I bought my 1461s (smooth black) when I started teaching in the spring of 1998. I wore them essentially every day from fall through spring, in snow and rain, and only now, after over two THOUSAND days of wear, do I finally have to replace them. (A broken piece of metal on a chair gouged the leather just before school let out this spring.) I only polished them occasionally, but when I did, they shined up nicely. The sole looks almost as perfect as the day I bought them. Truly incredible. Needless to say, I'm buying the same shoes again!