Product details
Product description

Very high-quality adventuring boots for those looking for more traditional leather boots without GTX features. Even the sole construction is stitched and repairable, gosh darn it. Made in Cape Town by a veteran manufacturer that nowadays goes by the name of Freestyle. Don't be fooled by the name; they make awesome boots!

In this case, Recce means the South African special forces, and these boots are styled after the footwear they used. The South African combat boot philosophy revolves around an unlined full leather boot with a durable, hard-wearing rubber sole and a wide last to accommodate foot swelling - no fashionable pointy and crammy noses on these! If you want to go by the book, you'll wear these with double socks "summer and winter". However, naturally, one pair of socks will also work. Of course, your experience may vary depending on the summers and winters of your country. In Finland, these will work during spring, summer, and fall, but they are inadequate for field use in the freezing temperatures of proper Arctic winters. However, as light three-season general adventuring boots, they're great!

Features

  • Outsole material rubber, with a thin and slightly shock-absorbing midsole
  • Upper double-stitched on a leather midsole, on which the outsole is glued; the whole construction is repairable!
  • Upper made of 2.0–2.2 mm thick, flexible but strong unlined leather, which is very welcoming for grease (read more about it in the care instructions)
  • All parts properly stitched together
  • A cushioned footbed, on which you can also drop in your own insole
  • Total height about 23 cm
  • Tongue bellowed from the lower part
  • Standard lacing with strap & buckle closure on the top
  • Notches in the middle of the lacing for more flexibility
  • Not at all stiff, these are extremely flexible overall!

Made by Freestyle

These are made for us by a South African company called Freestyle. They've been in the business for quite a while, and in the old days, they made boots for the South African military. Although the name is quite, uh, civilian, their boots are handmade with a purpose in mind, not just to look nice on the sidewalk.

FAQ

"Are these the same as Waxi boots?" -No. These are an entirely different animal from a different company. Without mocking Waxi, these are better quality. The quality is more comparable to Courteney (!).

"These seem rather expensive compared to the prices on the Freestyle website. What's the deal with that?" -Indeed they are. Ordering directly from Freestyle is very expensive, time-consuming, and difficult (of course, nothing stops you from trying). For reference, even our purchase price for these is more expensive than the prices on the Freestyle website. They're still worth it all!

"Is the sole slippery in freezing temperatures?" -Yes. These are not winter boots. We carry better options for that stuff. But as summer boots, these are top-notch!

Reviews
4.4(7)

Thomas H.

13.06.2024Verified purchase
Received a pair in black, as there were none available in brown sz. 11. Right out of the box they fit well.. next up to treat the leather with some Obenauf’s LP to make them a bit more stain and water resistant. Overall construction is well done and symmetrical on both boots. As wear progresses, I’ll most likely add in some Superfeet black inserts to help support my feet, but the OE insoles aren’t bad.. just my feet. I’ll definitely be looking out for the restock email on the brown boots, if and when they get back.

Sebastiaan d.

03.05.2024
Although I was forced to buy these from Freestyle directly due to the fact that EU size 43 isn't available I have to say that these are awesome. I used my pair in combination with TST L2 Boot Socks for VRMM 2024 and they perfomed outstandingly, I got zero blisters this year.

Gerard B.

01.05.2023Verified purchase
First time when you hold these boots in your hands, you think what the heck? Thin leather, soft and flexible. I immediately started to make comparisons with my stiff leather Norwegian M77 Combat Boots and nubuck Danner Tachyon Boots . Are the Freestyle Recce boots good? Yes. If you know the difference between usual top grain leather and aniline leather. Don't be fooled. >> The Freestyle Recce Boots are made of aniline leather. Aniline leather is the most durable and strongest part of the animal hide. (more dense) For this reason, this aniline leather is good at resisting moisture. >> My Norwegian M77 Combat Boots are made of cow top grain leather. Top grain leather is less processed. Do not show their natural flexible features. They also feel harder than aniline leather. Since I knew these boots being made from Aniline leather, I not needed to order 1 size larger. Even with (rather thick) Jalas insoles, no problem. Aniline leather is soft and adapts within minutes to your feet. For shoe care? > first Tallipoika natural tar on the double stitches; > Saphir Medaille d'Or Pommadier; first layer shoe polish; feeds the leather and makes it more water repellant > for last, Saphir Medaille D'or Mirror Gloss; I want mirror shine. Nasty habit from past compulsory military service ;) ?? small advice: Since aniline leather is very soft, better use flat laces. During walking in warm weather feet have tendency to swell. No need to suffocate your feet during long walks.

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