Ok...I hear there are two different makers.....US and Foreign.  Can someone post a pic of both the "American made" and "foreign made?"  I believe the ones on the Oakley website are the foreigns...but not positive.  What's the difference in how they look?

Thanks in advance,

ARCAPTN

Tag.  I didn't know there were 2 different ones.  MJD

There is a bit of a difference in outward appearance, but not much.  I have the USA version and the best way for me to tell that they are indeed USA is the lack of a little red triangle on the heel.  Or a little metal "O" on the ankle.

The USA have a sterile outward appearance and the "O" on the ankle is pressed into the leather.  Also, the tongue is just marked with the size.  No tag or anything.

When I got mine I thought that they looked a bit different compared to the website so I called Oakley to ask about it.  They gave me their "Military orders" number and when I called and asked the chick about them, she acted like unless I was military that I wasn't supposed to have them.  She wanted to know which dealer I purchased them from and everything!!  She was more than a little pissed.  Strange I thought, they are just boots.

They are hard to find, but worth the money and time to find IMHO

pissed? tell them to stop making garbage in China and pedaling it for $230 and maybe they won't have this problem of dealers supporting u.s. workers......

Oakley's website says "Import" as one of the bullet points under the boot stats.  At least it does on the "Elite Special Forces SI Assault Boot" here:  oakley.com/o/o1691d

hey hey now! what are you guys bashing in Oakley for? I just recently sent them an e-mail asking about the military purchase program, got a response the next day! With order form and instructions on how to verify I am in fact in the military. Now thier boots are over priced no doubt about that. But the overseas made boot is much cheaper than the US made version. With the customer service I have gotten thus far Oakley has made themselves a new lifetime customer. JMHO

Quoted: hey hey now! what are you guys bashing in Oakley for? I just recently sent them an e-mail asking about the military purchase program, got a response the next day! With order form and instructions on how to verify I am in fact in the military. Now thier boots are over priced no doubt about that. But the overseas made boot is much cheaper than the US made version. With the customer service I have gotten thus far Oakley has made themselves a new lifetime customer. JMHO

Because I'd rather pay more for a US made boot than one made overseas!  I don't see why they restrict their US made boots to military only either.  Since I'm not military, I can only get their foreign made boots?  That's messed up.

I buy Danner boots, and will continue to do so (as long as they are made in the US.)  I think some Danners are not made in the USA....

All the Danners below the ~$175 price point are not made in America.  On their website, it will either say Made In America or nothing at all.  The graphic that says that will be next to all the graphics that say Gore-tex and Vibram and such.

I think the problem is that people want the inexpensive products that only overseas manufacture can provide.  A lot of people say that they'll only buy American for boots, but then they get to the store, see that American-made Danners cost $230, and Chinese-made Danners cost $170 for not so large a loss of quality.

I ended up getting my Oakley Desert Boots through the Mil/LEO purchasing program.  $125 delivered to Iraq....and American made.   The boots have the "O" embossed into the leather.  No shiney emblem.  The only markings on the inside of the boot is the boot size itself.  It's placed on the tongue.

All the stitching is doubled and the sole looks extremely secured to the rest of the upper.  I would recommend ordering a 1/2 size larger than you normally would wear.

The boots are extremely comfortable and somewhat feel like wearing hightop basket ball shoes.  The only thing I don't care for is that there is not much of a "lug" between the sole and bottom portion of the boot.  It could be that I'm used to Gov't Issued desert boots.  The lug is extremely high/thick on those.

Again, after my initial wearing and evaluation....I'm extremely happy with the quality and price.  There doesn't seem to be anything "cheap" with the American made boot.   I would recommend them to anyone with a little extra cash and wanting to try something new.

FWIW....

ARCAPTN

Quoted: hey hey now! what are you guys bashing in Oakley for? I just recently sent them an e-mail asking about the military purchase program, got a response the next day! With order form and instructions on how to verify I am in fact in the military. Now thier boots are over priced no doubt about that. But the overseas made boot is much cheaper than the US made version. With the customer service I have gotten thus far Oakley has made themselves a new lifetime customer. JMHO

So basically what you're saying is this:

"Don't bash Oakley.  Just because their boots are overpriced.  And they won't sell American made boots to American civilians.  And I have to verify that I'm actually military to get quality boots.  I'm a lifetime customer!"

That's how I read your post, at least.  It really doesn't make any sense to me.  The import boots cost LESS to make, and they sell them for MORE money.  Then they refuse to sell the quality boots to civies.  I don't get how you can defend that practice.

Hmmm, there are some nice other options there (yeah, they're imported too ) for less-obvious combat boots.  The Flak Jacket in charcoal looks sweet.

Who has used Oakley boots on a daily basis? I'm a big fan of Bass shoes (don't laugh, they've been very good for me!)

I had no idea! I bought a pair of the SFSI boots. Now, they are light and fast for sure but, the first time I slid down a rope with them, the sole peeled back on the side. The second day I wore them, the little O fell off of the side. Definitly not what I expected from a HIGH DOLLAR pair of boots.

Where are people coming up with the idea that they aren't available for non-mil sales?  You can buy them off their website without any problem.

As far as Mil getting a better price, its simple THEY SHOULD GET A BETTER PRICE.

The American made boots meet military specs (Idon't know which specs) and the foreign made boots do not.  This is what I was told by an Oakley Rep when I asked.

if those are even approved for military use im ashamed.  danners and corcorans are boots.
www.danner.com/products.asp?catid=12&prodid=1927
www.coveshoe.com/ItemDisplay.asp?Style=47146&CategoryID=28
i have both in black.  cant get any better.

Quoted: if those are even approved for military use im ashamed.  danners and corcorans are boots.

They aren't designed to do the same thing, so its apples and oranges.

I wore a pair of the American made ones out in about a year and a half of pounding pavement.
The part that wore out for me was the bottom. I had them worn down in the rear to the cushion looking material.
Biggest bitch is they are not resoleable. The part above the ball of your foot had worn and cracked also. So every time I hit a puddle, my socks would get wet.
I put a lot of hard miles in the arizona desert on these boots. I figure I got close to my money's worth. Until the bottom wore off, they were comfortable. Now they hold my feet at the wrong angle due to the wear.

I think I bought mine for 135 shipped brand new off of Egay.
When I buy another high end set though, it will be Danners though.

-Steve