I currently own a pair of Red Wing Gentleman Traveler boots in black, and I had been searching for a brown counterpart to them for a long time, as the brown they offer in that style is too rich for my tastes. Last year, I purchased a pair of these Beckman Round in a lighter shade of brown thinking that's what I wanted and that they would turn darker through mink oil applications. Well, they never did and the shade just didn't look great with khakis, not to mention that scuffs and scratches showed up very noticeably on the toe. I recently sold them on eBay for a nice price in order to try and find a darker shade of brown instead.

The color displayed in the picture is accurate, and I am more satisfied with this purchase. I'm not looking forward to the painful process of breaking in another pair, but I know how great the quality is and that it will be worth it. I put the first coat of mink oil on them tonight, and it's a must have to soften the leather initially and then to keep the leather waterproof after that. Don't forget to purchase a pair of quality boot insoles, either.

3/8/12 Update: These shoes broke in wonderfully and feel great. Scuffs do show up slightly on the toe, but that's to be expected. They're a real nice color and I'm pleased with my purchase.