TR550 Khyber II Hybrid Boots 5 Year Review: The Best Boots I've Owned, Twice! 2013 - 2018

A five-winter, four year, long-term review of the Belleville Tactical Research TR550 Khyber II Men's Coyote Brown Hybrid Lightweight Hot Weather Boot in Coyote Brown.
Watch the review or jump ahead to 5:06 to see the new pair and comparison. • TR550 Khyber II Hybrid...
These are, hands-down, the best pair of boots I've ever owned. Great for almost everything. The only thing they lack is better water proofing (but spray goes a long way, and if they were waterproof, they wouldn't breathe so well) and a composite toe (but they'd lose their climbing, hiking and running comfort). They've served me well in everything from hiking, everyday use, work, taking out the trash, mowing the lawn, range days, mud, pavement, snow, grass, rivers, hot weather, cold weather and everything in-between.
I bought the first pair in the Fall of 2013 and bought another pair in January of 2018.
These boots on Amazon and elsewhere:
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The alternate boot with the composite toe that I didn't like (just bought a new pair of the TR550's. If it ain't broke...)
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Some specs:
- 8 inch boot(Standard Military Height)
- 100% cattlehide leather & nylon fabric
- Highly cushioned, shock absorbent midsole
- 100% rubber EXCLUSIVE VIBRAM “IBEX” outsole for rugged terrain
- TR-1 load bearing orthotic insole
- Low profile sole reduces weight & improves mobility
- Sharp angled lugs and defined heel maximize traction
- Deeply serrated toe bumper aids in vertical climbing & crawling
- Rappelling bars on outsole to extend wear
- Breathe Right™ combat lunar lining
- AR 670-1 Compliant
Thanks for watching!
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." - Jesus (John 15:13)
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[@EddieLeal]

I'm retired military and purchased a pair of these same TR550 stye boots. They are very comfortable and well worth the investment in my opinion My last pair were a SPEC-OPS brand sage green style boot. They lasted me approximately 7 years. I purchased them a few months before my retirement. All other boots pale in comparison. ;) lol! Not getting paid to say that by the way. lol! That said, a word of caution if you have never worn military style boots before. You may want to ensure you wear the socks that you will be wearing with the boots on the day you go down to shop for them. Some socks are better for your feet than others with these boots.They provide a better fit/comfort. Just my personal opinion/experience. I learned the lesson the hard. lol! I wanted to "save" money. Thought a sock is a sock. Whats the difference? Well, my feet soon paid the price. ;)

[@Mafioso_Drako]

Do you usually wear a thick sock or a thinner style sock with them? Just wanted someone's opinion.

[@chickenalleyfarm]

I love my khybers im on my 3rd pair. I got 5-6 years out of my last pair and some thousands of miles on them. Traveled the world in them.

[@WildMountainGarage]

Love this! I still use the old pair even today when doing a burn pile. Holes and all just got new laces.

[@e.l.9589]

Thanks for covering the composite toe info, as I require them. I do prefer the boots over stiffer hiking boots.👍

[@WildMountainGarage]

+E L awesome! If these had a safety toe they'd be perfect, but probably wouldn't be so comfortable for hiking.

[@clarkrichards1907]

Good vid good sir. I got about 5 years out of mine. They were not the 2's. I used them at tracking school and a bunch of other training I went through. The only thing didn't use with them was the insole it came with. I use my own insoles that I had made. All in all it is a good boot. One thing I say quite often is don't skimp on footwear.

[@WildMountainGarage]

+Clark Richards thank you! That's good to know it wasn't just a one-off experience and they worked for you in real-world training. I'm interested in the home made insoles? Very true if you need to count on them for anything!

[@clarkrichards1907]

Doulos I had a podiatrist make my insoles. I get about 4 to 5 years out of a set. In on my feet all the time so it is worth it to have a set made. $200 but divided over 4 years is better than a set from Wal-Mart any day.

[@brainstormpro3342]

Sweet. Just watching this video for less than five seconds I can tell you I like that the upper laces have loops instead of hooks. I have had my laces from one book interlock with the other because of the hooks. I think it is a huge safety hazard to have the hooks.

[@WildMountainGarage]

+brainstormpro I guess it depends on the situation? I haven't had any safety issues other than the quality of the old lace and not staying tied. I never changed laces so for me it wasn't a big deal. If you're in a different scenario, I can't say!

[@lennylink8772]

Thanks for doing the review it helped me.

[@thomasutt2172]

Id you order these, you might want to size down. I ware 10.5 and ordered a 10.5 in these boots, and they are easily oversized by at minimum 0.5

[@a45456565]

Thank you😺

[@Thalor]

Thanks you for the review really wish I could find some in Multicam look really nice

[@WildMountainGarage]

Glad you liked it! Same here, the multicam was awesome. I actually still wear the multicam ones, holes and all, for work around the property. Although they're definitely not even close to water resistant anymore. The tan ones are still holding up great, too.

[@Silvgv]

Good review. Thanks for posting. Did you ever wear the boots during 100 F+ weather? If yes, did your feet overheat?

[@WildMountainGarage]

Yes, it gets that hot here in the summer. Yes, my feet got hot working or hiking. Definitely hotter with a lot of footwork. But for boots they seemed great. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a specifically better boot for that kind of heat. Definitely prefer sandals in 100+ lol

[@TheOneWhoTubes]

Thanks for the vid! Been weighing which lightweight boot to get for months. Can you give a 1-10 on stiffness & rigidity of the new ones? Do they “sock” around your feet or is there dead air? Does their sole glue hold up & stay attached completely? (Older ones) Cheers brother! 🇺🇸✌️😎

[@WildMountainGarage]

+TheOneWhoTubes I'd say they're a 7 or 8. Stiff but still comfortable. That obviously diminishes over time. The old ones are probably a 4 now, but maybe a 3 given the wear in areas where the boot flexes. Like a joint between stiff sections. I have large, flat feet (too much info?) but there doesn't seem to be a lot of dead air, definitely closer to a shoe feel, but not as tight. I'd say somewhere between boot and shoe. There are a lot of variables there. The boot with the toe I referenced in the video definitely was more of a 9 or 10 in stiffness, wasn't as comfortable on my foot and was more boot feeling in the toe, but that makes sense. I prefer these for what I do. Thanks for watching, I really hope this helps!

[@TheOneWhoTubes]

Doulos It does! Thanks brother. This may be my next pair after my cheap-o’s wear out soon. (no tmi. All info is useful.) 👍

[@GruntWays6900]

Mine lost an eyelet first two or three times tying them and tore open on a warm up 2 mile ruck less than a month later. Must have had a bad batch because I wouldn’t touch these boots w/ a ten foot pole. Super comfortable otherwise.

[@sNpeR1080]

Sheiiittt, some shoe goo on the rips and you'll get another 4 years out of em.

[@Dutch_Pancake]

How is the second pair holding up? I am thinking about getting a pair, but I read that the "new" version is not as good as the first version. (The one with the extra strip over the toes.) I am also reading a lot of bad reviews about eyelids coming loose and leather+stitching wearing fast. I have been wearing Magnum boots for 10 years, and the last pair is still holding up after 7-8 years of use. (Only the sole needs to be glued again.) Could you please give some information about how the second pair is holding up now 4 years later?

[@WildMountainGarage]

My second pair is still going strong. I actually still wear the first set for mowing the lawn and extra dirty stuff, holes and all. Granted, I don't do any severe duty runs or anything, just everyday use and hiking.

[@Dutch_Pancake]

@@WildMountainGarage Ok, thank you for the update. I've ordered a pair, and they should arrive this week. I've ordered the waterproof ones though, since I want to be able to walk through water without getting my feet wet.

[@megatron8490]

I hope these are good because im supposed to get them for the citadel

[@WildMountainGarage]

I'm still rocking the original pair today as beat up work boots. Both pairs are going strong. That said, I'm not active duty anything so your mileage may vary. But I still love them and would buy another pair. All the best in the Citadel! Thanks for serving.

[@derjager2991]

how are these new boots holding up so far?

[@michaellk2254]

How is the sizing on these? It is a full size large? Or do they fit true to size

[@WildMountainGarage]

Seem true to size and comfortable and I have large, flat feet.

[@hunterbrown205]

Hey man I have a question I’ve never been able to tie my shoes I’ve just never got ahold of it are they bungee fastened or tied

[@WildMountainGarage]

Tied

[@vandalistica]

I legit can't get out of sneakers. But they're OD so it's ok right?

[@brainstormpro3342]

Unless you are in a desert then you need Khaki...

[@WildMountainGarage]

+vandalistica vlogs hahaha yeah bro. Just keep your feet shod in the preparation of the gospel and you're good to go. I was wearing some sanuk "shoes" for a while, so comfortable but they stopped making the pair I liked. I'm a vans guy if not in these, but I tell you, walking around in vans in the winter, or anything but the summer leaves me feeling unprepared. I keep these in my trunk during the summer.

[@danielbabcock7004]

Look at Belleville OneXero's, Garmont T8 NFS, and the OTB JungleLite's man, theyre all awesome boots that felt like sneakers to me

[@EITY10]

?Where are they made

[@ghostodst9893]

Belleville Sabre get those

[@GAmmA_9]

those are the same boots just $40 more for a different name.

[@batrungtran3]

Hi, how much does this pair of boot weigh?

[@WildMountainGarage]

Good question. Assuming my human scale is accurate that low, the newer pair of size 13's is 3.5 lbs total. I've never found them to be heavy feeling and are always comfortable hiking, working, or just out on errands. I'm still using both pairs of boots, to this day, by the way.

[@batrungtran3]

Thank you for your information

[@dragonslayer6000]

Do these have a low heel on the inside?

[@WildMountainGarage]

I couldn't say if they're high or low technically but I have flat feet and they've always been comfortable. Both pairs I still wear regularly to this day.

[@dragonslayer6000]

@@WildMountainGarage I have flat feet as well and for a while I wore the mini mil boots for security work. They are a "minimalist" (flat and wide) shoe that is designed to simulate barefoot walking. I was curious because those boots look very similar in ankle profile and heel height. Awesome review man. VSO gun channel put those same boots through the ringer lol

[@mr.mcneill7306]

How’s the insoles feel?

[@WildMountainGarage]

The originals have worn passed the fabric and more but I just wear them for yard work. They lasted a long time. Soft but not plush. Idk, typical insole I guess. Nothing special. I'm flat footed and they're comfortable and always were, if that helps.

[@mr.mcneill7306]

Thousand Hills Ranch did you have to size up or down?

[@silenttruth110]

Don’t part with them just get a new pair and have two lol

[@WildMountainGarage]

Ha, great advice! Still running the old boots for real dirty work and going strong, just with a few holes :-D I still wear the "new" pair, too. Thanks for watching!