Surprisingly resilient, truly gorgeous, wonderfully comfortable.

I have worn these every day for six months for all but the dirtiest work. I've been on ladders, boom lifts, airports, offices, yard work, the landfill, on vacation, everywhere. I've worn them in Florida, Texas, Washington, new York, California, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Virginia, new Mexico, all over the US.

I don't really baby them, they get hit by pallets, scuffed on scaffolds, and attacked by roosters. The only time I swap out to my dirty boots is when it's raining really hard or I'm out cutting down trees and brush. When they do get covered in dust, dirt, manure, and whatever else, I just hose them off and wipe them with a shop rag. The leather has darkened up a little, but not that much. The patina is more in the texture and contours than the color. It's impressive how well the Latigo recovers from scuffs. Little conditioner and brushing and the scuffs blend in nicely. In addition to the resilience, the fine break across the vamp and nice rolls that have developed over the months make Latigo with the premium price tag for me. It really holds its shape and support, but still forms and relaxes around the foot better than some of the stiffer veg tan leathers out there.

I love the lower instep, narrower heel, and shorter toe box of the 602. It all makes for a great fit for me. The EE width is perfect for an E width, but I would recommend going up a half size if you really need a EE. Once broken in, you really notice the tight waist. You don't need to futz with insoles to take up extra space like you might do with a regular work boot last. The arch is a nice balance. It's definitely not low, but it isn't so high that it's uncomfortable for people who aren't used to it.

The build and finish are top notch. Of course they aren't Italian dress shoes, but for a work boot they are very well finished. Uppers stitching is damn near perfect, soling is solid with only the slightest variation in the sole stitching. Leather selection is impeccable. I haven't found any areas of loose grain at all. The hardware is as robust as you can get. The army studs haven't shifted, the eyelets haven't stretched. I'm even still using the laces they came with. I haven't experience any delamination anywhere, no squeaks, no rough eyelets, no stitches coming undone, nothing. The only thing that has failed is the Dr sole outsole plugs coming off. That's a pretty common issue. Nicks knocked it out of the park on this pair!

I have been impressed with how long they are wearing. The heel is quite hard, but not uncomfortably so. The plugs are falling out though, that's not great. The sole still functions pretty well normally, but it would be nice if they stayed together better. Traction is decent everywhere. They are a little slippery in the wet, not too bad though. I'd definitely get Dr sole half soles again.

I wish the plugs didn't come off.

I've already purchased another pair of Nicks boots with this last, and I'm probably going to buy another one this year. These were my first brand new, fully made-to-order, boots from Nicks. They really impressed me with these.