MODERN JUNGLE BOOTS
Ready When You Are.
Tested by Special Forces in cities, mountains, jungles and deserts, the world over.
Inspired by Vietnam-era Jungle Boots worn by MACV-SOG and other Special Forces units in the 60's. Modernized to today’s all-terrain requirements of traveling, training, rucking - and assaulting.
Lightweight
Lightweight like a running sneaker, tough like an assaulter’s boot.That was our mission and we were religiously committed to it. At under 14oz (28 oz/pair for 6"), MACV-1™ is lighter than any footwear of its kind, ever.
Supportive
All the support you need for your feet so they’re not smoked after being on your feet all day, whatever you’re doing. Support is foundational to MACV-1™ and makes them versatile — great for combat, traveling, and for people who demand a lot of their feet.
Proven
Special Forces grade materials, triple-stitched stress points, a durable EVA midsole and all-terrain outsole that thrives in all kinds of terrain. In Special Forces, adaptability is everything. No matter the terrain or the situation, you want your boots to be as light as possible and you want them to never fail.
The Best Story in the History of Footwear
Old-School Special Forces
Richard Rice, 5th Special Forces Group, US Army 1966-94, GORUCK Senior Advisor
Post 9/11 Modern Day Special Forces
Jason McCarthy, 10th Special Forces Group, 2006-08, GORUCK Founder
Inventor of the Reebok Pump
Paul Litchfield, 30 Year Shoe Dog, Senior Director of GORUCK Footwear
The Story Behind MACV-1™
MACV-1™ became the best story in the history of footwear because it’s not just about the boots. It’s about how we took Rich’s story, Rich’s 30 years of service in Special Forces that began in the jungles of Vietnam, and brought it to life, today.
45 YEARS LATER
Back in Vietnam
"I always wanted to wave the American flag in north Vietnam. I didn't think it would take me 50 years, but we did it for everyone who fought, and for everyone who didn't come back."
Watch Rich's return to Vietnam, a 10-part series through history.
Developing MACV-1™
This process mirrored a Special Forces mission. Lots of planning, lots of testing, and a relentless pursuit of excellence against all odds. We succeeded in creating the best, most adaptable rucking boot for Special Forces guys because our team had a mastery of the fundamentals, and we weren’t afraid to break the rules when we had to.
Most importantly, we stayed true to our roots and to ourselves.
The result is simple. My MACV-1’s are better than any boots I wore in my 30 year Army career spanning jungle, desert, mountainous, and urban warfare. And when the mission’s over, you can drink in ‘em, too.
Richard Rice, Special Forces, 30 year career including MACV-SOG![]()
We had a lot of freedom on this project, the kind of freedom you never have at a big shoe company with ten tons of bureaucracy built into every decision.
We had the freedom to spend four years on one boot, the freedom to product test in some of the world’s harshest environments, the freedom to never talk about reducing our standards to hit a certain price point, the freedom to not work with people who form their opinions in spreadsheets.
All we had to do was focus on the fundamentals of footwear and Special Forces requirements and keep refining the boots until there was nothing left to remove. Every project should take four years if it leads to an outcome like MACV-1. This is the best team I’ve ever worked on, and with the adventures we had, I wish it would have taken even longer.
Paul Litchfield, Shoe Dog, inventor of the Reebok Pump (and 160+ other patents)![]()
When I wear my MACV-1’s, I think of all the memories that went into making them. Waving an American flag in northern Vietnam with Rich, wrestling Paul at 3am in the back of a cab in Saigon, standing solemnly outside of the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ when a local family came up and asked us — with smiles on their faces — if we were from America.
Smiles. At us Americans. In front of the Hanoi Hilton.
MACV-1’s are more than a boot to me. They’re the story of how our team took Rich’s 30 year career that began in the jungles of Vietnam, and brought it to life, today.
Jason McCarthy, Special Forces, GORUCK Founder![]()
4+ Years in the Making
Four years of failure, four years of sweating every detail and the details to the details, four years of testing in some of the most difficult terrain on the planet, four years of never quitting until the job was done.
SAIGON, VIETNAM
At the Factory
HSV builds ~4 million pairs of shoes a month. We’ve partnered with a global leader in quality, performance footwear with best in class automation. This combination was not available to create performance boots in the United States of America.
GORUCK Footwear Compared
MACV-1™
Rucking Boots for Combat, Travel and Anyone Who Lives on Their Feet
Classic leather boots - inspired by Vietnam-era jungle boots, modernized to be lighter and more supportive for today’s all-terrain requirements of traveling, training, rucking - and assaulting. Made for people who demand a lot of their feet.
UPPER // Challenge Leather™ or Suede
MIDSOLE // Lightweight EVA
OUTSOLE // Dual Compound All-Terrain Rubber
HEEL-TOE-DROP // 13mm
PROFILE // 6" or 8" Boot
FIT // True to size with a wide toe box. Same fit as Jedburgh™.
Jedburgh™
Rucking Boots with a Versatile Performance Upper That Looks Good Anywhere
Deception Canvas™ upper performs in any environment - inspired by the broad spectrum of mission requirements of the Jedburgh teams of WWII. Built on the tested and proven MACV-1™ platform.
UPPER // Deception Canvas™
MIDSOLE // Lightweight EVA
OUTSOLE // Dual Compound All-Terrain Rubber
HEEL-TOE-DROP // 13mm
PROFILE // 6" Boot
FIT // True to size with a wide toe box. Same fit as MACV-1™.
Ballistic Trainers™
Functional Fitness Trainers with 3X Support™ and 3X Stability for All Three (3) of Your Arches
The new standard in functional fitness footwear with a focus on stability, backed by proven science of proper under foot support. Breathable and flexible in the forefoot, tough and stable in the midfoot to heel.
UPPER // Ballistic Nylon + Engineered Knit
MIDSOLE // Gradient Density™ EVA
OUTSOLE // Triple Compound Rubber
HEEL-TOE-DROP // 8mm
PROFILE // Low Top Trainer
FIT // About a half size larger than other athletic trainers (big-brands tend to run narrow).
