Good Boots for Bad Feet.
First off, these are good boots. I love the smell of the leather and the thick feel. I've been wearing them for a couple of weeks so far, and they seem to be holding up well. I'm a farmer and it's planting season right now, so I've been doing a lot of walking on both loose and tough soil, getting them dusty, muddy, and broken in. So far, they feel great.
So why'd I buy these boots?
I've got a foot problem, something called tarsal coalition. Some of my bones don't look right or something and rub together, causing a fair bit of pain. My orthopedic doctor told me I should look for some sturdy boots with a higher heel and good support to help reduce the strain on my foot. That led me into the rabbit hole of looking for boots. I'd been searching for a little while, mainly focusing on the boots you can get at your local farm supply store. While these seemed to be good, I've worn a lot of boots and they've worn out fast. I wanted to get a boot that would last a while. I stumbled on PNW style boots by chance and saw the quality. Being able to resole them and rebuild them is something I liked the idea of. I had a few key things I was looking for in a pair of boots. I wanted them to have a high heel, leather construction, and to go up high for support. Every brand of PNW boots I saw had this. The one thing that JK had that others didn't was immediate options. I needed boots within weeks, not months. Planting season was around the corner and my boots from last year were very worn out. They had my size in stock (I'm a size 13W, I ordered a 12.5WW and they fit perfectly) and they shipped it out almost immediately. I received it within a week and pulled them on. Once they were on, I didn't want to take them off! There is definitely a break in period, but it wasn't terrible for the most part. Overall, these boots are wonderful. With my foot condition, I don't feel pain like I used to while wearing the boots. When I take them off, my feet feel fatigued, but for the first time in years, I don't dread walking the next day.
So why not 5 stars, if you love them so much?
There are a few things. First off, the left foot fits very well into the boot and broke in easily. The right boot, however, has been rubbing very badly on the top of my foot over my big toe. I've gotten used to it feeling kinda numb, but I don't think it should be feeling that way. I have had surgery on that foot, so that may be the problem as well, but I was hoping the leather would give way instead of my foot.
Second, and lastly, I didn't receive a pair of Superduty boots. I received a pair of Fire Inlanders. I called JK and the lady I spoke to told me they were made the exact same, with the only difference being the sole, but I would have appreciated being informed of this before receiving the boots. I would strongly recommend the company to sell one or the other if they plan on sending whichever one they have in stock, regardless of which model the customer orders.
That being said, the slight difference in the shoe model and the pain on my right foot are but a minor inconvenience compared to the comfort my feet finally feet.
