“Unload and show clear”? DeSantis’ Clear Kydex Holsters

Clear-ly carrying

I do enjoy DeSantis Gunhide’s products.  They make some of my favorite IWB and pocket holsters for micro-compact semiautos.  Back when I was involved with firearms retail, they were also a super friendly and easy company to deal with as a small business.  At SHOT 2018, they showed me some of their more wild creations, including these two clear OWB Kydex holsters.

One model is slightly frosted, and the other is totally clear.  Carried OWB with no concealment, the completely clear model makes it look almost as if the firearm is floating on one’s hip!  My initial thoughts about these holsters are that they would make a fun option for a dedicated IDPA or USPSA-style competition rig.  There are other clear holsters in the past, but these are from smaller custom manufacturers such as RKBA or High Noon.  These are the first two that I have seen in person.

Sorry for the bad lighting. Trade shows and all…

The rep who showed me these holsters said they were under consideration for manufacturing.  These holsters are not currently for sale on their product website, and the configurations do not match any of their current Pegasus Kydex offerings.  The part that encompasses the firearm roughly matches the profile of their “Infiltrator Air” model.

What do our readers think?  Are these holsters ever appropriate for concealed carry purposes?  Open carry?  Or are clear holsters clearly only a viable option to show off one’s flashy competition or BBQ gun?