A delightful boot in a surprisingly-robust leather.

These have been my main pair of footwear since the dome began, and they were worn more-or-less every day. What that means in my life, though, is some days they only got the couple miles and hour on the feet of a dog walk in. So they didn't get nearly as much use as some of the other pairs in the Dome. The biggest challenge they faced was in the first week, in fact, when I wore them hiking in the Grand Canyon. They more than proved their mettle there, and though I wouldn't recommend quite so aggressive a break-in, from that moment on they've been extremely comfortable.

I expected more change than I ended up seeing. For how glossy and luxuriant this leather is, it's also quite tough. Break-in was the Grand Canyon trial by fire, and care was an occasional wet rag and brushing with one Bick 4 conditioning. Truthfully, though, this wasn't a challenging leather, either break-in- or care-wise. There is some minor water spotting from being caught in rainstorms, and slight darkening from the Bick 4, but the pictures show exactly how resilient the leather is.

Bagus does an excellent job in sizing and the fit here is great. Snug where I want it to be and roomy where it needs to be. Just supremely comfy boots.

Bagus and his team make a nice pair of boots. Sturdy but not unwieldy, comfortable but not insubstantial, this is a great boot for everyday wear. I had some consternation about the Cloe, as some horsebutts I've seen from them have been iffy, but the clicking here was excellent, just great pieces of leather in these boots. The stitching and finishing are likewise top notch. If I have any complaints it's that the tongue on the left boot tends to drift, and at the end of the day has migrated to the side of the boot. Once I get around to putting a loop on there, though, I imagine that will be addressed. Bottom line, I expect to be wearing these boots for a long time.

I love the Londra. Favorite sole bar none. No other sole I've used has been simultaneously sleek and grippy in every condition. Wet tile, dirt trail, biking, doesn't matter -- Londra can do it all. If there was any drawback I'd say it's that the heel wears down slightly faster than some other soles, but that's searching out nits to pick. This is a great sole.

I did learn that my patience for eight inch boots isn't nearly as high as I expected it to be. Even with speed lacing, getting these on is still a production, and when one's partner insists on only wearing slip-on footwear, the difference in readiness times is surprising! Once they're on, though, wearing this boot just feels good. Leather tight on the ankle and calf, feet snug and armored, when I'm wearing these I feel prepared for just about anything.