Tested to Destruction: Haix Boots

You read Joe Gresh’s Tested to Destruction piece on Rossi Boots.   When I read it, I immediately thought of my Haix boots.   My first pair lasted more than 10 years.  After they finally wore out I tried a less expensive brand, but then I went back to Haix.   I had worn the best; no substitute would ever be as good.  Haix is pronounced “hikes” and they are, simply put, the best footwear I’ve ever owned.

I happened upon my first pair of Haix almost accidentally.  The story goes like this:  My good buddy Mike, whom I’ve known since the 7th grade, is a retired police chief.   He worked his way up through the ranks of a major metropolitan city on the east coast, became Director of that department (it’s the top spot), and retired.   Mike goes to the International Association of Police Chiefs conventions every year, in 2004 that convention was here in Los Angeles, and Mike invited me to go with him.   It was a cool experience and we had a blast.

I had a to have a police connection to get in to the event, so Mike deputized me as the Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Police.  My new position included a cool official-looking police ID card and I asked if I could get a gun out of the deal.  Mike’s answer was a curt “No,” but hey, I tried.   We had a hell of a time at that convention.   There was all kinds of interesting gear on display.   Guns.  Helicopters.  Police motorcycles.  Patrol cars. Surveillance equipment.  You get the idea.  Oh, yeah.  And boots.  I’ll get to that in a second.

There were cool guys there, too.  Mike introduced me to Willie Bratton, senior FBI executives, and the head of the CHP (I asked that guy if he could help me with a speeding ticket and no one laughed…I thought it was funny as hell).  We saw all kinds of cool  gear, including a police helicopter that you could climb into.   I did that and immediately starting pushing buttons from the pilot’s seat.  One sent power to the turbine starter, the turbine started to whir, and the blades actually started to move.   Mind you, all of this was indoors at the Staples Convention Center. Wow, talk about people descending on us quickly!  When we walked by that helicopter later, it was roped off.  You couldn’t sit in it any more, thanks to me.

But I digress.  The point of this story was that one of the vendors displaying their goods was the Haix boot company, whom I had never heard of before.  The boots looked good, I tried a pair on, and they felt great.   Think slippers for comfort level, great support, and a cool combat boot look.  They were $200, but I was in.   The guy told me to take the pair I had tried on, and they would invoice me later.

I wore those boots everywhere for the next 10 years, and I always wore them on my motorcycle rides.  That included the 2005 Three Flags Rally, tons of weekend rides, tons of Baja rides, the Hells Loop Rally, and lots more.  They were waterproof, unlike motorcycle-specific boots they were comfortable to walk around in, they were lightweight, and they just felt great.  After more than 10 years of abuse, though, the soles started to separate during the Western America Adventure Ride in 2015.   I remember Gresh picking up some Shoe Goo for me in Cheyenne, Wyoming, which got me another year of use.  But finally, I had to give in.  It was time for a new pair.

I cheaped out and bought a pair of S.W.A.T.-brand boots on the Internet prior to leaving for the Colombia ride.  They were stiff, they were uncomfortable, and after 5 days of riding through the Andes Mountains’ heat, humidity, and rain, they were toast.  My take on it is that the S.W.A.T. brand is probably good for kicking butts and taking names, but they didn’t make it for me as a comfortable motorcycle boot.  Nope, I needed me another pair of Haix.

Then good buddy Mike came to the rescue.  There was another IACP convention (in San Diego, this time), I was Deputy Dawg again, and I shelled out $200 for my second pair of Haix.  Which I’m wearing now, knowing they’re worth every penny of that $200.   In 2027, I’ll be due for my third pair, and you can bet I’ll be going for HAIX again.  I’m just hoping that the 2027 IACP convention will be here in southern California.