Purchased the Red Wing Beckman in brown a few weeks ago and the reviewer is 100% correct that they're stiff for a while.  I broke mine in by wearing them for short amounts of time the first week and then all day thereafter.  While the sticker price is difficult to get past when you see boots of similar styles for 1/3rd the price, once you live with them for a while you'll totally understand what kind of value you are getting for your dollar (or $300 to be exact).  I was recently in an "upscale" shoe store with my wife and ventured to the men's section.  They had a boot similar is style for half the price but the quality was junk in comparison to the Red Wings.  The nice thing about these is they can be resoled.  Many less expensive, rubber soled imitations cannot.  Finding your size can be tricky with these so I would advise being fitted in a shoe store.  I typically wear a size 10 and the 9.5's fit perfectly lengthwise but are just a bit narrow in the toes especially later in the day when your feet tend to swell.  I'm wishing I would've gotten the 10's and just wore thicker socks.  Apply a bit of mink oil (including the leather part of the sole and stitching) after you first get them and then again every few months and they are pretty much indestructible.  Oh and also be prepared for many compliments!