These are a special pair of boots. I received the around the end of Patinathunderdome 4 and considered saving them until Patianthunderdome 5, but I wore them all Summer instead. I have a new pair of Role Clubs I’m entering as well, but these boots are amazing and need to documented in some way even if they’ve already made significant transformation. Also, I’m going to keep wearing them a lot since they are so comfortable. The sizing is really perfect for me. The backstay is a special leather from a show factory where my grandmother worked in the 1970’s. Is new deadstock brown bison leather overdyed black for this pair. The leather was too old to make more substantial or flexible then the backstays.