I've owned 4 pairs of these boots. I usually use my boot allowance at work and pick up a pair of these. The old ones get used as motorcycle boots. There is a lot of thought and detail that goes into a pair of 960z boots. For patrol you can get a solid 2 years out of them but I wouldn't count on any more than that. I use these as summer patrol boots because they are lighter than my Meindls and they feel great on dry pavement. Once summer is done I transition these into my bug-out bag and they get used as my Overtime boot. This is because they pack easy and the side zip makes getting in and out of them a breeze. The toe area can be polished but I find that in all my pairs this is where the fading first starts. The grip is amazing...the notch in the heel is well thought out and the guard on the toe and back heel are also great for traction. The laces are standard.....i'd upgrade to a pair of kevlar ones if thats your thing. The beauty of the side zip is that once you have the boots set to your liking you can get in and out of them and they'll be perfect every time. When I wear these I feel like i'm wearing a pair of Nike runners with better grip.