I purchased these boots new in 2006 and put them in the closet and never got around to wearing them due to a change in the style of clothes I wore. I pulled them out in early September 2025 and conditioned them. I wore them about two hours that day. They’ve never been worn outside. I assume they should be entered in pre-worn because there’s a significant amount of creasing just from the shaft collapsing, so it’s not like I’m breaking in a pair with new, stiff leather.