This is my first experience with this type of footwear. Honestly, many of the other Pacific Northwest brands were out of my price range. I looked at Nicks, Whites, and JK, but I just could not pull the trigger. I knew I would be compromising a little bit, but I couldn’t justify the 600+ dollars for other brands. After this experience, I honestly can’t imagine what these boots lack compared to higher price-point boots. The leather is durable, the rubber sole is very high-quality, and the boots are perfectly crafted. Truman boots are very under represented in my opinion. During this competition, I have been inundated with ads from Nicks and JK, but I don’t think I have seen one advertisement from Truman. I believe the brand has really been built on customer loyalty. A few notes on the photos. I made sure not to use any filters. No DSLR quality photos were taken. Everything was shot from my iPhone 13. I was also conscious to not throw “lipstick” on these at the end. As I stated earlier, no cleaning products or conditioners have touched these boots. The patina that is represented is the true, actual patina, without the external influences such as photo filters, oil, and polish. In summary, I have never really considered myself to be a boot person, but after this experience, I understand the value of good quality USA made footwear. These boots will probably last another 5 to 6 years. I’m sure that I will pick up another pair in the meantime. Thank you so much for this opportunity to showcase my progress during this competition. For all of those involved, keep up the good work!