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Archive for June, 2010
New Pictures Of The Black Diamond Girls!!
Monday, June 21st, 2010He Gets the Last Word; Black Diamond Boot Review–The Finale
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
I could get all creative here and write something witty, but no time for that….Tokyo Burns, more later.
Here’s Jim’s final post on his Black Diamond Boot experience.
I’d say that’s a two-thumbs up, but I can’t count that high. ;-O
In his own words:
Ok, so I’ve had some time to really get some work in on these boots, and yes for some of you who thinks that the chief just stands on the sidewalk shouting orders, I invite you to come up to my neck of the woods and try out real firefighting; not that fake stuff that some of the pretty boys do down south of New York. (yep, he really did “go there”)
I have had the honor of trying out these Black Diamond Boots for both Mary Ellen and Caitlin and I have to say that these are the best boots that I’ve seen out there.
We’ve tried a few other brands over the past few years and I have to say that these are the best so far by comparison. Yeah, you can pay alot more to have a different name on them but these boots are a better boot for both fit and performance.
The comfort I experienced while wearing the Black Diamonds was impressive. After being in them for a couple hours there was no difference to my everyday work boot (which is a logger boot). They also passed the firefighting test as I jumped in and got a little dirty on a couple mutual aid fires.
I tromped around in some water to see how they would fair and my feet stayed dry. (coming from a rubber boot girl who pumps out her own fair share of basements, I’d give this one a + )
I also did some climbing on the apparatus to test the sure footing and grip on the aggressive lugged sole. I had no problems climbing up and down off the Engine Rescue, or climbing the 85 foot Tower Ladder that we operate.
I have purchased two more sets of these boots from a local distributor since taking delivery of the demo boots and plan on continuing to purchase these boots for my company in the future.
Well, I guess that just about says it all. As I’ve stated from the get-go, this is in no sense a formal endorsement of the Black Diamond boots, nor am I telling you that you must go home immediately and begin rolling the change under your sofa cushions and go buy a pair.
I’m simply giving you folks a review, straight from the horse’s mouth. I can state unequivocally that standing around for hours and hours in an uncomfortable and leaky pair of boots is about as much fun as a tooth extraction conducted with a spoon. So if there are structurally safe options out there that pass the test and your department can afford them, at least you now have one man’s viewpoint to consider.
To read the full article please visit FirefighterNation.
Black Diamond X-Boot #0911 Review
Monday, June 7th, 2010I was recently contacted by a representative from Black Diamond. They offered to send me a pair of the X-Boot #0911 in return for an honest assessment of the boots quality. Coming into this I must say, I was definitely biased towards the PRO Warrington firefighting boots. My department has issued the PRO Warrington Boot for nearly five years. I couldn’t imagine any boot being more comfortable and durable. Turns out I was wrong. After about a month of use in hands-on training, firefighting, and accidents the Black Diamond X-Boot #0911 continues to exceed my expectations.
Black Diamond Protective Equipment Describes them as:
“The X-BOOT sets a new standard for fire boots – built for today’s firefighter, using proven shoemaking technologies and constructions. Utilizing proprietary materials, innovative thinking and input from firefighters, we built a better boot, a better 
way. In addition to meeting the NFPA standards, we meet the standards of firefighters who demand all-day comfort, support and protection. NFPA1971 Certified.”
From the start, I found the integral slots for putting the boots on to be much easier to handle then the PRO Warrington boot series. Once the PRO Warrington handle is worn it becomes twisted, limp, and often tough to use. Black Diamond has also designed the boots in way that they are structurally sound and erect, but they are able to be broken in a way they can still maintain their stability. I had always been disappointed with the how rapid the PRO Warrington breaks in and how rapidly they are left limp inside your bunker pants. The new Black Diamond X-Boot #0911 stands tall and stable with the bunker gear slid down ready for the next job. I am also impressed at how Black Diamond Boots took extra effort to add extra strength to the areas of the boot that typically fail in other leather boot series. Extra protection is added were the side of the tread meets the side of the actual boot. Black Diamond has also added additional protection on the top of the foot, as well as full height support from the back of your heel to the top of the boot. These are all great design additions that reinforce the fact that these boots were designed with real firefighter input to meet the demands of real firefighters. Strength, Durabilty, and Comfort – Who could ask for anything more. For more information please visit Black Diamond.