We all knew it was just a matter of time. Now, the latest craze in athletic footwear has finally hit the combat boot market. This winter (2012), Tactical Research by Belleville Boots is releasing the first minimalist combat boot. The TR101 is designed for the Army and is ACU approved.

According to Belleville, ” A true minimalist boot featuring a 5mm “drop” between the heel & forefoot, the Mini-Mil is designed specifically for the conditioned warrior athlete currently training in minimalistic athletic footwear. This quick-drying unlined boot is not only highly breathable, but lightweight too – weighing less than 2 lbs a pair.”

Belleville has partnered with Vibram, the experts in minimalist footwear with their five fingers (they produces the outsoles for these minimalist boots as well), to be the first to hit the market with these.

Our rep at Belleville mentioned to us that several SEAL teams in San Diego are already using the Tactical Research these boots in their training regimens.

Here are some of the benefits of minimalist footwear.

• Lighter impact on the foot through midfoot and forefoot striking , resulting in less wear and tear
• Increased efficiency
• Increased awareness of your terrain

For more on minimalist footwear, our friends at REI got it covered here.

Please note that if you’re not used to minimalist footwear, they do require some getting used to because of the different mechanics at play. We recommend first wearing them for 1-2 hours per day for 1-2 weeks to allow the muscles in your feet and legs to adjust.

They also come in black and USAF sage green.

All 3 models will be released in Nov-Dec 2012 and are on pre-order now.