I needed a pair of hiking boots to replace the Keene boots that were only 1 1/2 yrs old but not only lost their waterproofing in the first six months but had a weed stalk in the field go right through the side and almost break my skin. This was the second pair of Keene’s that had gone bad in just over a year and, at $130 I was getting tired of replacing them. Started looking at reviews and found these. They have a large toe box with plenty of room. Before I took them out I took another reviewers advice and put a coating of Mink Oil on them. They were comfortable but I knew they’d take a little break in. I now have about three or four miles of walking through the fields and surprisingly they seem to be breaking in rather quickly. I usually put on about 500-700 miles a year. One note, if you’re looking for hiking boots that will give you really good ankle support these ARE NOT for you, look elsewhere. These are for easy hiking, fields and roadway. When I got them I first put in a pair of Dr. Scholls and that went a long way toward making them immediately comfortable. If I remember I’ll give an update in three or four months. UPDATE: Jan. 6, 2018 - I’ve now had a chance to wear these for a while including the recent snow storm and frigid temps (at least for us). We got 5” of snow, temps this morning, when I took the dog out, we’re 4 or 5 degrees with a windchill of -8. I had been wearing wool socks with these and my feet have stayed warm and dry on a 25 to 35 min. walk through the fields. This time, with the snow and frigid windchill I decided to try just summer cotton socks. Bear in mind I’m a 70 year old with diabetes, which does affect circulation, so I’m pretty sensitive to cold and heat and the comfort of my foot wear. (I walk approximately 3 miles a day with my dog, even in the snow and cold unless it’s too much for her.) So, the results of a 20 minute walk were still warm and dry feet. I could have gone much further but Harley was getting snow turning to ice between her toes every few minutes and we’d have to stop and I’d have to remove it. Bottom line: When I received these boots I put in my Dr. Scholls insoles from my previous pair, rubbed in three coats of mink oil on dry days (which I think was key to waterproofing) and started walking. I’ve found them to be far more comfortable than the Keen’s I was previously wearing. I don’t walk as much as a lot of people, about 25 miles a week, but they’re doing well for me for field and neighborhood walking. 2/9/18: I like to keep folks updated on important stuff: If you want a pair of boots to wear, every day, and forget when you take them off, look elsewhere. Because these are leather they require a LOT of care. If they get soaking wet do NOT continue to wear them the next day, you’ll ruin them. I’ve found that when mine get soaked from walking in the pouring rain, in the field with my dog, I wipe them clean with an old towel, put shoe trees in them to keep the leather from shrinking and set them aside where there’s a flow of air to let them air dry. Do not try and force dry them with hot air, you’ll ruin the leather. Putting them a few feet away from a fan seems to work okay or just let them sit. While they’re drying I use an old pair that I kept. After they have dried completely I retreat every inch of leather, paying particular attention to seams and around grommets, with mink oil, let it sit and dry then retreat again. Is the above a pain? Yes it is but these appear to be quality boots and you need to take care of them, not let them get muddy and wet and toss them in the corner for the next day. Update: 11/12/18 I’ve now had these boots a year and for the money they were a good buy but I’ll repeat a couple of points I made previously. 1. They are not, in any way, shape or form waterproof. 2. If you get them soaked do NOT simply take them off and leave them in a dark hallway. If you do they’ll be ruined. Put them on a towel in front of a fan blowing room temperature air on them. Do not, under any circumstances, place them on a heated surface or someplace where hot air blows on them, you’ll ruin the leather. 3. Once completely dry polish your boots. This is how I do it: I put a match to the polish (in the can) and let it flame and liquify, then take a rag and dip it into the liquid polish and rub it into the leather. Then I take a clean cloth and further rub the polish in and finally use a brush to buff the polish to a shine. Yes, it takes time and effort but if you wear leather hiking boots and walk through wet fields you should take the time to take care of the leather. In wet weather I don’t wear these two days in a row. If you’re looking for that type of boot you’re also looking at three times the price.
