I work in a bakery/coffee shop that is medium to fast-paced. The boots see everything from milk to ice and other liquids during the work day, as well as walking my dog and various outdoor activities that are not work-related.
It's starting to flex much more in the forefoot and hasn't given any bights or hotspots on the uppers. They hold up to moisture and heavy dog feet (whom tend to stand right on your metatarsal when on walks). I wore these 3 days straight and only had discomfort on my right (wider) foot where the sock liner ended as the leather was beginning to stretch. The ankles feel great and very few issues were noticed. I did spill some mopwatter on the right boot and didnt notice any issues as it dried. General brushing every other day and a quick wipe off of any sticky liquids during bar service occurs.
Since this part is just the lineman patch, the only thing I noticed was a slight breakin period to get them to flex with the forefoot.
The roomy toe box is great, absolutely no concerns when it comes to feeling cramped. The instep height is ideal with the one issue of this style of boot having a lot of leather on top of the foot. The break-in requires a little more time for these. A small amount of heel slip does occur after a few hours, but after retighting the laces it doesn't cause any problems. Even if I don't tighten them up, it's never been painful. This boot doesn't have much arch as it is a wedge-type outsole. It is similar to my other boots of the same size but I may put a delta insert in it in the future to give it more longevity. Wearability fits right in with my wardrobe as I wear selvage denim in regular to athletic cuts. The cuffs dont catch on the loops and the boots fit in well with my general use.
The outsole is quiet, soft, and slip-resistant for the surfaces I work on. It's also fairly light compared to boots of the same size that use a traditional leather outsole. The construction feels beefy, and the double-row stitches are well-placed and give the feeling that the boot will hold up over time. The forefoot has more panels of leather than I am used to and it does feel more protective. The length of the last dose add a few mm more to my foot than I was expecting but it's not too much. I can't reach the end of the toebox due to the design. After the leather is more broken-in that might change. The toebox lining is good and there isnt any shaft lining which is alright as my socks are tall enough for the shaft height. Even if that wasn't the case the leather smooth side is comfortable to have on the skin. There aren't any loose stitches and the overall pattern fits well.
It's great for mixed surfaces indoors/outdoors and doesn't slip on wet vynal plank or tile floors. Not noticeably loud, the tactical nature lives up to expectations.
I think there is a reason the ND3 is so popular compared to others in its series. The online community seems to love this boot and I find that love to be well placed. The learning curve of lacing such a tall boot isn't something I see talked about but it did take me a few attempts the first few days. New laces will always be harder to work with compared to worn ones.