Rios of Mercedes x The Black Bear Brand The Wild West Roughrider

When I pre-ordered these boots in November of 2021, I had no idea that I would be entering a patina contest. When I received them in July 2022 and put them on, there was no question that I would enter these into the next dome. I’m a general contractor and residential home builder, and I decided to enter the Work Dome so I could potentially wear these five days a week for six months, which I did. These boots saw it all: uncleared heavily wooded sites, graded lots, slab pours, framing walks to finished houses. Full disclosure: I don’t swing a hammer, but I’m in "it" 10–12 hours a day. Out of the box (once I changed out the thick insole), they were immediately comfortable and required zero breaking in. The crepe sole surprisingly held up well, and other than a loose heel (fixed easily) and the replacement of the top lift a couple times, they are super durable. The marine field Horween rough-out is almost bulletproof. Daily maintenance included brushing with a horsehair brush to remove dust and dirt and cleaning the sides of the crepe sole and welt with a wet rag or some saddle soap. Occasionally (every couple weeks), I would use a nylon brush and a brass brush when the dirt and gunk from working on construction sites couldn’t be removed with a light brushing. Foaming suede cleaner and spray suede protecter were the only products that I used directly on the leather. My intention in this dome was not to trash this boot or wear it out. I’ve done this many times over the last 28 years in the construction business. The goal for me was to have a boot at the end of the dome that I wanted to wear just as much as when I first opened the box and put them on. With no hesitation, I can say that is true today and that I will continue to wear these for years to come.