These are primarily my office boots, but I also go for a walk on the trails a couple times a week, plus light yard work.
They break in beautifully. Nice rolls in the toe, only a little stretch in the quarters. The leather is supple, but still has a nice body. Break in was non-existent. They were comfortable from day one. The complex texture is ever-changing. The color has become a bit redder with wear. I haven't done much other than brushed them every other week or so.
The combination last is perfect for me. It has only gotten better with wear. I particularly like the subtle slips from the big toe to the little toe. This really gives them a hugging feeling and helps the leather break nicely over the toe box. The footbed is just as good as any other quality service boot. Very comfortable, and getting better and better with wear. I do wish it had more arch support, but this is not that type of boot. I used a Dr Scholls orthotic insert to give me a little bit of arch.
Finishing is top notch. I want expecting such a much edge dressing. The shine on the edge has actually held up quite nicely. Stitching and cutting is flawless, everything is just so well put together. The design is classic and fashion-forward, but still at home doing service work.
I prefer the parkhurst mini lug over vibram. It's a bit softer and that's huge. I also love the little touches of using exposed brass nails in the top lift.
When I first opened the box I wasn't sure I got the right boots. I was expecting more "inferno". I was a little disappointed but, what I didn't realize was that these boots would be a chameleon. I was in a hotel room when I received them, a room with real terrible lighting. I knew I was going to be wearing them for the dome, so I put them away and didn't think too much about it other than wondering if I made a poor choice. Thankfully, I just hadn't given them a real look. The day before the dome I was back in a hotel room, looked at them again and was again disappointed but hopeful. But when I wore them to work the next day I couldn't stop looking down. I was fascinated by the complexity of the color. In the sun they are a subtle blood red, but still brown-ish, but also slightly oxblood purple, but still brick red, but not quite. The color is literally amazing, interesting, hard to describe, and that's why it's such a winner in my book. This was my first rambler leather boot and that's another thing I do not regret in the slightest bit. In fact, rambler leather has driven me to investigate other C. F. Stead suedes. I'm looking forward to waxy commander and other rambler colors in the future. They leather is supple, like you'd expect from a suede, but also thick and with nice body. You can tell it's not wimpy. This is a resilient leather that I would not worry about using in a hiking boot. You could do real work in them, but they aren't quite as tough as your classic 3mm thick work leathers. The footbed is wider than it looks. I wear an 8EE-8.5E in PNW boots. Andrew from parkhurst recommended a size 9 for me and he was right. I might try an 8.5 on my next pair as I feel I could maybe go down one notch in width. I was concerned about making sure I had the necessary width, but it turned out I had nothing to worry about. They are really quite comfortable with no extra insole. I do a lot of standing and walking, and they perform just fine for me. They are definitely more comfortable than my old red wings. I am thinking about trying a thin 2mm Eva foam insole just to see how that feels, but I'm in no hurry. I do wish they had more arch support. I used a Dr Scholls orthotic insert to give me a little more arch and that was awesome, but I do crave more. This just isn't that style of boot though. The outsoles are softer than vibram mini lugs and for that I'm grateful. I always found vibram mini lugs to be too hard under foot. The parkhurst sole is a nice balance of soft and hardy. I haven't find anything to really complain about on these boots. I'm trying, and I just come up short on reasons to not love these boots. Customer service at parkhurst is nearly ideal. When you email them you get a response from Andrew himself. It's a one-person operation. He's responsive and easy to talk to. Honestly, I wish I knew more businesses like this to throw my support behind. Parkhurst has solidified their position in my top three practical boot makers. I can't wait to try it their next truly unique article.