I purchased my first pair of Rocky's Alpha Force Swat Boots in January of 2009 on the strong recommendation of a former police officer. I needed something that had adequate support for long-term standing on concrete (8-12 hours), had sufficient traction for walking up snow, ice, and rain soaked sidewalks on steep, uneven ground, and were sufficiently waterproof to withstand walking or standing in several inches deep puddles for up to several hours a day. These Rocky boots seemed to fit the bill. When I first put them on, my first sensation was that I was standing on air, or on a pillow. They were considerably more comfortable than the boots I had been buying in the previous years (and we're talking in the ballpark of $100-$150 pairs of boots). Since I purchased that first pair of boots, I've used them in a variety of really destructive ways, and I have been suitably impressed at how well they've held up for the last two and a half years. They've survived two and a half years of: 1) Standing on concrete for 8-12 hours a day. 2) Walking 2-3 miles per day, several days a week. 3) Record snow and rainfalls, only leaking when I walked through rushing floodwaters that were over the midway point of the boot. 4) A job that involved all day use of a pressure washer, water hose, and cleaning chemicals while standing in 2-3 inches of water, grease, and mud, on a concrete floor, eight hours per day, for several months. I actually used the pressure washer to wash them off on several occasions, and still suffered no leaks. These boots are not only still wearable after all of this, but are still largely water proof. I am just now replacing them, in August of 2011, and only then because the inside fabric of the boots have had holes worn through them from all of the walking, and the exterior shell is permanently dulled and stained from repeated exposure to heavy duty cleaning agents and grease, and I need a decent looking pair of work boots for my next job. Obviously, comfort is largely subjective, and your miles may vary depending on what you're using them for. For me, they've been the most comfortable boots I've ever worn, are relatively affordable, and have been surprisingly durable after years of punishment that they weren't really meant for. My wife, who works in an office, but frequently has to make trips out into a dirty shop area, has a pair for herself that she bought at the same time as me. Her boots look nearly new, and she can continue wearing them, doubtless, for years to come. I'll continue buying these exact boots until they stop making them.
