u/HMS_Vladamir

Definitely more jump boot inspired than a heritage rendition, these are like a modernized take on the jump boot. They have drain holes on the sides, a padded collar, and speed lacing but also have the medallion toe cap that the jump boots are known for. The side stitching is also something iconic to the jump boots but the stitching on these are decorative, there is no canvas attached to it. The worst part about them is that the tongue is not gusseted at all so it just sits flopped over. It's not even gusseted to the 2nd or 3rd eyelet row, it's just not gusseted.

Construction is also not heritage, real jump boots are 270 welted with a nailed heel, these seem to have an injection molded EVA midsole with a cemented(?) rubber outsole. At the very least they're VERY light for an all leather boot, weighing in at 2 lbs 10 oz for the pair. This is lighter than the current issued hot weather canvas/leather military boots which weigh in at 3 lbs 14 oz for a pair (same size). The heel counter is celastic with a suede leather counter cover, the forefoot is fabric lined, and the lasting board is fiberboard.

The sizing seems to run true-to-Brannock for anyone wondering. I'm a Brannock 9.5 HTB, 8.5 HTT, and 3E width and these size 10s ended up being a good fit. I was pleasantly surprised to find that their width fit me as I usually wear XWs in military boots and have always struggled to find boots that are wide enough. I checked their website (well, a webpage with these boots as this model is discontinued) after I purchased these and they advertise that they have a wide toe box, for once, they weren't kidding or only going up to EE width.

Still contemplating on whether or not I want to keep these for my collection or to sell. I don't need more boots but these are cool and interesting. If anyone has questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

Hopefully finalized because I don't need any more boots, but I sure love collecting them. Pictures and thoughts are in order of what I find most comfortable to least comfortable.
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Nicks Tactical Boots, Thurman Last | Size 8FF | ~2 Months Owned

I've only had these for ~2 months but I can already say they're the most comfortable boots I have. The Thurman (Munson-inspired) last is perfect for me and I once walked 17 miles in a single day in them without issue, besides getting tired. The leather (Weathershield Coyote Brown Roughout) is very supportive but broke in quickly and it's also silicone infused, which means it would repel water instead of getting soaked. Worth every single dollar spent, I could definitely wear these all day. They became my favorite fast and not just because I spent the most amount of money for them.
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US Military "Jungle" Boots, Hot Weather, Spike Protective | Size 8.5XW | Made By Belleville In May 1989 | ~5 Months Owned

The "jungles" are definitely my favorite surplus boot out of my entire collection. They fit me very well, just below the Nicks, and look so good. I baby these more than the Nicks, I didn't mind scraping rocks on those but I keep these jungles clean, which probably sounds counterintuitive. Their full leather heel counter and lasting board is very comfortable and they're the only military boots I wear without a kiltie to snug the instep. They lack cushioning for longer days on hard surfaces though but I still love them nonetheless. If I ever wear the outsole down, I will get them resoled.
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Jim Green AR8 Brown | Size US 9.5 | ~1.5 Years Owned

These were the first non-surplus boots I bought and they're great. I was struggling with finding an actual extra wide boot at the time and after returning some other boots, I decided to try these. These fit well in the forefoot but never felt snug until I bought kilties for them, then they became perfect. They're a very solid, lightweight, fully lined leather boot. They are not too hot to wear in the summer either, just overall a very good boot. I just don't wear them as much as I ought to. This is the 3E width JG last model, there are 2E width STC last models of the AR8.
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US Military Boots, Combat, Mildew And Water Resistant, Direct Moulded Sole, Version C | Size 8.5XW | Made By Altama In August 1993 | ~5 Months Owned

Another very solid military black boot. These have an unlined shaft, canvas lined vamp, and leather lasting board. They are meant to be worn with a foam insole and mine fits a Superfeet Green inside perfectly. The padded collar is soft and provides no problem but I did need a kiltie to snug up the instep. The tongue leather quality is completely different on each boot though, one has very tight grain and is rigid while the other just flops over and folds like paper, even though the thickness is similar. The outsole design, which is called the "Trac-shun" sole, is surprisingly grippy on pavement and dirt, although I would not trust it around rocks. Because of the design, it wears down slowly since it's just a slab of rubber with some recesses. Interesting stuff and a nice black leather boot.
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Canadian Military Mk IV Boots, Combat, General Purpose | Mondopoint Size 265/112 | Made By Canada West In November 2010 | ~3 Months Owned

This pair of boots felt apart on me one week at a time. First, the left boot's rubber midsole disintegrates on the inside then after I get that repaired at my local cobbler, the right boot's rubber midsole disintegrates in the same way a week later. After getting that problem repaired though, they're alright. The lace-to-toe design isn't very good as the eyelets and speed lacing are too close to snug well and they required a kiltie to feel right. The inside is fully lined with a comfortable mesh and there's a leather counter cover too. The boot is truly 360 Goodyear welted with a cork filling, I saw the insides after the midsole fell apart, but I've lost the trust I had in these boots. Objectively, as long as they don't fall apart, they're fine and the leather is thick. There are better options though. Should've tried to find some Mk IIIs....
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Austrian Military KAZ 03 Heavy Combat Boots | Size EU 45 | Made By Holzer In 2005 | ~3 Years Owned

These were my first pair of high quality boots and they really strengthened my legs to wearing nothing except 5 lb boots. The only reason why I don't wear them more often is because they're not wide enough; they're 2.5 EU sizes larger than my JGs and are still a tiny bit too narrow even with no full length insole in. With a half length insole, they fit well enough for short periods but on longer days, the leather lasting board gets uncomfortable along with the narrowness in the forefoot. These were my only pair of boots for about 2 years though and I had them resoled with a JG lug sole after the original outsole wore flat. I can highly recommend these boots but only if you don't have wide feet. They're 360 Goodyear welted with a thick rubber midsole (as thick as the Nicks!), full smooth leather lining, and leather lasting board. Just a shame they don't come in wider sizes.
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US Military Boots, Hot Weather, The Generic Type | Size 8.5XW | Made By McRae In July 2012 | ~2 Months Owned

I only bought these boots as a curiosity as I was wondering how the current issued hot weather boot would compare against the jungles. These are definitely inferior in nearly all ways, the leather heel counter is now fabric, the leather lasting board is now some kind of foam, and even the nylon canvas feels lesser quality. The fit is also poorer than the jungles and these required a kiltie to even feel a bit snug, they still don't snug up completely and the speed lacing loops touch near the instep when fully tightened. Negatives aside, they are lighter and the fat PU wedge midsole and Sierra outsole combo insulate it more from the ground and provide more cushioning than the jungles. However, they're just not as nice to wear. If you can find them cheap though, they're fine.
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Canadian Military Boots; Combat; Land Operations; Temperate | Mondopoint Size 275/112 | Made By Royer In September 2015 | ~6 Months Owned

These are at the bottom of my list for many reasons yet, they serve a niche that the other boots are simple unable to fill. Also I found them for $15 CAD at a thrift store in Canada. They are a genuine issued, side-zip combat boot and they are also my slip-on sneakers. While I have to lace up my other boots, I can get this pair on in ~10 seconds which makes them perfect for quick chores that require me to go outside for a short time. However, they're one size too long, fit loosely even when laced down, and are uncomfortable for long periods of time. None of that matters when I just need to do something outside for a couple minutes and I can put these on in a couple seconds. For that, I appreciate them. Not good boots though.
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Thanks for reading if you got this far. If you have any questions about any of the boots, I'll do my best to answer.

They cost more than all of my other boots combined. Worth it though.

I have a $10 discount code from my Nicks Gallery submission and I feel like buying some kilties for my jungle boots. Which leather option would compliment my jungle boots? I've got some MS Black kilties in another pair of boots but I also saw the options for CXL Black, Spokane Black, and Latigo Black. I also remember seeing an option for Greener Pastures awhile ago but I suppose it's gone now. Not looking for a contrasting leather, just something that matches, which would likely be black if there's no green/olive drab.

My Tacticals are lurking in the background, hopefully this makes it Nicks-related enough. My jungles also are using the original Nicks laces that came with my Tacticals as those weren't long enough for my preferred lacing style.

Not my first time in BC but me and my buddy decided to visit places that we haven't been to before, including some hiking in the North Vancouver trails. I brought a 2nd pair of boots (jungles) but always went to the Tacticals for longer days out or the hikes. These were only a month old when I landed at the airport but I felt that I had broken them in already beforehand. Sure enough, they gave me no issues and now after all I've went through with them, I feel like they're good for anything.

Also cool that I didn't need to take them off for TSA. Walked through the scanner with no problems.

We visited Point Roberts, Washington, by taking a bus to a close stop then walking to and across the official border. It was then that we realized there is zero public transit on the peninsula. We walked all the way along the west coast road of Point Roberts (while sightseeing of course) before having dinner at The Pier and then walking back to the border on the side of the road straight down the middle. In all, it was ~5 hours of being on our feet. Nice place though.

In the three hikes we did (Big Cedar, Norvan Falls, Seymour Dam Lookout), we totaled about ~50 km (~31 miles) just on the trails, not counting the distance spent walking around in civilization. The Tacticals did perfectly in all conditions, being plenty supportive (prevented ~4 ankle rolls) and comfortable while still looking good at the end. We had to cross some creeks and the Weathershield Coyote Brown RO is very water repellant even though the RO side is supposed to be less water repellant than the smooth side, I had no problems with water whatsoever. I ordered these with a trimmed-to-fit DeltaArch and it really helped, especially when fatigue starts to slowly set in and my arches started tiring. The worst hike was to Seymour Dam Lookout, which was ~14 km to and from for ~28 km total. The terrain was a gravel road to and a paved asphalt road from; if I had to estimate, we were walking for 7 hours, with an hour break at the dam to eat. The Tacticals survived it and so did my feet, although general fatigue set in on the way back.

We also went to Vancouver Island on another day and visited Victoria. The Nicks set foot inside the boot factory of another company, if you know, you know.

I got home yesterday at night and took two pictures of the boots today, including of the outsole heel in case anyone is curious on how the Sierra sole wears. No complaints with that outsole for what we were doing, it functioned perfectly and I didn't think about it.

All locations are in the image captions. Lovely boots, worth every single dollar and serves their purpose excellently.