Daily Dad Boots 10:10

These have been all day comfort working indoors, and totally capable outdoors. Just about every other day, I've taken my toddler on short 1-3 hour hikes before I go to work. We live on the PNW coast, so we frequent the beach and our muddy mountain ranges. It's been a typical rainy season, so I've had the boots soaked by rain countless times now. Most of the time, the leather just gets wet, but several times they've been completely waterlogged. Other than the little toddler adventures, daily wear has been pretty ordinary.

The Patina did get a little darker over time, especially at the bends and creases from mlvement. -Also, where my pants brushed on the leather, giving it a nice sheen. This leather is very easy to care for with the exception of rain.* I didn't do anything other than dry brush them for the first 5 months. With all the mud and sand I was expecting it to stain more, but it didn't. I finally used some saddle soap at the 5 month mark, let them dry then applied a good amount of Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP. Of course, the color after application was a deep brown, but after about a week of wear they lightened back up to a nice medium brown. This is something I had planned on when I picked out the leather. Obenauf's is a good product for the amount of rain where I live, so its kind of a must-have. The break in and durability has been great. There's no signs of cracking of cuts in the leather. These have been very comfortable from day 1. On breathability- like most full wrap leather boots they need to air out overnight. I would usually just pull the tongues forward, but if they were really bad, I would flip them over and put them on my heater vents. Overall for color change, this leather changed the most at the creases and the wear spots from my pants. They darken slightly with time, but I definitely sped the process up by using Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP. This changed them from the light brown to a medium brown. *For the topic of rain, let me say that we get a lot of it. 91 inches per year. So, the leather frequently got very wet. The tanning salts in this leather would leave a white crystalized "high water mark" wherever it dried. Some users have reported it eventually stops happening, but even after 6 months I can say it does come back. After about a week the white lines will fade back into the leather, but still be slightly visible. I figured out I can wet a damp cloth and it helps blend them in.

Let me say, unlike some PNW boots, these feel amazing right from the beginning. They're closer to modern boots and sneakers in their initial feel, and they have remained comfortable throughout this experience. The padding in the tongue and the at the opening make it a very comfortable boot. No hot-spots at all. I really like the d-ring/ speed hook setup they use for laces. They're quick to adjust and dont get heel slip. I'm a 10eee on a brannock device, and this last was made to fit my feet. The boot is a size 10, and the last they use if a tripple wide. Its rare for wide footed people to find a perfect fit, but for me, this is it. The arch is low- nothing like a whites 55, and more like a modern hiking boot. I wear costco wool socks, and they've been very comfortable.

I think this is the best boot Jim Green has designed. Its packed with well though out features, and the execution is one of rugged reliability. Its far from a formal dress boot, but for today's casual fashion, it fits right in. I would have no problem taking these on any PNW hike. The lace system with d-rings and speed hooks is super fast and easy to use. The height of the lacing is perfect. The padding in the tongue is very comfortable, and the high gusset protects from debris. They way the ankle is padded is an awesome feature. It really sets these apart. When I think of the Razorback designed, its maximum features and ruggedness for a minimal price. -cant leave out the yellow frog 🐸 💛 patch on the tongue. I really digest the logo they have and how they placed it on the boot. It reminds me of 80s-90s skate shoes I grew up with.