I was very nervous, I had oddly shaped, extremely wide but short feet. I walk heavy and my shoes are lucky to last a year, and none of them have ever been comfortable. When these arrived I was skeptical, they looked pretty thin and the removable insole seemed a little thin. But boy was I wrong.I followed some advice and soaked these shoes in water so the leather was pliable and loose. I then wore them until they were fully dries. The leather, as it dries, formed to the shape of my foot very, very well. I have never had a pair of shoes fit my feet the way this do.Another thing I was worried about, I never buy boots or heavier shoes. I have arthritis and knee issues, and heavier shoes always seem to make it qorse. I don't have that issue with these. Yes it took some getting used to, the difference between the weight of a pair of walmart sneakers versus a nice pair of leather shoes. After about 2-3 weeks I stopped noticing the weight.Also the soles of these shoes are awesome. I work a more laborious job, and while cleaning out a space I didn't notice the massive nails sticking out of the floor. I tripped over one, and fell full weight- 300pbs- on the other nail. This nail was missing it's nailhead and was extremely rusty. If I was wearing my sneakers, that nail would have gone through my foot. On these? Barely a mark! They protect my feet so well.The last thing I'd like to mention is the Goodyear Welt. For those who don't know, the Goodyear welt is a way of attaching the soles to the rest of the shoe. It's not used with a lot of modern shoes, so normally it's unrealistic to get soles replaced when worn down or through. Since these have the Goodyear Welt, you can take these to a shoe repair/cobbler and have the soles replaced without damaging the rest of the boot. That makes these even more valuable, because with how sturdy the leather is these could last a very long while if you take care of them properly.TLDR;; I am so glad I got these. Useable for years to come and very comfy once broken in.
