These got less miles on them than expected due to some health issues. But they still got a lot of wear and did a great job making it through a buffalo winter. They saw some hiking, shoveling, walking around the city, a lot of salt and time in the office.
I actually have some questions around this leather after seeing pictures in this app and then having my first pair in person. A lot of the pictures I've seen had strong grey tones that were much more subtle in mine. I don't know if I got a particularly nice piece of leather or auto white balance has been doing peoples pictures of this leather a disservice. The care on mine has just been wiping off salt and regular brushing. I conditioned with Venetian shoe cream and used beeswax on the heel and midsole before the final pictures. The leather has held up great. I love how nicely it has rolled.
This was my first pair on the 55 last. Arch support on the inside of the foot is actually not that crazy. Didn't really require any getting used to. On the outside of the foot, damn. It is a painful break in. My left boot took maybe a month to break in. The right is still only 75% of the way there after 6 months. I am a 14.5 heel to toe, 15 heel to ball, A/B width and relatively low volume. The 14 C/D was perfect. Not too loose with light socks and not too cramped with heavy ones.
These things are tanks. The weight is pretty remarkable. I'm not sure if they had changed the midsole construction yet on my pair but I haven't had any squeaks. The finishing was very good for a work boot but not at dress boot standards. Clicking was really great. All rolls no creases.
It is super grippy. Works amazing in the wet and ice. It does wear down remarkably fast though.
So this was basically my last shot in the field of nice boots. With my size a lot of makers like Red Wing, Grant Stone, etc aren't an option. I tried a couple Indonesian MTOs but the first wasn't anywhere close to fitting and the second pair were almost there but too tight in the toe. Being at the upper size range of what they work with was probably a factor. I heard from a couple people that Baker's was the way to go for larger sizes and they had a sizing guarantee so I rolled the dice one more time. I'm glad I did. They fit perfectly. Couldn't ask for better. The leather is thick and has rolled beautifully. The sole can handle anything. I'm really looking forward to a few decades with these boots. I don't think a boot collection is in the cards for me but I'm glad I finally found a good fit. Also, thanks for the thunderdome. These were a lot to break in and it was a great incentive to keep getting out there.