If you’ve ever worked a tough job, 10 or more hours on your feet, hauling, grinding, or patrolling away, you can appreciate what difference your favorite pair of work boots make. It’s quite the wonder, then, to take a look back at where footwear for laborers started and its evolution through the ages.
Around the 16th century, sabots were the common “protective” footwear for steel workers and the like, all the way up through the Industrial Revolution. The word sabotage originated from the known act of workers’ throwing a sabot into factory machinery, in order to shut down production.
However, as you can imagine, wooden sabots were protective only to a degree and mobility was gravely compromised. Leather boots came out on the rise but without any real protective qualities, protective toe components became the compromise to satisfy performance capability and safety.
Seeing how far work footwear has come over the years, we are proud to be part of the newest generation of footwear innovators. From space-age material SuperFabric® to world-reknown Vibram® soles, we will continue to outfit the hardest working people with the hardest working boots.
You’ve probably heard the expression “work like a dog” and we want to shed some light on some of the hardest workers, with four legs. Working dogs are all around us, from airport security to disaster rescue missions, canines are more than just a wonderful companion. They are an integral part of making human society function at its best.
Canines trained for bomb detection in combat or military zones have a 98% success rate in detecting such dangers. Many dogs who have experienced war often go home with their partner and have been known to help military and law enforcement veterans with PTSD symptoms. (Learn more about our friend Joe Locus, veteran police officer who’s service dog, Jinky, fills this enormous role in Joe’s struggle with PTSD. You can follow the resilient pair here.)
Police dogs are an integral part of many law enforcement departments and these dogs walk the Thin Blue Line alongside our men and women of the badge. From taking down suspects on a tiring chase to detecting and locating drugs and other contraband, these upstanding canines require intensive training. Off the job, many of these canines are family dogs and enjoy time off duty like any officer should.
Search and Rescue canines play a critical role in locating those in need where humans cannot easily traverse. Four legs come in handy when climbing through piles of rubble or scaling steep slopes off the beaten trail to find a missing person.
Farm dogs also put in a serious days’ work. Herding, especially, requires sharp attention span, masterful execution of commands, and all the while, staying quick on their feet to avoid getting trampled. But farm dogs can be much more than an expert cattle or sheep herder. Guard dogs act as patrol and keep predators at bay.
Whatever the task, canines are always pushing the limits, eager to deliver and please. It’s an infectious attitude and we should all learn a little bit from these paw-somely relentless spirits.
Boot laces are a critical part of all-day comfort and continuing performance. With proper gussets, laces gives you the unique fit you require; the last touch that give you a ‘custom’ feel. But as we all know, lacing to get that exact fit can take time. Configuring the snugness takes some trial and error to dial it in and undoing your intricate ‘custom’ lacing every time you remove your boots, means starting over again each time.
That’s why we introduced the MFT100-Z and MFT100-ZS, our side-zip models, to get the best of a ‘custom’ fit without the hassle of lacing up every time the mission calls for action. Lace up your pair to fit your exact needs; essentially now because of the side-zip, you can set it and forget it. Also, 2% of the sales from these models go to help support a national program to thanking law enforcement officers around the country, learn more here.
A real-life test of our boots came during the behemoth that is known as SHOT Show. Thousands of square feet of show floor featuring firearms, Personal Protective Equipment, tactical gear, and more. So when you're about to put in close to 10 plus miles in a single work day, here's a real-world testimony of the ALTAI™ Difference from PoliceOne.com reviewer, Nikki Lawson. [Hint: side-zips also make going through security at the airport a breeze!]
If your job has you constantly jumping into action, or if you have a penchant for nifty conveniences, our tall and short side-zip models will ‘fill those shoes.’ See our current side-zip models at our online store.
For those of you who prefer a lacing-only model, learn more about the best lacing technique.
Our nine-year old hero, Tyler Carach, aka, The Donut Boy, continues to persist on his goal of thanking every cop in America with a donut. Beginning his journey last with a simple act of thanking four officers at a rest stop with donuts, Tyler and his family have come a long way in just about a year.
A couple weeks ago, Tyler met up with the one and only, Staten Island Police Department! Again, the lovely folks at Dunkin’ Donuts donated 1,000 donuts in thanking the NYPD serving the Staten Island area. Another big surprise that should make this entire journey pretty memorable: Tyler got to throw the first pitch at Staten Island’s Yankee’s game. Watch out MLB; this kid’s got heart.
Later on in Maryland, the Carach family continued their journey to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Edgewood precinct. Tyler’s act of gratitude was especially meaningful since this department experienced two deputies killed in the line of duty in the winter of 2016, who made the ultimate sacrifice to serve and protect.
After many more stops and many, many more donuts, this week, Tyler and his family arrived safely at home after a long and grueling road trip. Back in Florida for now, but there are certainly more trips for the future.
Want to contribute? Learn about our 2 For The Blue program which donates 2% of sales on specific styles of our boots to Tyler’s cause or donate directly here.
Leo McSherry and Ryan Begin of the ALTAI™ boots team give their personal account of last month's charity event with Dead Squad Paintball team, Challenge for Children's, that we covered earlier. We at ALTAI™ strongly believe in supporting worthy causes and the boot guys would like to share how important this specific cause is to us.
A younger me would have been more excited about the dusty dirt road we drove down as we made our way to the 2017 Challenge for Children’s paintball event. A younger me drove an older car, though, and as much as I hate to admit it, a life in the suburbs has its benefits- one of which being much less gravel in my travel.
But today wasn’t about me and my fixation with maintaining a clean car. It wasn’t about getting out and showing support for the Dead Squad paintball team, a group of upstanding athletes and advocates of the ALTAI™ brand since day one, either. Today was about Challenge for Children’s, and it was not until reflecting on the day that paintball proved as a perfect pairing for passions that pull people together.
When Ryan and I arrived, an event coordinator had already begun reviewing rules surrounding the day’s game. Professional players, groups of friends, father/son combos, couples young and old, and lone wolfs all listened on, preparing for deployment in a manner I imagined mirrored a SWAT team readying for raid. I even saw my neighbor, a full-time mom managing a full-time career, who still finds time to support a great cause. And if I know anything about moms, she was going to be a formidable force for any unfortunate foe.
It was not long before we found ourselves talking to a young man who had traveled all the way from Chicago to participate in the day’s event. Conversation revealed that for him, Challenge for Children’s strikes very close to home. He had been diagnosed at childhood with a condition resulting from his brain growth exceeding the safe capacity of his skull. Children’s doctors, like the ones supported by the efforts of Challenge for Children’s, were able to perform vital surgery that ultimately enabled him the opportunity to continue living an active life. As an expression of his gratitude, he now dedicates his time mentoring a young boy being treated for the same condition.
Ryan and I were so taken by the atmosphere of the event that we almost missed our planned morning meeting with the Dead Squad team, but we were glad we didn’t. The entire Dead Squad team dedicated their day sublimating time on the field to provide ALTAI™ insight about the history of Challenge for Children’s, explain all the different types of paintball and the strategy surrounding, and even involve Ryan and his camera in some first-hand action. All I will say is the camera’s okay. As for Ryan, bruises go away.
We would like to extend a special thank you to Challenge for Children’s and all the volunteers/participants who contributed to another successful event.
Learn more about Challenge for Children’s mission from Richard of the Dead Squad paintball team.
Be sure to check back with us for more coverage on the Dead Squad paintball team and the sport of Paintball!
Last month our friends at Dead Squad Paintball participated in a charity event worth highlighting: Challenge for Children’s (C4C). This was its ninth year, promoting the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of MN and their work with Matt Ames’, avid paintballer and lives with a congenital heart defect. Thanks to Children’s Hospitals, Matt has been well treated for, since birth, and continues to receive treatment there today.
Our sponsored team, Dead Squad Paintball, MM Pro Paintball (Lakeville, MN), and other various local organizations teamed up to for this event, which gives back to the children, through the Children’s Hospitals. Challenge for Children’s has committed to raising $250,000 in donations to help build a new Simulations Center for the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of MN.
Even though you may have missed the event, here’s more information on Challenge for Children’s and how you can contribute to an important cause: giving where it counts, for kids in need. Challenge for Children's
This coming Saturday, August 19th, the people of Carson City, Nevada (and our favorite young hero, Tyler the Donut Boy!) will be honoring a special fallen officer, Deputy Carl Howell with a benefit for his wife and four children.
Carl was a U.S. Marine and Deputy Sheriff who responded to a domestic violence call in 2015 when he was killed in the line of duty. This year marks the second anniversary of the deputy’s death and many have pulled together to put on a stellar fundraiser to benefit Deputy Howell’s family.
The memorial event will have plenty of family activities (including face painting!), musical performances by a huge line-up of talented bands, a silent auction, and more.
A Day of Remembrance for Deputy Howell – Aug 19th Carson City, Nevada at the Battle Born Harley Davidson. Learn more at The Last Response.
Tyler Carach, aka The Donut Boy, continues his noble journey of thanking every cop in America… with a donut and last week, Tyler got a chance to rub elbows with some of America’s finest: the NYPD.
Stopping in Brooklyn, Tyler and his family were able to deliver 1060 donuts (1000 from Dunkin’ Donuts and 60 from The Donut Pub, local shop) to law enforcement officers in the area. He even went beyond his normal charitable duties and helped out with the Basketball Cop Foundation delivering basketballs and goals to children in the Brooklyn community; what a kid!
Throughout the week, Tyler visited various NYC neighborhoods like Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, continuing his incredibly ambitious journey powered by gratitude and donuts. For the latest in The Donut Boy’s heart-warming adventure, stay tuned on his Facebook page.
We have a belief at ALTAI™ that law enforcement officers are some of the hardest working people in the world; not to mention, their feet. From chasing criminals to walking long nights on patrol, these men and women have to think fast on their feet and have the footwear to match.
Light weight is a top priority when 10k steps a day is a walk in the park for you. Every step matters so our original design was inspired to keep hard working feet going all day long. A boot that feels like they’re hardly there means moving with less added effort, increasing potential of long-term injury, common with lugging around in heavy boots.
On average, our boots are approximately 5 ounces lighter than the average tactical boot. Anything heavier can really add up over any amount of long distance. With that in mind, if you’re the grueling hiker, you will benefit in the same way law enforcement professionals do with the MFT100. Let’s face it, you probably already have gear weighing you down on the trail so anywhere you can cut weight is a huge benefit to your overall experience.
If you’re into gear that’s just as multi-functional as you are, it’s time to upgrade to the ALTAI™ Experience; one boot to do it all.
Learn more about the ALTAI™ MFT100.
A big 'Thank You' to everyone who participated in our Gear Junkie #GiveTheBoot #GetTheBoot Giveaway! We had such a great time reading through why you think your friends could use a pair of ALTAI™ boots; we definitely have some rugged fans out there.
Now for the best part: announcing our winners! If you’ve entered our Gear Junkie giveaway, be on the look-out for a direct message from the ALTAI™ team on your Facebook. If you are a winner, you will receive a direct message from us that you’ve been selected for a free pair of boots! Follow the instructions in your message from the ALTAI™ team and you’re on your way to your free set of boots for you and a friend.
In case you missed the fun, here are all the contest comments and submissions on Gear Junkie’s Facebook post.