enough to chill the toes and take away your
breath, especially when you’re working or
playing outside, and that I do, as I manage
an auto body shop just outside DC when
I’m not living the paintball life and that
means early mornings, long hours and late
nights, all on concrete floors and parking
lots with most of it on my feet and a good
deal of it outside. So this wasn’t going to be
any cupcake hit the field play a couple of
games take a couple of pictures and write
an article review. I made it clear to Ryan and
company that I intended to wear them to
work, wear them all day, all week and all
weekend everywhere from the body shop
to the paintball field and back again, in
frigid icy cold parking lots and baking hot
automobile paint booths and everywhere
in-between.
Altai Boots, Mr. Begin informed me by way
of response, were designed and built with
hardworking professionals like uniformed
0108
paintball.media magazine
and tactical law enforcement in-mind and
as such, they are made to stand up to
rigorous use. A Minnesota-based company
founded by a former 3M research scientist,
Altai’s real difference is in their fabric. Their
“SuperFabric” to be exact. Invented in the
late nineties, SuperFabric powers Altai’s
boots to make some pretty big boasts,
from light weight, stain, scuff and wrinkle-
resistance to the ability to allow air to pass
through while blocking and beading water.
Add a long list of standard features to
those boasts, like Vibram non-slip and oil
resistant soles, available side-zip, “sausage
link” laces that resist coming untied, metal
eyelets and a speed lace system, and finally
availability in a variety of colors and heights
to suit any professional requirement,
mission parameter or personal preferences,
and you’ve got a pretty complete package.
Of course, all the tech, boasts and features
in the world only mean anything if the boots
themselves perform as advertised.