Grey is the new tactical: New 5.11 Tactical line up for 2014

5.11’s new Storm Grey collection includes the whole shebang — 18 pieces of clothes, gear and boots. (Photo by Daniel Terrill)

OD Green, Coyote Tan and Black dominate the tactical color scheme, but this year it’s expanding thanks to 5.11 Tactical. The company is putting Storm Grey on the map with a new collection of clothing, gear and boots.

The line up is “duty driven” and “inspired by an international study of what succeeds and what doesn’t. Normally it’s black, but grey tend s to blend better with urban and naval backgrounds,” a company spokesman told Guns.com.

Storm grey will consume 5.11 products such as chest rigs, plate carriers, gear covers, pouches, shirts, boots and the popular Stryke pants. The collection will be available in the Spring, and as the seasons change, cold weather upgrades will be available as well.

And while 5.11 tries to brighten (or dim) tactical color options, it’s also expanding footwear for the tactically fashionable consumers, dipping into the plain clothes and workout gear markets.

First off, the Pursuit collection, originally designed for Secret Service-like security, has two new offerings: the Pursuit Advance 6″ and the Skywight Zip Boots.

Boots, boots and more boots; the Storm Grey collection covers all. (Photo by Daniel Terrill)

The Skyweight Zip Boots stand out the most. It’s a jungle boot style (flexible material, breathable and lightweight), but has a zipper on the side so you can slip them on and off with ease — a feature you would appreciate if you’ve endured any of the snowstorms this winter and have had to come in and out, delayering each time.

The Advance 6″ looks similar to a hiking boot reaching above the ankle. 5.11 calls it a “street styled version of the Recon Boot.”

A company spokesman said both models are ideal for the LEOs. The Zips are $139.99 and the Advanced are $129.99.

While boots are boots, 5.11 dips into a new market — new for them at least — of workout shoes, offering a minimalist workout shoe ideal for crossfit training because why would you workout for 30-60 minutes when you can sculpt your bod with a formless, anaerobic 10-minute training session (biased?). The 5.11 Recon Training line has been expanded to include a women’s shoe.

5.11’s Recon Training crossfit training shoe. (Photo by Daniel Terrill)

Seriously though, the minimalist style grows on you. It embraces your body’s natural movements and ideally strengthens muscle and joints you wouldn’t ordinarily use with shoes using thick foam soles. However, the 5.11s a bit more padding on the heel than a traditional minimalist style shoe. The added cushion aids those transitioning from mainstream running shoes to this growing trend.

The Recon for women is available in Caribbean green, Storm grey and Scope orange, and they’ll retail for $99.99.

No worries ladies, there’s more fabulous new 5.11 clothes out there for you. too. The company introduced new Cirrus pants for women. Similar to the Stryke pants, they’re comfortable, elastic and durable, but lack the cargo pockets. The idea is to offer an option for concealed carrying or range training.

The Cirrus pants essentially blends the tactical and current fashion trends — so you can still carry six knives and two guns but not look like you are.

The women’s Cirrus pants are designed for a flattering yet professional fit. It features a full gusseted crotch for mobility, twin front pockets for a knife or cell phone and twin seat pockets sized for spare magazines. Overall there’s eight multi-use pockets. It’s available in black, Storm grey and Stone grey. MSRP is $69.99.