Wore these boots pretty much everywhere doing pretty much everything. Jungle trekking through rough and wet terrains, moving houses, going to the office, travelling to multiple cities.
The leather was soft from first wear and break in was minimal. The boots are mainly unlined throughout the shaft which made it breathable and comfortable in the hot climate of Singapore. Had a couple rounds of conditioning with M. Mowbray cream throughout the dome as they got wet and muddy frequently. The leather takes on patina pretty quickly, especially scuffs - which were buffed out when conditioning. On the downside, it isn’t very waterproof. During heavy rainstorms, they got soaked through pretty easily - with water entering via the leather upper instead of the welt/sole.
The last in size 41 is pretty bulky and it feels pretty loose for my 8.5E feet. Length and width were ideal but there is a lot of volume for my medium in-step/arch feet. Put in additional insoles and that solved it. On order, had also requested for some added arch support which was done via a padded insole. It is comfortable, but doesn’t offer as much support as a logger.
Finishing is spot on, can’t really spot any stitch errors with my untrained eye. Construction is very solid with nothing giving way despite the abuse it has taken. Eyelets are smooth and do not tear up laces, speed hooks are relatively stiff, but not the stiffest (can be bent if I really pressed hard). One downside is the split reverse welt, which seemed to collapse outward quite a bit - especially at the ball of foot. This can cause dirt/dust to get trapped in the cranny between the welt and upper. If I had to re-order, I would just go with a flat welt.
The sole is very sturdy and durable. I like that it looks sleek from the side while still having the traction of a commando sole. It has a sure and reliable grip in gravel, soil, grass, mud. However, I feel they are a little too hard. I found myself slipping quite a bit on big rocks and smooth surfaces.
These are a really great pair of boots with great value (total price was around USD 350). Communication with Junkard via WhatsApp was quite smooth. I have really came to love these boots as they are now my most comfortable pair and shares a ton of great memories during an important time in my life!