Chippewa Men's Baldor 8-Inch Electrical Hazard Steel Toe Work Boots - Black Safety Shoes for Construction & Industrial Work

UPDATE: Already separating from the sole. Smell has not gone away though it isnt as strong. Laces are fell apart after 2 months. Leather is holding up. Get a size wider than you normally do, the steel toe is slim. Price is ridiculous for the quality. will update this review after the break in period.First thing to note. These boots are made in Vietnam, which is why they are not priced higher. I've had plenty of asian made boots last me 4+ years of heavy use. One pair of vietnam made docs lasted walking 60 miles round trip to and from work for 6 months, after daily wear for 2 years before that and i still have them with only minor damage. The ornament shown in the pictures is not included. Comes with false bill for protection of the actual bill, but i will not be using them, as i think false bills look stupid, and you cant be looking stupid when you're new boot goofin. they came wrapped in plastic to protect the leather. only slight cosmetic issues on the welt, but all the stitching appears to be sound.as expected, these boots are tight. as with every boot ive ever owned, they initially feel too tight, but this is what you want with leather boots. the idea is that they will kinda suck to wear for a few weeks. all of the best boots ive ever owned have been this way, and i am not concerned about it at this point. i do not plan to "speed up" the break in period with alcohol or water or heat. i intend to let the boots form to my foot.Next thing to note, the laces are waxed, and stay tied rather well. They seem rather high quality. the product description does not mention this, but it is an important aspect of higher quality work boots. the speed hooks are well placed, and easy to hook into quickly.The smell of these boots is pretty strong. the smell is a mixture of the rubber sole and the leather. both being new, id assume they will shed the smell for a few days before they start just smelling like leather, and eventually like rancid foot.the insole is not squishy or over padded. being that a work boot is meant to last, the leather with mold to your foot, and be very comfortable AFTER the break in period. do not think that these are going to be super comfy right out of the box, that is not how good boots work, and if your boots are instantly comfortable, they're going to stop being comfortable once they DO get worn in.all things considered, i am hopeful that these will last me many years, and i will be back with an update once i get these babies broken in.