Amazingly versatile and durable boots. Great for dress-casual, the office and light hiking.

I've been wearing it 3-4 times a week for office and casually around the city. Recently, I've brought it with me to going exploring around Sydney in summer - mainly the city, but also a bit of hiking in the Blue Mountains.

The boots were initially tough but started to mould to my feet within 3-4 wears (7-8 hours each). For the first few days, I was working from home and would wear them inside for 3-4 hours at a time - it was a hard break in during this time, but got exponentially easier the more I wore it. I used a cedar shoe tree after wearing them and when I'm not using them, and I brush them once a day. They are much easier to wear now - not as stiff compared to the beginning, and they've shaped to my foot well. However, the instep area can sometimes be a hot spot if I'm crouching down and really bending them - this might be due to the low volume shape of this last. I'm wearing them in summer, and it's not too bad on my feet - breathability isn't really there, but I'm not sweating my feet much either (though I wear merino wool socks). I did see that they were a bit dry after wearing them in the rain, and I've conditioned it only once with Saphir Renovateur, but I'll probably refrain from conditioning them for a year.

The last looks so clean and sleek Perfect for a more dress-casual look. I can wear them in my office perfectly fine, and go around town in fancy restaurants with them. The E width at the toebox makes it fit my feet perfectly. The tapering to the heel also makes it feet very snugly, with no squeaking or heel rub whatsoever. However, the low volume of the last means a minor limitation in mobility around the instep and really flexing my boot (e.g. when kneeling/crouching) can create a hotspot on my instep. This only is exaggerated when I wear thin to midweight socks, but no pain if I wear thick socks. Overall, a very comfortable and sleek looking boot, but with a bit of mobility lacking at the instep.

These boots feel so solid. They're not as heavy as I expected, but they feel very rigid, durable, and secure. Their sleek design make them versatile for office/dress-casual wear, and their durability make it great for walking in the bush. For me, they hit the right spot of durability and weight to comfortably wear them anywhere, any day. The eyelets/hooks can bite on the gusset, so I bought a pair of Rose Anvil Black kilties, which perfectly meet the hooks/eyelets and prevent gusset bite. I bought a pair of Nicks kilties before (11inch version, trimmed to 9 inches), but those weren't wide enough to meet the eyelets/hooks.

Most versatile sole yet. I've walked on them on puddles in the rain, wet concrete, bush areas, etc. They perform so well, and I haven't slipped or felt like slipping, so traction is amazing. They are also so light compared to the V-100 sole, making them the perfect middle ground of traction and weight.

Great heel with good traction. I haven't slipped or felt like slipping on them yet.

Overall, a great heritage boot that is very versatile. I wear them in the office in business casual attire and have also brought them to hiking in the mountains. The boots feel amazingly durable, yet not as heavy (mainly due to the V-Bar sole). The combined last makes the boot great around the toe box area, with a snug heel fit. However, the lower-volume last (compared to the 55 last), does occasionally provide some bite at the instep, which I hope goes away as I break it in further.