Onderhoud SVC02 Packer Boot

I purchased these Onderhoud SVC-02 packer boots in natural Chromexcel from the SDP Marketplace shortly before this competition started. At the time, I was still new to all of this and didn’t realize how lucky I was to find an unworn pair of Onderhouds without winning a lottery and waiting for months. All I knew was that the pattern was striking and they were made out of a leather I had heard about on the Shoecast. In hindsight, I can’t believe my good fortune in stumbling onto this pair. First off, they were the right size for me, and the Vulture last works well for my feet. That seemed straightforward at the time, but my experience with other pairs since has taught me how rare that sort of match is. Some boots fit in the right socks or with the right insole or for brief stretches of time. These just fit. Second, Rizky’s craftsmanship is flawless. Again, having come from mass-produced footwear built on machines, a clean product did not seem revelatory. From what I’ve seen of bench-crafted boots since, however, I recognize just how immaculate this build and finishing is. From the lasting to the stitching to the welt, all are superb. The speedhooks have never spun or bent. The clicking of the vamps makes for near mirror images. I didn’t have an eye for these details when I started the competition, but now I marvel at what I have. These boots have accompanied me on countless walks, scrambled up rock faces on hikes, weathered beers splashed by careless fellow bar patrons, and through it all they’ve been as comfortable as old friends. More than anything, more than the fit or the make-up, this stands out above all: it’s only been 6 months and already these boots feel like home.