A "soft toe" from Nicks.

I work at a bakery and most of my working day is spent slinging drinks and serving food so my boots see a lot of chemicals, syrups, natural dyes like matcha and turmeric, and bleach. The lighter weight build has helped me keep up with the fast-paced environment and given me peace of mind when it comes to dropping drinks or things on my feet. I've taken the boots to the family homestead in the Raneer foothills, walked with the slugs and moose in the local wildlife parks, hiked with my dog Remi at the PNW famous Bowl and Pitcher trail and trenched through snow during the longer winter this year.

This leather is very hard to kill. It's thick and holds up to anything. I've seen DocLineman's model and understand just how much abrasion it can take. I don't climb trees but my 80lb dog will land her feet on mine every time we are outside and even her paws haven't worn down the leather much. At first, it had a nice uniform tone to it, almost black looking in the darker months. As it aged and broke in I saw how it was slowly showing the brown underneath. I didn't baby this leather and it's holding up well. Brushing every week, a damp rag to get rid of sticky residue when needed. No soap or conditioner (yet).

The lineman patch has changed color a good bit. The edges have taken on a burnished look and has needed a little more care than the other leather. It has been conditioned twice with heavy lp.

The footbed has been difficult to break into as the midsole is rubber. I now have callouses on the bottom of my toes between the ball and the toe pads themselves. The toe box is roomy and the volume is just right for me. Locked in and ready to rumble. The lower arch profile suits me fine and I enjoy putting it through its paces. I can't say much because I don't have to think about the fit during the day much. Perhaps after an 8-hour shift I get home and sit down for the first time in the day and I realize that I should tighten the laces a little before getting into chores. Other than that it's a great fit. I ware DT hikeing socks.

I love looking at the stitching on this boot. The design is cool and the boot is built in a manner that I don't have to worry about it. It's indestructible for a reason. I'm not concerned with stepping on stuff or brushing up against rocks on trials as I would be with a synthetic boot. You don't cut this boot, it just ignores sharp rocks. The ltt pattern gives a beautiful not-soft "soft" toe look. Now it's not a heritage boot so the finishing is very acceptable for what its intended for.

These are ninja soles. They work everywhere, they are lightweight, and offer a good spring in your step. I've not had any deamination issues and you can see that my toe curl isn't pulling the foam out at all. I'm not there biggest fan of the look of the sole with a midsole but would love to see it on a leather midsole.

I love these boots, they represent a lot to me in terms of choosing to ware things that I think are cool. These are cool boots.