The very tail end of the 2010s is probably when most people would agree that TigerStripe fever hit its’ peak amongst tacticool nerds, especially with the first private batch of Crye G3s being produced in the infamous Vietnam war camo. Not being ones to ever stand at the side of the party, Tactical Distributors got in on the action with this special release of Altama Maritime Assault shoes to celebrate 20 years of TD.
These particular trainers were also riding a gigantic wave of being perhaps the most viral/globally popular military oriented footwear ever made during the same period, so mixing the two was a no-brainer on the business front.
There are a couple of non-standard aesthetic features on these particular Altamas, including the labelling on the rear pull tab and on the tongue. That said, overall these are functionally a standard pair of Maritime Assaults in ever major facet of manufacture.
The particular rendition of TigerStripe camouflage that was used here is slightly odd looking, at least to my eye, as the brown areas are rather reddish. To my knowledge however, at the time these were made the actual TigerStripe Products company had not commissioned any fabric printing in many years. So I would guess that that fact, combined with the very high demand for gear in TS, meant that Tac Distributors had to either pay for material printing themselves or just take whatever they (or Altama) could find in terms of a nylon material.
This particular special release came with both OD green and black lace sets included in the box. Given that most Tiger patterns include a fairly even mixture of black and green, there is a lot of debate as to whether secondary fabrics/accessories that are part of products in TSP should be made from green or black, but both camps are catered to here.
Personally while I really like my Altama Urbans I have never really gotten along with the Maritimes, I know many people find them very comfortable and practical. But for me they are both uncomfortable and wear on my skin, and also the least breathable footwear I own. I also find the base of soles to have almost no grip in everyday usage, however all of the above is just a result of the fact these are designed for a very specific military purpose in waterbone/over-the-beach environments and the material used in the construction do thoroughly reflect that.
I am not a ‘sneaker guy’ myself by any means, this is the one and only pair of shoes I own just because they are cool and rare. So far I have never worn these and I’m not sure if I ever will, but they do represent a rare combination of two hyper popular products at a specific point in time that was, in retrospect, a high point, not long before that lovely pandemic hit us all.
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