Magnum Boot Viper Pro 8.0 Review
What follows is a review of the Best Magnum Boots we could find the Magnum’s Viper Pro 8.0, a boot that we feel is an excellent choice for security operatives in the UK and around the world.
As any experienced operative knows, security work often involves long hours spent on your feet, enduring weather from blazing summer sun to heavy winter downpours. On top of that, you may be quickly called to action to chase a shoplifter or restrain a violent patron. Whatever you do, and whatever conditions you do it in, your footwear needs to be strong, reliable, supple, and safe.
We’ve found that Magnum Boots feature all these traits and more, which makes them a perfect choice for those who work on the front lines, night after night.
Over the course of this review, we’ll take a detailed look at these boots, covering their suitability for security work, benefits, and special features, as well as presenting 2 possible alternatives from the same manufacturer.
What are Magnum Boots
Magnum Viper Pro Boots are tough, comfortable and supportive boots, specifically designed with the needs of military, law enforcement and security professionals in mind. These rugged boots feature a durable leather upper that can provide reliable protection against all but the toughest weather conditions. The combination of comfort, safety and support makes these boots an ideal choice for any environment.
No matter how tough the conditions are, Magnum Boots will keep your feet safe and secure so you can focus on the task at hand. With their combination of comfort, safety and support, these boots provide the best protection for any environment.
Table of Contents
Product Overview
Providing the wearer with comfort, safety, and support, Magnum Boots are expertly engineered to be as wearable as they are tough. Magnum has been providing footwear to military, law enforcement, and security professionals for over 3 decades, so they really know what they’re doing.
Whether you’re working late enough to watch early morning frost settle on the ground or guarding a midsummer music festival in the blazing heat, these boots will keep your feet comfortable and secure.
The boots feature a durable leather upper that can withstand all but the harshest weather conditions. The fast-wicking lining provides a degree of moisture management, while the inclusion of a waterproof bootie membrane really helps feet to feel drier and fresher for as long as possible. Magnum boots are waterproof to the height of the under-lace tongue, which is remarkable when you consider how light and breathable they are.
Elsewhere, mesh panels allow air to reach the feet (very welcome on a hot day!), while sturdy ankle supports help to look after your lower legs, which is especially useful for those who regularly patrol large areas or spend extended periods of time on their feet.
These Magnum Boots are unisex and have the advantage of being anti-static, as well as featuring a high traction SRA rubber outsole for maximum grip.
Magnum Boots also feature a shock-absorbing ‘M-P.A.C.T’ insole, which works in tandem with the EVA midsole to add extra comfort and cushioning for the feet.
With a basic black design that can match anyone’s uniform, these Magnum Boots are as practical as they are functional. The boots also feature no metal components, making them totally scanner safe. Despite this lack of metal, the boots are fully tested and certified to meet the European ISO 20347:2012 safety standard for occupational footwear.
Special Features
Lightweight
Magnum Boots weigh just 0.580kg, meaning that they aren’t too heavy. Heavy boots can become uncomfortable, even draining, after prolonged use, but these boots feel more like hiking or tactical boots. You can even comfortably run in them.
Well-Made & Waterproof
The tough, durable leather uppers and well-ventilated mesh panels make Magnum Boots a strong, hardwearing choice for all weather conditions and most activities. It is even possible to stand in water up to your ankles while wearing them and not get wet. The soles of these boots are even more no-nonsense than the rest of the boot – it would take a lot to wear them down.
Brace for M-P.A.C.T!
Magnum’s ‘M-P.A.C.T’ technology utilises memory foam, as well as 3 different densities of cushioning to create a unique combination of support and comfort. The first layer conforms to the contours of your feet, while the bottom layer cradles the foot, offering extra support. The other parts consist of impact absorbing elastomer pads located at the forefoot and heel, which is sure to make Magnum Viper Pro Boots stand out as the most comfortable pair of boots you own.
Comfort is Key
The shock absorbing ‘M-P.A.C.T’ insole and EVA midsole make sure that each step is cushioned and kind to the feet. The ankle protection also works to help the wearer feel supported, which is very useful for the longer shifts! These boots are also ventilated enough to keep feet warm and dry in the summer, but cosy enough to keep them warm in winter.
All-Action Traction
Magnum Boots feature a high traction rubber outsole. Generally speaking, non-slip footwear features a smaller tread pattern than most other shoes. A lack of tread pattern will lead to lack of traction, but a large tread pattern can also cause the same problem. That’s why these boots have been designed with just the right amount of tread; not too much and not too little. As a result, Magnum Boots boast great traction, allowing the wearer to start running at a moment’s notice, and be unlikely to fall, even on the slipperiest of surfaces.
Overall Design Excellence
Magnum clearly paid a lot of attention to detail while designing these boots. In addition to placing the emphasis on comfort and functionality, Magnum Boots boast several other innovative design features. One such feature is the special panel at the back of the boot that allows you to drive without distorting the leather. Another is that, in most cases, these boots can be easily wiped clean if they become messy.
Alternatives
In this section, we’ll present 2 alternative options, available from the same manufacturer, and compare them with the main product.
Magnum Classic Boots
As the name suggests, Magnum Classic Boots have been available for a while, owing largely to unceasing demand for the product. These unisex boots combine most of the design features that the manufacturer is noted for. Magnum Classics are the boots to buy if you’re looking for comfort, durability, and functionality. This is a boot that can keep up with the most demanding activities.
Like their Viper Pro cousins, Magnum Classics combine good ventilation and breathability with a hard wearing leather exterior that’s great for keeping out wind, water, and pretty much everything else (they even feature rust-proofing).
Magnum Classic boots feature the same mesh panels and waterproof fast-wicking lining as the Viper Pros and, like the Pros, are also safety certified to European ISO 20347:2012 standards.
Unlike the Viper Pro boots, however, the Classics feature a padded tongue and collar for extra comfort. The Classics do lack the ‘M-P.A.C.T’ insoles, however. Instead, they utilise the same EVA midsoles as the Viper, together with EVA insoles.
The SRA high traction soles work very well, preventing slippages on all but the slickest surfaces.
Magnum Classic boots are a great choice for first responders, military personnel, police, security, or any other wearer who requires tough, reliable footwear that can take a beating and/or be worn comfortably over long periods and in a variety of conditions. These boots have everything you could need, but we feel that the Viper Pros have the edge over them, mainly in terms of comfort and those small, but always welcome, design extras.
Magnum Strike Force 6.0 Safety Boots
Unlike the other boots we’ve examined, the Strike Force safety boots are made specifically (and only) for men. Interestingly, these boots are the only ones reviewed here to feature protective toe caps. However, rather than being fashioned from steel (a highly dense, but also heavy material), the toe caps are made from a special composite, which manages to be both lightweight and protective at the same time. That’s a nice touch.
The Strike Force boots also feature by far the best ankle protection of the lot, as the same material as the toe caps is used for protective ankle plates.
Which make these boots the most protective option seen here. If you are employed to guard a building site or workshop of some kind, Strike Force boots may therefore represent your best option.
As with both the Vipers and the Classics, Magnum Strike Force boots feature a great combination of protection from the elements and ventilation. These boots are just as waterproof as any other Magnum boots, as well as being just as breathable.
The Strike Force boots also have a side-facing zip, which enables them to be put on and pulled off in a hurry. This is also a useful feature.
The Magnum Strike Force 6.0 safety boots are the most protective on this list, with excellent ankle support/protection and lightweight, yet protective toe caps. Aside from those features, wearers of these boots can enjoy most of the advanced design elements typically found in other Magnum boots.
In Summary
Magnum’s Viper Pro 8.0 Boots 
are an exceptional product, seemingly tailor-made for security work. They are very comfortable, and can be worn over long periods of driving, patrolling, or merely standing around. They are also very durable, and as such are well-suited to the rough-and-tumble world of security work.
In addition, Magnum Boots are among the most waterproof boots we’ve seen, which makes them perfect for outdoor wear, especially for long shifts in the pouring rain. Amazingly, although they are very waterproof, these boots are also highly ventilated, something which allows your feet to breathe, and really cuts down on sweat, foot odour, and overheating during the summer months.
We can unhesitatingly recommend these Magnum Boots to any security operative who is in the market for a pair of smart, tough, reliable boots.