What a great investment these boots are. Before making the decision to spend the extra money on these I sadly tried a pair of classic Timberlands. I had a pair years ago and they survived a lot of abuse. Unfortunately, they are all imported now and the quality has suffered greatly yet they continue to charge the same price. The ones I got recently were horrible and the sole began separating after only about a month. No thanks. Many styles of Red Wings are made in China...but this boot, just like all the styles in the Heritage line, are made in the USA. To be honest, I have noticed that even the Chinese-made Red Wings seem to be made better than pretty much all the Timberlands I have seen. I still prefer to buy American-made products because I feel the quality can't be matched...at least for boots such as these. These boots are probably as high-quality as I have seen. The leather and materials are top-notch and the construction will help these boots last for years. The goodyear welt means they can be resoled so if the leather is cared for properly they will surely provide years of wear. Just be warned because, as others have mentioned, they do run a half to even a full size big and they are not going to feel very comfortable when worn for the first time. The leather is very stiff and so is the sole. I made the mistake of trying to wear these for a whole day right after getting them and my heels paid the price. I had some pretty nasty blisters that kept me from wearing them again for over a week. My second time wearing them was today and they felt much better. They still have a lot of breaking-in ahead but there was a noticeable difference in how flexible they have become. It helps to wear some thick and fluffy socks while they are breaking in so the hot spots on your feet get a little extra protection. Just don't be discouraged if they don't feel great right out of the box or after a few wears. The reason they are so stiff is because the materials used to make them are very high-quality. Boots that are softer out of the box are like that because the leather is cheaper and thinner so it has much more flexibility. If maintained properly these boots can literally last for years. They are well worth the price tag and a great example of hand-made American craftsmanship done right.