5.11 Boots are not AR 670-1 compliant boots. This is because the exterior of the boots are not made from cattlehide leather, there is no mention of plain toe structure, and no mention of AR 670-1 compliance.
We recently received questions about whether 5.11 Boots are AR 670-1 compliant or not. This is a good question because a few boots of theirs really do showcase that they are AR 670-1 compliant.
Not going to lie, it took us some time to figure out whether their boots are AR 670-1 compliant or not. Here are the 3 points that stood out to us as to why these boots are not AR 670-1.
1- Synthetic Leather vs Cattlehide leather
5.11 boots are made from synthetic leather and are not made from cattlehide leather. This disqualifies it from being AR 670-1 compliant.
For army boots to pass the AR 670-1 compliance test, the material of the boot must be made from Cattle hide leather (Source).
What is Cattlehide leather you ask?
Cattlehide leather, also known as cowhide leather, is leather used from unbleached skin and hair of a cow (source). Cattlehide is skin and hair from cattle. They’re commonly used for making boots because they’re extremely durable, difficult to tear through, puncture, or damage (source).
Furthermore, Cattle hide leather is flexible, the combo of these features ensures flexibility, durability, and longevity.
5.11 boots, such as the 5.11 3.0 Jungle tactical boots, are made from synthetic leather. Synthetic leather is made from man-made artificial leather (source).
2- Fence Climbing Toe vs Plain Toe
The fence climbing toe stood out to us because there was little to no mention or explanation as to whether that is plain toe or not.
Some of their boots such as the 3.0 Jungle boots and the 5.11 3.0 Desert Tactical boots have fence-climbing toes and 5.11 does not explicitly indicate whether they are plain toe or not.
AR 670-1 Boots must have plain toe. Since it is not explicitly mentioned, we must rule 5.11 boots as being not AR 670-1 Compliant.
3- No Mention of AR 670-1 Compliance
5.11 do not mention anywhere that their boots are AR 670-1 friendly. We searched their site and numerous of their products on Amazon and couldn’t find any mention of these boots being AR 670-1 compliant.
This is an obvious one but definitely worth mentioning. If the site does not specifically say “AR 670-1 compliant“, it is not worth buying and wasting your money on, if you’re specifcally looking for AR 670-1 compliant boots.
Boots Similar to 5.11 That Are AR 670-1 Compliant
Boots that are similar to 5/11 tactical and army boots that are actually AR 670-1 Compliant are:
- Danner Tanicus 8 Boots
- Belleville 790 Boots
- Belleville 390 DES ST Boots
- Belleville One Xero 320 Ultra Light boots
Check out our full guide on AR 670-1 compliant boots.
Final Thoughts
So the main unanswered question that remains is, would we buy 5.11 boots as AR 670-1 compliant boots? NO. If the company is not explicity stating that they are AR 670-1 compliant boots, we would not buy them (if we’re specifically looking for AR 670-1 compliant boots).
If a boot is AR 670-1 compliant, any company would be happy to announce it and mention it in their marketing material because it is a major selling point. While their boots are great, there are tons of other options out there that have similar features and are AR 670-1 compliant.