Welcome to hell, feet

A while back ago, like Medic999, I was approached by Magnum Boot company about becoming a field tester for a new pair of boots. They asked me to wear their new boots for a while and write about them in my �Popular EMS Blog�. They�d send me new boots for free, and I would review them. I weighed the decision carefully� I couldn�t decide whether I would alienate my readership (both of them) by blogging about commercial interests. I pictured myself as a NASCAR driver, blogging for a corporate sponsor. Would you think that I�d sold out? Would you think that I was a corporate shill?

But then I thought, y�know� free boots.

So I signed up and Magnum Boots sent me a brand new pair of Magnum Elite Force 8.0 WPI boots. They arrived yesterday and they�re replacing my old boots, which (No foolin�) I�ve been wearing dang-near every day since I got them 5 years ago.

I figured this. Magnum Boots has bought a review by sending me a new pair of boots to replace my 5yo pair that have been with me through so much. What they didn�t buy is an automatically�positive review. I�ve decided that I�m going to wear these boots through the whole week and put them through everything I go through. This includes 72 hours of shift time on a busy rural paramedic ambulance service, 24 hours on duty at the fire department (really. I work a lot), a bunch of volunteer calls, and my daily life of being a husband, father, and homeowner in a small town.

I�ll test these boots out, put them through hell, and report back to you on how they perform. If I like them, I�ll tell you. If I don�t like them, I�ll tell you. I�ve already mowed the lawn in them, and have put in a few hours of other misc yard work in them. Today I�m taking them down to the river for a little water rescue training. (fishing the bank)�These are things that I�d usually try to protect my other duty boots from, but I�m being tasked to review these things and I�m going to put them, and my feet, through hell week.

All for your benefit. I already got free boots, y�know.

It�s time to go kick my feet�s um, kick these boot�s� something. Look for a post in a week.