I erroneously made an assumption that my original blog post below was yanked and sent to the Principal's office for violation of TOS (that's Terms of Service for you acronym-challenged folk)--but we all know what happens when assumptions are made.

Wikipedia it if you were born in 1809 and don't know what I'm talking about.

So here it is...in its entirety, and thanks to WebChief for the clarification/go-ahead.

These Boots Were Made For Walkin....

Phenomenal.

Now I've got Nancy Sinatra's warbling firmly entrenched in my brain. The only thing that might shake that loose is something peppy from the Partridge Family, and quite honestly, I'm not sure which is worse. But I digress....

I've been lured out of my self-imposed blogging retirement by an opportunity that I just couldn't pass up. I won't reap any benefits, financial or otherwise, from this little experiment, but hopefully my emergency services brethren will benefit from an honest and legitimate review of one of the key pieces of firefighting PPE....yer boots.

Caitlin Gambee from TrueNorth PR found me hiding under my internet rock, and asked me if I would consider accepting a pair of Black Diamond X firefighting boots to take on a test drive. In exchange, I'd blog about the boots (and was told in no uncertain terms that if they suck, I was to say so honestly....whilst refraining from actually using the word "suck" or "blow" or any derivative thereof if at all possible).

To be perfectly frank, my department doesn't run that many calls per year (we prefer to think that it's due to our exemplary fire prevention tutelage vs. something more geographic) so I was feeling a bit iffy about taking on the Black Diamond challenge. It could be WEEKS before we'd get another call....and quite possibly a year before I actually broke the things in...which is where my buddy Jim got involved.

Jim (Brunelle Jr. http://www.firefighternation.com/profile/JimBrunelleJr?xg_source=pr... ) is the Chief of Department up in Washington County, NY at the Kingsbury Volunteer Hose Company #1. It's a busy department. They answer more calls in a week than I answer in six months. Jim might be a White Hat, but that certainly doesn't keep him off of the fireground. He's also a good friend of mine, one of whom I'm pretty sure I owe a favor or two to...so what better way to get myself off the hook than by offering him some firefighting boots to check out in exchange for his painfully honest feedback?!

So I shot him an email and asked if he was interested. His response encompassed a whopping two words; "Hell Yeah".

The boots got here lickety-split, and my next post will cover Jim's initial impression of the boots as to fit, feel, appearance and all that other stuff that men don't generally think about when trying on footwear; to wit, the classic male response when trying on shoes or other footwear "It fits, it's fine". (I may have to embellish his feedback a smidge...).

I, for one, wasn't all that "up" on Black Diamond as a company in general, or more specifically as a vendor of firefighting boots. Then again, my department isn't keen on blowing a lot of budget dollars on expensive leather boots, so I slog around in a donated pair that thankfully fit me and get the job done. (Thanks Kali http://www.firefighternation.com/profile/KaliGoddessofDestruction84... )

Here's a little bio on Black Diamond, along with a link to their Facebook page (if you ain't Facebookin....you ain't livin, son)

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Black-Diamond-Boots/22431...

Here's the Official Dog and Pony Show verbiage, straight from the Pony's mouth:

BLACK DIAMOND BOOTS ARE THE FIRST FIRE BOOTS TO HAVE THE SEAL OF ACCEPTANCE BY THE AMERICAN PODRIATRIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

Black Diamond is pleased to announce that it is the first fire boot to be awarded the Seal of Acceptance by the APMA. The APMA Seal of Acceptance Program was created to inform podiatric physicians and consumers about products whose quality, safety and effectiveness promote good foot health. In order to qualify for the Seal products must pass a grueling scientific evaluation by a panel of APMA members and rigorous testing at a recognized laboratory. The results are then evaluated by a committee of Doctors of Podiatric Medicine who decide to grant or deny the use of the Seal.

"We are proud to be the first fire boots to be recognized and awarded the APMA Seal of Acceptance" said Black Diamond President, Rob Mills. "The APMA's efforts to promote better foot health is consistent with our efforts to build boots that will support the brave men and women in the fire service as they provide world-class support and protection to our communities."

Black Diamond is the leader in performance protective footwear. Our boots are in service daily with fire departments from around the world in countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Canada and the United States of America. Utilizing proprietary footwear constructions and "best in class" components and materials such as CROSSTECH® and Ortholite®, we build a better boot for people who demand all-day comfort, support and protection.

We are bootmakers - it is what we've known for the past three generations. Our boots are built for firefighters who perform random acts of bravery - it's not just their job, it's their passion. Our passion is to make the best damn boots to support these bold and brave men and women who run toward danger while others run away.

OUR MISSION IS CLEAR. OUR PURPOSE IS SIMPLE. BUILD THE BEST DAMN BOOT.

Well I'd say them there's some fightin words...or at least a challenge, wouldn't you?

So here's the skinny:

Jim's going to provide me with his unabridged and searingly honest commentary and feedback on the Black Diamond X Boots he's been provided with, and I'll post it here in two parts; one for initial feedback, and the other for a follow-up visit to see how the boots are working out after getting worked out.
Here's a photo of the aforementioned boots followed by the specs (for the whacker gearheads who just HAVE to know, down to the nano-inch, what the boots are made of and measurements and all that other stuff that makes my mind go to white screen)

Black Diamond X-Boot

• Comfort System: Comfort Fit Plus - with Enersole
• Boot Height: 14 inches
• Leather Upper: Firetuff Leather(tm) with Fusion Fabric
• 3-Point Heel Lock System: Exclusive 3-Point Heel Lock
• Lining: Crosstech Fabric with Omaha Lining
• Kevlar Lining: Kevlar Lined For Protection
• Insulation: Standard
• Tibia Protection: Padded Shin-Guard Protection and Comfort
• Toe Cap Protection: Rubber Toe Cap For High-abrasion
• Steel Toe: HI 500, Meets or Exceeds ASTM Standards
• Steel Midsole: Stainless Steel
• Steel Shank: Ridge Steel
• Outsole: Rubber Comfort Cup Sole with Comfort Flex, High-abrasion and Traction Performance
• Footbed: 3-Density Removable Pu Orthotic Footbed
• Pull-On System: Integrated Pull-On System
• Certification: NFPA1971 Edition

And if that wasn't enough, Black Diamond also has a contest on their webpage to win a free pair of their firefighting boots, and here's the link for THAT

http://www.blackdiamondfootwear.com/Win/

So I'll be back in a few days with Jim's initial feedback on the boots, and in the interim, why don't you go check out Black Diamond's web page and Facebook page. For the record, I'm 99.9% sure that the babes modeling the boots on both sites don't come with the boots themselves. I'm just sayin....