Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I love these boots. I've had them for several weeks, and they are incredibly good boots. The leather is top notch. I expect them to last several years, and then I'll have the sole replaced. They're truly really good boots. But there are some negative things. words Break-in: The break-in period is pretty rough. It took at least two or three weeks of daily wear before they really started to break-in. Once they are broken in, they are really comfortable. Early on I treated the boots with mink oil to soften the leather and the waterproof it. If you treat with mink oil, wear thick socks, and keep in mind that these are probably decade boots, a few weeks of break-in is totally worth it. Now every morning, I set them by the register while I'm getting dressed, which makes the leather nice and warm and soft. Sizing: Just weird. I normally wear a 10 or 10.5. Because I heard these usually ran big, I ordered a ten. They were pretty uncomfortable at first, but that's to be expected with a heavy-duty product like this. It needed to break in. So I broke them in over a period of a few weeks, so the leather would be softer, and the sole would have a little flex. After they broke in, the boots just didn't fit correctly. They were too long, and too narrow. So I ordered a 9.5 EE. The 9.5 EE are almost exactly the same size as my Clark's 10M desert boots, and after mink oil and break-in period, they are great. But I'm left with a pair of boots I don't need... Arch: They come with a pretty high arch support. It was too high for me. So I bought a heel pad to stick underneath the insole, and it works great. Orange welt: I was concerned about the apparent orange leather welt in the sole, but it darkens up nicely, and isn't nearly so orange. I really like these boots. With these peculiar things aside, I'm really happy with them. I wear them in a casual office, short hikes, and photography work that will take me everywhere. Be careful and the sizing, be ready for a break-in period, and you'll like these boots. They are comfortable, look good, and will last a long time. UPDATE: I wore these boots basically everyday during the winter, and anytime the occasion called for boots in the summer (and sometimes when it didn't). Soon as the weather cools into fall, I'll be back in them most everyday. I'm still loving them. There are times when I wish they were a little less clunky, but other times I'm glad for the heft to them. I think I may like to eventually buy some Wolverine 1000 mile boots for a little more elegance, but I'll keep these for occasions that could use something a little more rugged. UPDATE 2 (Feb 2015): I still have the boots, and they're still going strong. I did buy some Wolverine 1000 Mile boots, which look nicer and are more comfortable (especially at first), but I still wear these a lot. I got them resoled recently with a a little thinner sole with more traction. The old soles still probably had a few years before they were worn out, but I was able to get new soles that were a little less clunky but with better tread, and I like them even more now. I used to treat the books with mink oil paste, but have switched over to using neatsfoot oil every few months and Obenauf's LP a couple times a year. These boots are rugged, the leather is aging nicely after 10 months, and a couple mink oil treatments really do wonders. Here are some photos I took of both the new boots, and a few of the boots after several months. For some reason I Amazon won't let me upload them. [...]