About Magnum Footwear

1974
Hi-Tec Sports founded by Frank Van WezelHi-Tec Sports was founded in 1974 in the appropriately named village of Shoeburyness, in Essex, England. Hi-Tec’s original success grew from the breakthrough design and development of Hi-Tec's first ever shoe, the Hi-Tec Squash, specifically designed for the then fast growing game of squash. An industry benchmark then and now, few shoes in athletic footwear history have recorded unit sales of over 18 million pairs worldwide to date. The Hi-Tec Squash remains Britain's all time best selling sports shoe model to this day.
1982
Hi-Tec Magnum is born Hi-Tec Magnum is born through a demand from the FBI training centre at Quantico, Virginia, USA, for lightweight, athletically built black tactical boots. Until this point the officers were wearing the Hi-Tec Sierra Lite Hiking boot but the request came for an all black, high top version with a shineable toe, giving birth to the original tactical boot constructed using sports shoe materials.
1983
The first ever Hi-Tec Magnum tactical boot hits the market.Once the FBI spread the word, the demand came to supply this product nationwide, as more law enforcement and security personnel wanted the comfort and super light performance of this groundbreaking product.
1985
Investment is made in R&D to increase the Hi-Tec Magnum collectionAs demand grew for this type of boot, we invested a lot of time in researching what the end user wanted from Magnum boots. The end users told us that there was a need for several variations of the popular style in a mid cut, including the boot being available in full leather, waterproof and steel toe versions.
1990
First ever complete global Magnum footwear collection is launched. Once Magnum was well established across the USA, the demand from around the world increased, which meant that the collection needed to appeal to different climates, tastes and approaches to uniform requirements. A global Magnum footwear collection was created.
1998
Magnum advisory council is established. In 1988 Magnum set up its own dedicated Magnum Advisory Committee (MAC), referring back to the end-user for valuable feedback and guidance. MAC comprised of members of the various emergency services and Military forces working alongside the Magnum Development Team testing and advising on all new product development in their day-to-day work environment. This helps to ensure all Magnum footwear is truly ‘Fit for Purpose’ and continues to exceed end-user requirements.
2002
Magnum officially separates from Hi-Tec In 2001 Magnum officially separated from Hi-Tec to become a stand alone brand. As the Magnum business grew, it became apparent that Magnum could stand on its own two feet as a brand, backed up by dedicated design, development, sales and marketing teams. Magnum had come of age.
2003
The Elite Force series becomes the first ever globally certified tactical footwear collectionFor the highly trained officer demanding the very best in materials, features, materials, comfort and performance. The Elite Force series is built to the highest technical and design standards. Gaining high praises from law enforcement personnel and gear reviewers alike, the Elite Series can easily be touted as the most progressive line of tactical footwear in the industry.
2006
Magnum Stealth is the #1 selling uniform boot in the world.Sold in 80 countries around the world. The first choice for Law Enforcement, Ambulance, Fire and Security Professionals. Lightweight Athletic comfort, yet built like a battleship!
2009
Magnum claims another industry first – ion-mask technology by P2iIn 2009 Magnum joined forces with P2i, pioneering the introduction of their groundbreaking ion-maskTM technology to the tactical footwear industry. Ion-maskTM is a patented plasma-based technology, originally developed for the UK military, to repel chemicals and protect soldiers from chemical attack. It permanently alters the surface of a product at a molecular level to repel water and other liquids even blood pathogens– which are forced to bead up like mercury and simply run-off to protect the wearer.
2010
Spider collection; The species evolves Pushing the Boundaries of Industry leading design innovation. The highest performance boot for the hightest performing special operators. The Exo Skeletal frame cradles the ankle and foot for maximum support, allowing maximum weight reduction without any compromise in performance.