I wore these every other day for the dome, plus some extra days when I knew I'd be working outside. I didn't shy away from rain, snow, mud, or anything. I just put them on and went out, and they took everything I could throw at them. I even wore them through the airport and on the plane. I did a lot of walking in these boots. They are, in fact, the most comfortable boots I have for walking. 8-10 miles in a day was no problem at all. After they broke in some I had no trouble squatting or kneeling in them, though after a while of squatting, it does feel tight across the instep. But that's true for any boots. Standing on ladders was never a problem, climbing skinny scaffold and tower ladders was never a problem. I never felt unsure of my footing. I travel a lot, so I wore them in cold, wet, hot, dry, every condition from Florida to West Texas, to Seattle, to Brooklyn, to Missouri and everywhere in between. I never had any issues with wet feet or discomfort.
The finish on this was harder than I thought to wear through, but that's a good thing. Only on the high spots has the finish worn through, exposing the nap. This has given them a sort of crocked or antiqued look. I really like the reddish brown of the nap in contrast with the almost black finish. It's a striking look. The thickness of the leather did, of course, result in a little bit of a break in period, but now after six months, they have fully conformed to my feet, ankles, and calves. Putting them on, when I fold the tongue and close the uppers, they line up with the shape of me. The laces are only there to keep them closed. When they get dirty, I usually hose them off and wipe them down with a shop rag. I don't usually have a horsehair brush handy at work. I've definitely not tested them gently. There have been a couple times that a sharp metal corner has jammed into them (on the left boot especially) but nothing comes of it, just a little scratch. Honestly, why bother with regular roughout when you could have the beauty and complexity of waxed flesh?
In my three-month review I complained about the toe in the lace-to-toe pattern. But, it's growing on me. With more wear, the toe has softened somewhat, so that I don't have quite as much problem with the toe box curling down into my toes. It's still curling down, but it's relaxing some now, so it's not much of a problem. I'm an 8.5E/EE on the brannock I wear an 8E in Nicks. I bought these in 8.5E because they were on the ready to ship page and I knew if I didn't get them, I never would. Yeah, they're a tiny bit too long and a tiny bit too wide, but it's actually fine. I guess that's a benefit of lace to toe, I could cinch them up and take up the extra slack. Years from now I'll probably get them rebuilt as an 8E. If I had gotten them in my size, I'm sure the fur would be spot on. The Thurman last gives me just a little extra room on the pinky side which is nice when I'm walking a lot. I think for my future outdoor/dirty boots I'll be buying a Thurman last. I do like the slightly narrower heel of the Thurman, as I have narrow heels. I still feel like they could be narrower though, but that's just me. They had very little arch support, but a delta arch with an extra layer of leather on the bottom fixed that right up. These are the most comfortable, roomy, and forgiving boots in my collection.
Of course Nicks craftsmanship is top notch. The only complaint I have is that the panels are seem together a little differently in one boots versus the other. Where the vamp meets the heel counter is not the same on both boots. Also the lineman patch doesn't quite line up, but that's also minor. I'm still not a fan of the lace to toe, but it's growing on me, it has its benefits. I can adjust the fit when I need to, that's nice. But the extra tongue material on either side of the horseshoe took forever to beat down. The thickness in the front is really impressive. They're very supportive, very rugged, almost... Indestructible.
I love the Sierra sole. It's absolutely the best all-around for hiking, walking, working, climbing, hanging out, playing pool, everything. The Robert outside is soft enough to give good traction in the wet, and with the foam layer backing it up, it doesn't wear as fast as it otherwise would. The foam layer is 3/4" thick in the heel, which gives a great amount of squish. By far these are the most comfortable.
I'm extremely happy to have gotten my hands on the ND3. it's the best all-rounder boot in my collection. I'm actually excited to wear them to do something new. When I go out looking for new hiking and walking spots I'm reaching for the ND3s, no question. I'm actually considering buying a 3" or 4" version so I can wear them with shorts.