A lifetime worth of memories in 6 months, with these boots along for every step of the way.

With exception to 3 formal events that required the wearing of oxfords, these boots were worn everyday of this competition. Everyday, starting with the pavement of New York City, to the cobblestone streets of Florence, to the trails and severe weather patterns of the hudson valley - extreme snow, ice, and wind chills levels not seen in over a decade. They saw every kind of environment, from the office to the field and everything in between. I wore these boots as I celebrated my best friend getting married. I wore these boots as I rescued another friend from a car crash during a brutal blizzard. I wore these boots as I grilled burgers and steaks for friends at our local pub - supporting a community coming together despite a travel ban during another brutal winter storm; I wore these boots as I volunteered to uphold my community's right to free speech and peaceful assembly. If they could talk, imagine the stories from their perspective.

As referenced in the photos, The Natural Chomexcel has taken on a beautiful dark patina, almost caramel like. It's patina is very close to another pair I own from Oak Street, Trench Oxfords (also in Natural Chromexcel). However, the oxfords got their patina over 2 years of wear. These boots got to within a shade of that patina in a fraction of the time, a strong indicator of how often I wore them. The break in process was not difficult at all. The leather was - expectedly - supple and oily smooth, and the Elston Last provides for a generous toe box. A day or two and the creases already started forming, these boots are a very comfortable wear. Before the start of the competition, I had intended to condition these boots only once. I ultimately conditioned them 3 times over the last 6 months. The second time was between January and February, at the height of a brutal winter that saw the leather feeling dry (i imagine the overwhelming amount of salt on the streets and sidewalks during the record snowfall and windchills played a role) and the third time was a week into March; a quiet recovery day that saw me cleaning caked up mud off the leather - as we transitioned from winter into spring. Venetian Shoe Cream was used for all three conditionings and was complimented by the occasional horsehair hair brushing.

The Elston Last is one of the main reasons I refer to OSB as my favorite domestic bootmaker. I am 10.5 EEE on brannock with a high instep, and The Elston has always been a dream to wear. The 65 last by Allen Edmonds, also in EEE, feels a little snug by comparison. If you can get over the 'clown shoe' look, this last offers a generous toe box with all day wearability. The heel doesn't lift much, maybe 3/4 inch or so, but they balance well and the majority of my weight is on the ball of my foot, so no issues or concerns there.

OSB is chichago based. The trench boot is a vintage design, taking inspiration from World War 1 American Service Boots. This example was hand made, and hand lasted, in western New York. It is a Goodyear welted boot. The design, construction, and overall finish of these boots are first rate. From the look and feel of the leather, to the brass inserts for the shoe lacing, to the stitch count for the soles. This is a high quality pair of boots that represents serious value for money.

The Dainite Sole is a requirement for most of my shoes & boots, having recently been open to leather/rubber hybrid soles for dress shoes (not wearing them except for formal occassions, the dainite would be overkill). After six months of daily wear, the dainite studs are worn down but still present. I can continue to rely on the rubber for consistent traction on pavement, light trails, and in most instances of severe weather. There was one particularly brutal storm that saw my slip once or twice while in these boots, I transitioned to a pair of viberg service boots with the commando sole and got better traction - it improved my opinion lf that sole immensely, I otherwise found myself having issues with comfort and pressure on the ball of my foot in regular when wearing the vibergs on a normal day.

The dainite rubber heel is long and hard wearing, I expect a few years before I send these boots in for a service. Great traction and support in normal wear.

I met the owners behind OSB while at 'WatchWindUp' in Chicago back in 2023, they were very humble and believed in their product. It was that interaction, and their commitment to sourcing as many components as possible - here - that has kept me loyal to the brand. The fact that these boots came from a factory in New York, and me being a New Yorker, makes my purchase feel all the more personal. This is a pair of boots that are hand made, hand lasted, using as many locally sourced components as possible, and priced very well against the competition. I can't bring myself to consider a pair from Vibergs, Nicks, or Truman, at retail, when OSB presents this much value for my dollar. This competition allowed me to revisit a concept I thought I had a good understanding of, the concept of 'Less, but Better'. Having worn these boots for the last 6 months straight, I have a desire to contuing wearing them - because they have proven what we all should know, you only need one good pair of shoes, one good pair of boots. Anything else is just excess consumerism. I expect I will stay with these boots for a very long time, allowing their patina to continue on their path, while I move other pairs in my collection to other homes; I don't need them anymore.