As a Navy SEAL, Nathanael Roberti saw plenty of action, including choppering in to Taliban-infested mountains to retrieve the bodies of the soldiers killed in the "Lone Survivor" raid. As if the bullets and bombs weren’t trouble enough, he always had another complaint: his boots. Whenever they got wet, Roberti’s standard-issue footwear would get so heavy and noisy that he’d have to change into a dry pair mid-mission.
For the sake of the feet of his fellow soldiers---and civilians who want to feel like them---Roberti has launched a new company, Lalo Tactical, selling his own line of boots and shoes. Designed to stay wearable in every kind of terrain, the patented footwear is quick drying, ultra-lightweight, super-grippy, and equipped with extras like titanium cleats and blade-resistant ceramic toe caps.
Roberti says the Marines and SEALS have already ordered several hundred pairs, and other military branches are interested. Maybe change is afoot.
The Shadow boot comes in two varieties: the $325 standard version and a $350 "Amphibian" version with a water-shedding lining and a design that lets water drain out of the boot quickly. In addition to the Shadow tactical boot, Lalo also makes running shoes, water shoes, and a few different cross-trainers.
