These boots have been through hell and are still standing.
I waited to post this review, because I wanted to really test them and put them through their paces in real world construction setting. The pictures of the bottom of the soles is after 6 months of use. I work as a commercial electrician on new construction and these boots have been on some rough jobsites walking on coarse gravel, jagged rocks, concrete floors littered with screws, sheet metal, wood, and still they've held up great. On top of that they fit very well and don't constrict your feet. Here is a summary of the pros and cons I've found through my 8 months of heavy use:Pros:- An anatomically comfortable fit, toes have room to be properly spaced.- Good firm cushioning, probably even moreso for heavy 200lb+ people, i'm a lightweight guy and for me they're not hard on the feet. You can press the white sole and feel for yourself.- Durable outsole, I've walked on the rough terrain I mentioned and they've shown very little wear. I was expecting a lot more wear considering my first examination of the sole and it not being some hard vibram.- They look nice and thick and beefy, got several guys ask me when I first got them which boots I was wearing they look like good construction boots.- break in is minimal, 48hrs and they're plenty comfortable, one week and they feel mostly broken in, but 2 months and they are truly broken in with soft supple leather and creases everywhere you need.Cons:- Pants tend to catch on the pull strap and sit their above the ankle. For this reason I'd consider an 8" pair so your pants stay over the whole boot even when climbing ladders or stairs. Maybe if they redesigned the strap (or you cut it off entirely yourself) I'd stick with another 6" pair for my next ones.- Waterproofing. I almost returned these within the first month because on the first heavy rain I felt like some water leaked in at the toe. But what is strange is that it stopped at that. I gave them a second chance and wore them again in heavy rain and walking in puddles and it never seemed to be more than a small tiny drop at the very rim of the socks when I took my boot off. So I'll say they're 98% waterproof as weird as that sounds.- The toe has received some slices in the leather from walking into/brushing against metal studs. It's great leather on this boot, but if somehow they had an abrasion resistant coating at the toe I think it would be better.Lastly on the issue of breathability, while not horrible I think maybe could be improved a bit but I've managed in extremely humid environment so I really can't say they're bad. Overall I love these boots and they have held up and become some of the best work boots I've had for what the price is. My last pair was a pair of Redwing CRV's which I loved but have been discontinued. These have now become the ones to beat and I don't see any reason to not buy another pair. Like I said maybe I'd just opt for an 8" pair and add some toe coating then they'd be pretty much perfect.