency Services.
Fire-Dex makes another version of the FDXL200 with a different upper design, the Fire Flex Warrior, exclusively for Municipal Emergency Services, a nationwide dealer of fire equipment, Herring points out. “This is a cobranded product that uses the same sole and construction as the FDXL200,” he says. “In March of 2024, we will be introducing a new technical rescue and emergency medical services boot whose design uses a combination of leather and fabric to make it as lightweight and breathable as possible. This boot is compliant with both NFPA 1951, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Technical Rescue Incidents (2020 ed.), and NFPA 1999, Standard on Protective Clothing and Ensembles for Emergency Medical Operations (2018 ed.).”
Derrick Mitsch, product line manager for MSA Globe®, says his company’s most popular model is the Supreme™ 14-inch boot. “The combination of Supreme’s cushioned and contoured sole, flexible athletic footwear construction, and the internal fit system makes this boot fit like a pair of sneakers,” Mitsch says. “And, its specially designed and formulated outsole gives the best grip in wet, dry, and ice.” He notes the boot is made of flame-resistant, water-resistant, heavy duty leather, softened in high-flex areas to move with the firefighter. “It has a Heelport™ internal fit system to hold the heel securely and cushion the ankle, composite shank and puncture protection, and a Vibram® toe bumper made of the same compound as the outsole. The boot is compliant with NFPA 1971 and 1992,” he says.
MSA Globe also makes the Supralight® 14-inch fire boot made with Dragonhide® fabric panels in the shaft and flex joints, a highly abrasion-, flame-, and water-resistant fabric, as well as a Predator™ outsole for grip, Mitsch points out. Other fire boots MSA Globe makes include the Technical 10-inch, the Structural 12-inch, the Shadow™ 14-inch, the Onyx® 13-inch, the Proximity 14-inch, the Station/Wildland 10-inch, and the EMS/Wildland 10-inch, he says.
3 MSA Globe’s Supreme fire boot is made of flame-resistant, water-resistant, heavy-duty leather that’s softened in high-flex areas to move with the firefighter. (Photos 3-4 courtesy of MSA Globe.)
4 The MSA Globe Supralight 14-inch fire boot has Dragonhide fabric panels in the shaft, flex joints, and a Predator outsole for grip.
Sandy Longarzo, marketing administration manager of Haix North America Inc., says Haix makes the Fire Eagle Xtreme boot that is compliant with NFPA 1971, NFPA 1951, and NFPA 1990, Standard for Protective Ensembles for Hazardous Materials and CBRN Operations (2022 ed.). She points out that the boot “is designed to be lighter in weight and have a custom lacing system that provides a lot more ankle support. A firefighter adjusts the lacing across the top of the arch; then the top part across the shaft; and, once set, it’s done. The laces are locked in, so the firefighter simply pulls on the boot and pulls a handle to tighten the shaft.”
5 Haix makes the Fire Eagle Xtreme boot that’s designed to be lighter in weight and with a custom lacing system to provide more ankle support. (Photos 5-6 courtesy of Haix North America Inc.)
6 Haix also makes the Fire Eagle Air fire boot.
She says the Fire Eagle Extreme is made of a durable bullhide leather, has a slip-resistant and puncture-resistant sole, Xtreme toe and metatarsal protection, and a lightweight and roomy composite toe cap. “The Gore® CROSSTECH® inner liner offers impenetrable protection from chemicals, blood, and body fluids,” Longarzo adds, “and a soft, close-fitting cuff keeps out debris and contaminants.” Haix also makes the Fire Eagle Air that meets NFPA 1971 and NFPA 1990, the Fire Hunter Xtreme, the Fire Hero Xtreme, and the Fire Hunter Pro boots.
Liberty Malenich, product market manager of essentials, helmets, boots, gloves, and hoods for Lion, says Lion is the exclusive sales and marketing distributor partner of Thorogood fire boots, marketed as Lion by Thorogood fire boots. “The two primary products are both leather fire boots,” Malenich says. “These are the Knockdown Elite, a 14-inch leather boot with a CROSSTECH triple-layer moisture barrier that protects against bloodborne pathogens; a leather upper with an abrasion-resisting rubber toe and heel protection; a removable dual-density polyurethane insole; and a Lenzi L-Protection® exible (ductile), nonmetallic, puncture-resisting insole.”
7 The Knockdown Elite 14-inch fire boot is made by Thorogood and marketed by Lion as the Lion by Thorogood fire boot. (Photos 7-8 courtesy of Lion and Thorogood.)
8 The QR14 Lion by Thorogood fire boot is the company’s best-selling fire boot.
The other model, says Bob Theriot, contract product specialist for Thorogood, is the QR14, which he calls the company’s most popular model. Theriot notes the QR14 also has the CROSSTECH moisture barrier, a waterproof and cut-resistant leather upper, an abrasion-resistant rubber toe, a steel triple-rib ladder shank, and a proprietary traction flex outsole. Theriot adds the QR14 is compliant with NFPA 1971. Other Lion by Thorogood boots include the Hellfire™ Kevlar® Insulated boot, the Hellfire Felt Insulated boot, and the Station 1™ EMS and Wildland boot that is compliant with NFPA 1992 and NFPA 1977, Standard on Protective Clothing and Equipment for Wildland Fire Fighting and Urban Interface Fire Fighting (2022 ed.).
ALAN M. PETRILLO is a Tucson, Arizona-based journalist, the author of three novels and five nonfiction books, and a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board. He served 22 years with the Verdoy (NY) Fire Department, including in the position of chief.
