Boots from a dream - made me rethink what I enjoy in shoes

Unfortunately I did not wear these boots as much as I would have liked however I did put in good mileage from walking around nyc. I work from home so these boots saw more intermittent but long walking distance outings. I think the lack of wear was a function of evolving style taste and also convenience (shoes off household). I am still trying to figure out where these boots land between something I love to wear and something that I think is cool but isn’t for me. Maybe it depends on the outfit, maybe it depends on where I am going for the day. I will say these boots held up tremendously to winter weather. I tried to avoid wet weather when possible but I did catch myself reaching for these boots in all but the most torrential of conditions. I did try to give the boots good rest days between getting drenched as I find it hard to not baby boots that look this good!

Really enjoyed getting to see this leather evolve. When I first tried on a pair they wore particularly stiff and thick however after an hour or so of wear the leather becomes much more supple and pliable, it almost feels more light as it warms up. The mix of rolling and creasing provides a really nice bit of visual interest compared to something more uniformly one or the other. While the tea core is just starting to pop through I am excited to see how these boots continue to patina. I just stuck to simple brushing and honestly I feel like this leather could take decades of wear and still look exceptional.

The fit of these boots was maybe a tad roomy but was lovely in the winter with thicker socks. Maybe it was the unstructured toebox or just the fact that the toebox was wide but I think I could have gotten away with going down half a size. I think I would have appreciated a bit more arch support however the more I wore the boots the more settled I felt in them. Once broken in I felt confident wearing the boots for miles of walking a day.

Some of the best constructed boots I have ever worn. The finishing and attention to detail from JL is incredible.

For a very stiff material this outsole has remarkable grip on rough concrete. I also feel like the sharper edges of the heel picked up fairly well in the wet and snow.

I think I am sold on JL boots and tea core horsehide however I am unsure of if this boot makeup was right for me as a forever or everyday boot. My thunderdome with these boots was a very reflective experience and left me wondering if I could ever whittle down my collection to just a few pairs or if I prefer having a range of selections to rotate between. Part of me still wants the single pair of black boots that I can wear all of the time, these boots were very close for me but I am left still wondering if some tweaks would have made me fully commit to a single footwear uniform. Either way, i would strongly recommend these boots and this makeup. Despite my personal indecision I feel strongly that nearly all aspects of these boots are objectively incredible. Wearing a boot this beautiful was a great pleasure and getting to ponder where my boot interests lie while wearing them was a wonderful experience.