Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought these exact boots 13 months ago and have worn them every single work day since. That is 45-70 hours per week, every week, in the rain, shine and snow, climbing many stairs, stepping in and out of vehicles, sometimes running including short sprints. Here is "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", and why I ultimately decided to buy them again: The Good: They are out-of-the-box comfortable, fit exactly to size, look good, have a composite shank (important for people like me who go through metal detectors for work), can be shined with polish and I love a side zipper. The metal gromets for the laces never popped out and don't set off a metal detector. The side zipper is indestructible. The tag doesn't say waterproof but they felt like it. They aren't "cold weather" boots but they kept my feet warm without making them sweat. Great gripping surface, even when carrying a load over wet surfaces I never felt like I was going to slip. The Bad: The Velcro side tabs become unusable after about 6 months of continual wear. The top of the boot is quite open and doesnt tie tight enough to keep your pant leg tucked in. You will need boot blousing straps to keep that appearance. The outer material can be polished but it scratches very easily. To maintain a professional appearance you will have to maintain this boot. I didn't because I wanted to evaluate them by themselves, and after about 9 months of continual use they became "trashy". The Ugly: The included laces are fragile and broke after 6 months, which is why I said left them out of the picture. I put in a pair of laces from another boot and that was fine. The boots did crack and rip open but remember I did NOT maintain them, I just wore them to see what would happen and when. Cracks happened around 7/8 months, holes around 10/11 months that let water in. So, what is the final verdict? Despite the material shortcomings (laces) I bought this boot again. This boot doesn't pretend to be the best boot out there, but I believe it IS the best boot for the money. If I didn't work in these every single week they would have lasted longer, but 1 year how I treat them is good enough, and great for the price. DO expect to toss them after a year. DO expect to replace the laces with something better. DO enjoy the money you saved by buying this boot instead of another, more expensive boot that you would replace in 1 year anyway. I go through boots once a year, and this is now my go-to boot.