Last December I bought a pair of boots from New Balance, the Abyss Coyote II 8-inch I found at Harry's Army Surplus in the United States. I was looking for a type of boots that I could use both in and out of the field, and these in my personal opinion seemed perfect, since they look kinda casual just like some of those commercial adventure boots, but cooler!

Another reason I chose them, was because I wanted to have the special forces outfit and these seem to work with the undercover tactical style.

I tried getting them in Europe, but unfortunately I couldn’t find it in the continent. I even contacted NB Europe, but they said they didn’t have this model for Europe. According to them this is U.S. only model and cannot be imported.

Another thing that caught my attention when I was reading the detailed information about these boots, was that they were made by NB at the request of the US Navy Seals and have some neat features such as fast water drainage and great breathability.

After a few games in the field, and with some hours of use here is my verdict:

DESIGN

One of the main reasons I bought these boots was undoubtedly the design, everything else was a bit of a blind purchase because I haven’t seen in any of the research I did on the internet a single review of them.

So I knew nothing about the quality and comfort of these boots.

The design is what you see, either you will like or not. There are two colors: black and coyote; and two models, the 6 and 8 inch. At first I ordered the 6 inch one, but then I decided to change the order to the 8 inch ones and I don’t regret it because these give more support at the ankle area.

COMFORT

Once I opened the box I noticed that unlike many other boots, these were mainly made of synthetic fabrics, and where there is no fabric you’ll find high-strength kind of nylon which enables the foot to breathe and aids in the natural bending and movement of the foot and ankle since it’s less rigid in those critical areas of strain.

In front there’s a reinforced toe protection that does quite a nice job on protecting your toes from inadverted bumps with rocks and boulders that may get in the way.  And on the outside it has a cover that protects the boot as well.

Inside are three insoles, yes 3 insoles!  These ensure the security, flexibility and comfort for the foot.

The first one is made out of a hard plastic compound to protect the foot from uneven terrain and any pointy objects you might step on. The second one is made of thick but soft sponge that provides excellent cushion for jumping, running and even doubles as a spring that harnesses the energy you produce while running to give an extra boost. Finally, a third anti-germ and thinner insole. You might notice that all these insoles share several holes in the same area whose main function is to drain all the water and moisture that may enter the boot, thus keeping the foot cool and dry.

If you see closely inside and beneath the boot you’ll notice some holes that allow the water to drain out of the boot. These were made with certain theaters of operation in mind where deployment is done from the water then proceeding to land and with the motion and natural heat of the body the boots dry the feet.

Undoubtedly it was the comfort that I like most about them now, and I did try other boots, from the Timberland’s stiff and very slippery sole, to the hard boots of the Portuguese Army. These beat them by miles.

DURABILITY

I’ve been using the NB Abyss II for about five hours every Sunday at our local training site for the last two months and I am now confident to say that I am very pleased with them. And believe me when I say that they have not been well treated, and got some bad treatment on some areas filled with eucalyptus branches of all sizes and thickness on the ground. From the rocky ground where I rub them a lot at the front and sides, to more urban floors with broken bricks and cement.

I didn’t notice any big difference on the boot, these withstand most of my abuses and all the knitted part sand sole doesn’t seem to show any sign of wearing or tearing. They look almost like when I received them only a bit dustier!

CONCLUSION

I’m definitely pleased with the purchase I made and I recommend these boots to anyone who wants a pair of comfortable and durable boots to use for typical Airsoft games or for day-to-day activities.

If you live outside the US, you might want to think twice before you buy these because depending on your country's import policies you might have to pay some heavy customs fees. While they cost US$110 or around 90 euros, I paid €240 for them. Although I wanted to get a second pair, the fact that I cannot get them in Europe is at the moment the only reason I won’t get another pair of these awesome boots.

You can order these at Harry's Army Surplus.

My Final score: 9.5/10

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Name: Nuno Luz
Country: Portugal
City: Portalegre
Years Playing Airsoft: 1
Current Team: PAAT (PortusAlacer Airsoft Team http://www.paat.portugueseforum.net )
Callsign: Operator7
Current AEGs: VFC SCAR MK16 STD, VFC SCAR MK16 CQC, King Arms S&W MOE M&P15 and Classic Army G36K