These boots started out as my office/casual going out boots. My thought process was whenever i'm not wearing my nicks for work these will be on the remainder of the day. The boots look really nice with a clean pair of selvedge denim. i struggled to find a insole that worked well with these boots and ended up using a pair of spenco ones i had used in my JK's.
The sand rough out really absorbed the blue from my various pairs of selvedge. Very fast i must say, i love a good pair of crocked boots so i embraced the progress every month and looked forward to seeing the changes. The leather overall didn't break in like i expected, the shafts still stand tall as they did when the boots were new, they have gained some creases but not much sag. i wish they grew more character in this department but i think 6 months of casual wear wasn't enough to get these to bend.
These boots have serious volume. i tried adding a foam insole but that ended up absorbing too much space and squished my toes on the toe box. spenco rx insoles were a good medium and ended up being my best option. i tried for a few months to wear them with no insoles and just leather footbed to break them into my foot shape but they never changed or took my foot's imprint unfortunately. i would get a pretty hot friction movement if i made long walks in the boots without insoles and it became very uncomfortable. The thin spenco insoles really saved these boots as i was worried they would be all show and no go.
These boots are constructed beautifully. all the stitching it top notch and the single row stitch down construction is very handsome when paired with attractions custom last. These boots dress up very well and you could see and feel the quality.
Very good quality outsole, on par with dr. sole half soles and should last a very long time. they are great for urban environments but i fear would not do very well when used off the beaten path as they are somewhat slick and less foamy or rubbery grip wise.
Great height for this boots profile, spreads the weight across my feet comfortably and the heel looks clean and classy.
I purchased these boots on close out sale from SOP, i would say if you are looking for a pair of attractions i could only recommend them if you got them for a good deal. The 1000+ price they ask for them normally seems steep and with many other brands producing engineer boots i'd have a hard time shelling out that kind of money for a boot with a footbed that doesn't conform to my foot for ultimate comfort. Design,quality, and materials all seem top tier but footbed is cheap and needs real cork and a leather shank instead of the steel one and whatever other filler material i believe they use currently that isn't cork.