As a mailman, I spend my days walking all over town, on the side walk and on the grass and through gravel. I have planter faciatis in both feet so I require a durable, yet comfortable boot. This year I'm using these Irish Setter boots for my winter walking pleasure on my mail route. These things are extremely tough, and super comfortable, right out of the box. I took them from the box, wore them for about 12 hours and miles of walking and my feet felt great at the end of the day. These things are built like a tank and will last me many years, from what I can tell. I've never spent this much on boots for the mail job, but I'm glad I sucked it up and did so for this coming winter season. My only gripe is that these are made overseas and not in the USA. But then again, I think 80% of nearly everything sold in the USA is made over there somewhere. I highly recommend these boots if you are looking for a ruggedly built and comfortable boot.