I purchased a brown pair of Nunn Bush Lancaster chukka boots in January 2018 and have been wearing them almost daily since. Now, in September 2019, I leave this review to share my experiences with this shoe now that my pair are at the end of their life, as a testament to the quality and longevity of this product. Admittedly, part of the reason I was able to use these shoes for so long was because I used removable insoles in these shoes throughout their life. That said, no shoe - insole or not- can last this long if it isn't well built, and the Lancaster is absolutely a well-built shoe. When I first received these shoes I found that they were a bit too large for my foot, particularly in the toe. There is a lot of excess room in the toe. This wasn't an issue though, because once I installed my own insoles, they fit well to my 11.5 size foot. I would recommend ordering a half size down if you plan on using these shoes as-is. To this day, the leather outer of this shoe seems of excellent quality. It's thick and supple and has yet to split, tear, or otherwise break even to this day. I'm actually sad that I will have to buy a new pair soon because the leather on this shoe, when properly maintained, feels as though it could last a lifetime. The first thing to break on these shoes were the inner lining. At the back of the shoe it feels like a thin suede material. It broke first at the heel and the rear wall of the shoe. Later, the hard support at the back of the heel broke after enough use. On one shoe, it split along the rear seam of the shoe while on the other, it was reduced to pieces (see photos). Obviously, the sole of this shoe is thoroughly worn out. The heel is rounded and while it has NOT broken through yet, it does seem as if my pair will have holes in them very soon should I continue to wear them. Likewise the toe has been rounded down. Were it not for my insoles, I'm sure I would have gotten a lot less use from this shoe. The memory foam in the stock sole has long since perished from wear and overuse. The only other thing to break on this shoe were the laces, which only in the past couple weeks began to fray in the middle. I simply replaced them and the problem was solved. If one wishes to get a lot of longevity out of these or any leather shoe, they will eventually have to take care of the leather itself. For me that meant only cleaning the shoe with a wet rag and soft brush, and applying a leather conditioner or saddle soap to the outside of the shoe. This quenched dry, worn, and scuffed spots in the leather and made the shoes look brand new. Keep in mind I only had to do this once in all my time owning this pair. This shoe has seen everything. From winter snow, to rain, to total submersion in mud. From navigating college campuses to a part-time job waiting tables. Every time it has bounced back. Any shoe that can last nearly two years of daily use with minimal maintenance is a good shoe in my book. Even when parts of this shoe began to break down, it remained comfortable and usable. All in all, this is a tough, good looking shoe that is ready for everything you can throw at it. It is absolutely worth every penny of the price and then some and I will certainly be purchasing another pair.
