GORUCK MACV-2 Review: The New & Improved

I’ve been wearing the GORUCK MACV-1 boots for over a year now, almost on a daily basis. They’re incredibly lightweight, comfortable, soft on the feet, and provide sufficient protecting and allow my feet to breathe well, also.

I was excited to hear about the MACV-2 launch and couldn’t wait to get them! I’ve finally got my pair of MACV-2 boots in the mail, and instead of getting the 8″ height like my MACV-1’s, I opted for the 6″ variant in coyote suede.

The GORUCK MACV-2 lightweight modern jungle boot is a all-terrain versatile boot that is wearable in almost any situation. 

Specs

Weight: 34oz per pair (for the 6″ boot)
Colors: Black, Coyote Brown
Height: 6″ (Mid Top) and 8″ (High Top)
Heel-Toe Drop: 13mm
Upper: Premium Suede or Challenge Leather, 1000D Cordura, 2″ Nylon Webbing
Midsole: Lightweight EVA
Outsole: Triple Compound Rubber
AR 670-1 Compliant: 8″ High Top – Coyote Suede
CANFORGEN 165/20: Black or Coyote, 6″ or 8″

Are GORUCK MACV-2 Boots Worth It?

At the time of this article, the MACV-2 costs around $165 depending on the material of the boot and the height.

Check GORUCK for the latest pricing!

GORUCK also has what’s called Earned Service Discount which gives military, first responders, and government employees (including teachers!) a 15% off discount on full-priced gear! (25% off all events!)

First Impression

When I took them out of the box they looked just like my MACV-1’s. I immediately noticed the aggressive tread. Everything else looked similar in design.

Once I put them on they felt extremely comfortable and very lightweight. Looking down I could notice the more rugged outsole which was wider than the MACV-1 outsole.

It definitely feels like I have more stability on my feet with the MACV-2 outsole. I took them for a walk right out of the box and they don’t need any time to break in.

Normally after the first mile in a brand new pair of military boots you would have some bad shin splints, but that’s not the case with the MACV-2 boots. They’re comfortable on the feet, lightweight, and provide a ton of support.

The GORUCK boots are true to size. I wear a size 11 and they fit perfectly. They have a wide toe box which gives you ample room to wiggle your toes.

The laces run nice a smooth, and they’re designed to be very easy to clean. GORUCK expects (and almost requires) you to get dirty, so everything is meant to be hosed down afterwards and essentially be good-to-go.

Quality & Workmanship

As always, GORUCK makes their gear tough and able to take a beating. Keep in mind that these are footwear, so they’ll get worn out over time with normal use. The boot is made with quality stitching with either double or triple sewing.

There’s no glue separation between the upper and the outsole. The upper is made from a combination of rough side cowhide and 1000D CORDURA. The ankles have a 2″ wide piece of webbing too, offering good ankle protection.

GORUCK has arguably the best warranty out there with their Scars Lifetime Guarantee. Essentially, if you manage to break their gear, they’ll either fix it or replace it. You don’t even need the receipt because GORUCK says they can recognize their own stuff. Here’s their statement below:

All GORUCK built gear, apparel, and footwear — everything we manufacture — comes with our Scars Lifetime Guarantee. If there is a defect in workmanship or materials or if you actually manage to wear our stuff out, GORUCK will fix or replace (at our discretion) your item, free of charge. No receipt necessary — we can recognize our own stuff — and your date of purchase does not matter. Hence lifetime.

– GORUCK

When it comes to footwear though, it’s expected for them to wear over use and time, so GORUCK will only fix or replace their footwear that have defects. That is unless you completely wear out all the tread on the boot, then GORUCK says you’re worthy of having it replaced!

Outsole

The new GORUCK MACV-2 boots have a more rugged and aggressive outsole, providing more support and traction for those tough terrains. It has a triple compound rubber construction, meaning the toe, midfoot, and heel have different densities.

The midfoot of the outsole is the hardest point made from rock climbing compound and is designed for fast roping, ladder climbs, and also just to take a beating on some pavement ruck marches! The heel is softer, to allow for a longer life as the heel contacts the road more often and harder than any other point of the boot.

The forefoot of the outsole has some deep grooves and teeth which is excellent for grabbing onto the ground for traction while moving up steep hills! There’s nothing fun about trying to climb uphill with a loaded ruck on your back and a rifle in your hands and you just slip and eat dirt…

The heel of the outsole is made to be extremely durable to be able to withstand the countless steps with loaded gear on your back.

Insole

The insole of the GORUCK MACV-2 is almost like a memory foam material so your foot forms to the boot better.

Most tactical boots I’ve bought had an insole that was almost like a softer piece of cardboard, but GORUCK upped a level and used a decent insole keeping your foot comfortable for any and all scenarios.

Upper

The upper of the GORUCK MACV-2 is made of either Suede (Coyote Brown) or Challenge Leather (Black). The boots that I own are the Coyote Brown Suede leather. I’ve gotten them a little wet also and it does a good job of repelling water. If you get them poured on though, after a while you’ll begin to feel the dampness. I can’t speak on the Challenge Leather, but I can only assume they would do a better job.

The Suede Leather has a bit of a stretch to it as well, which is great for allowing your foot to wiggle a bit, yet still being tightly secured. This is great for allowing your foot to move but prevent blisters at the same time.

On the inner lower portion there is a single drainage holes on each boot so when your boot gets soaked full, the water will drain out of the boot with each step. Being a modern jungle boot, the MACV Series boots were designed to NOT be waterproof, since your feet are probably going to get wet in those environments. That being said, I would like to see GORUCK make a GORE-TEX boot in the future!

The shaft of the GORUCK MACV-2 is made of 1000D Cordura which offers excellent strength and durability to the boot. To add ankle protection GORUCK uses a 2″ wide nylon webbing.

There is no pull tab on the back of the GORUCK MACV-2, which most tactical boots these days have, but the GORUCK MACV-2 is so easy to get on and take off that a pull tab isn’t necessary, so I’m glad GORUCK didn’t attach one just because most boots have them.

3mm Speed Lacing

The 3mm speed laces remind me of 550 Paracord, but the laces dry quickly, they don’t absorb any debris easily, and if they get dirty you just rinse them off and they’re good to go! 

I find that other laces I’ve used on combat boots take a while to dry off and end up fraying and falling apart within the first year of having the boot. 

The GORUCK 3mm speed laces though are probably one of the best laces for a combat boot. If you’d like to buy these laces separately you can do so on GORUCK’s accessories page. Be sure to check the sizing you need, because it depends on the size and height of your boot.

I found too that if you’re not going to tuck the laces in the boot (which I do when I’m wearing in uniform) then you can wrap the laces around the the top of the boot and then tie it in front. If you don’t want to do that then you can purchase a shorter set of laces on the GORUCK accessories page.

Functionality

Running in the GORUCK MACV-2 is very comfortable for being a tactical boot. Reason being is that they are able to breath the entire time. I’ve worn tactical boots in my career that as soon as my feet got warm, they would begin to pain soon after because my feet were not able to breathe. 

The GORUCK MACV-2 has excellent breathability keeping your feet comfortable regardless of how you’re using them. During that run I was on, my feet were warm yet comfortable, but as soon as I paused and walked for a moment, they cooled right down!

I’ve used the GORUCK MACV-2 boot on all different terrains and my feet were comfortable in all situations. On soft terrain they offer good traction and on hard terrain they had a good cushion preventing my feet from hurting.

Conclusion

I believe that the GORUCK MACV-2 would be the ideal tactical boot for pilots, as it is lightweight, comfortable, maneuverable, has great breathability, and offers excellent traction and support for land survival if necessary.

I hope this article has been helpful to you. Again, the MACV-1 and MACV-2 boots are identical other than the new rugged and durable outsole. This difference alone though makes it a whole new boot, and I couldn’t be more happy with it.