I love the boots and have purchased 3 pairs of these. Break in period is minimal.

Typical 60 hour week in them without foot fatigue or pain. Overall build holds up very well my only complaint is the sole, a few months in the sole starts to wear quicker than other brands I have used in the past. Now in all fairness I walk on the outsides of my feet and do go through a pair quicker than most but I usually get a 12-18 months out of other brands. These are 8 months and I start considering which is a shame because the rest of the boot has more life to give.

These boots are well made and fit the quality and price point of other work boots in the same category. I did add more rigid laces as well as a kiltie to help with the comfort of the laces on the tongue. I would have given these a five based on price and quality, but my one issue is the boot liner makes working in these extremely challenging in warmer climates (I may slice out the liner if I can determine it won't affect the leather stitching). Typically, I am used to work boots with no liner and just wear different types of socks based on weather. I have not worn these long enough to find out if the liner will absorb odors whereas full leather tends to breathe a better. (Don’t worry the alternate laces and kiltie are sourced from the USA).

As for fit, the steel toe box fits well and the leather already seems more relaxed than what I am used to, so the break in period has been nonexistent.

For those trying to gauge their boot size, I am a 9.5 D on the Bannock Measuring Device, 9.5 D in Asics

10 D in Puma, and 9.0 D in Redwings and Nicks Boots.

I purchased a 9.5 D in Origin Boots and it fits like a firm handshake.

As a suggestion, if customers desire a kiltie, typically they are stamped from spare leather scraps that may not have been tough enough for boots since the entire cowhide is not equal based on the grain and can probably be sold for like $10 or $15 a pair.

I do heavy industrial construction, building new power plants, renewable natural gas plants, battery energy storage facilities, data centers, waste water treatment plants, green houses & other industrial facilities. These boots hold up, the leather is high quality, the are stiff at first but break in and become form fitting. I just wish they would bring back the black ones, I would buy a black pair just for recreation/going out if they still made them. I try to replace my boots every 6 months, but I still have and use the first pair I had that I’ve easily put hundreds of miles on. They are the only boots I will buy as long as they keep making them.

The recent changes to these boots have made me not want to buy another pair.

I first noticed the laces. I really appreciated the original substantial black laces — they felt quality in my hands when tying them. The new ones broke within just two months.

I also miss the added layer of leather where the laces tie. That detail gave the boots a unique, handcrafted look that set them apart from mass-produced pairs.

The final disappointment was seeing a cheap liner when I took the new boots out of the box. My absolute favorite feature of the originals was the complete lack of a liner. As someone who works outside year-round just outside of Farmington, Maine, even a thin liner makes the boots miserable in the heat of summer. An unlined boot with a good pair of socks works perfectly well in winter too.

I wore those original boots with real pride. They were made with genuine craftsmanship, right here in America, and in my own town by people I knew.

Please consider bringing back the original manufacturing style. These boots were something special, and I’d love to keep buying them.