the noxious aroma of Polypropylene mixed with simulated rubber laced with Benzene....God that was a great feeling and it still is...Or was.....Today it was a different feeling altogether, it was almost like saying goodbye to an old friend....Today I bought a new pair of work boots.
I bought my old pair of EMS boots in April of 2006, I had just gotten my NREMT and I was ready to go hit the streets. They were with me on clinical, both hospital and ambulance. I was wearing them on my first day in the field right up until yesterday night. They held me upright when I had been standing in them for over 24 hours and stayed next to my bunk when I finally passed out, quietly waiting for me to jump back into them at 4am.
The most important thing was that they protected me from both the elements and from illness. In the past five years They've been exposed to:
- BLOOD
- VOMIT
- URINE
- FECES
- HUMAN BRAIN MATTER
- SKULL CHUNKS
- SCALP
- UNKNOWN BODILY FLUIDS
- WATER
- GASOLINE
- DIESEL
- BRAKE FLUID
- MOTOR OIL (HOT)
- TRANSMISSION FLUID (HOT)
- ENGINE COOLANT (HOT)
- DRY CHEM EXTINGUISHER
- MUD
- GLASS
- NAILS
- SHARP METAL
- BLOODY SHARPS
- STORM WATER (Keeping you feet dry=Very important)
- WASTE WATER
Old boots on the left (as if you couldn't tell)
The old ones look smaller but in all reality the new ones are a half size smaller, it's amazing what repeated exposure to water and heat will do.
They seem to have lost the ability to resist fluid !
This is what did it for me, I came home and my sock smelled like gasoline and diesel.
In the past five years I averaged 3.5 miles per day, 8 days a month for 60 months bringing the grand total to 1,680 miles of travel in five years, I could have walked to Los Angles. That distance would take 67.7 days to walk that distance with an average speed of 3.1 mph and 8 hours per day.
My boots were on me when I helped bring life into the world and while I watched it slip away. It's been a long five years full of memories but all things must come to an end so I say goodbye to the old pair and hello to the new pair.
What did I buy to replace the old pair of Bates Ultralites ? Why a pair of Bates Ultralites of course ! I figured why spend hundreds of dollars on a pair when I can spend 70 bucks and get a pair that will last me another five years.
PROS: Cheep Cheep Cheep, Extreme durability, Comfortable after many hours of wear (I personally have had them on for 40 hours with minimal fatigue)
CONS: If you don't spring for the waterproof ones your feet will get soaked after about two minutes of constant exposure to water. They do alright in the rain but a deep puddle will get your feet wet very soon. They don't breathe as well as I would like in the humid Houston weather.
4.5 out of 5 stars, they are available between 60 and 80 dollars at Academy Sports & Outdoors.
