Hudson Work Boot (Men)

I've been cycling through boots, looking for a pair that I really, really like. I've always loved the look and feel of the classic Timberlands, they're always comfortable with plenty of space for my toes to wiggle around in, and I like the way they look for style. In the past few years I've tried Rocky, Birkenstock, Doc Marten, and Danner (my go-to for hiking is the Mountain Lite since I was able to get a pair on sale. They're not cheap, even on sale). For work boots I prefer the Thorogood moc toe, but again, those are not really affordable most instances. Anyways, the Hudson in Saddle leather is my new favorite boot for everyday wear. I think my actual foot size is 9.5, but I normally buy a 10.5, and lately I've moved up to an 11 to try to fix my feet after years of wearing military boots and shoes that force my toes to scrunch together when I'm moving in them. I have a narrow-ish heel, and a wide toe box, so for instance Altra's are really comfortable/natural for trail running for me. These boots in an 11 regular-width fit the bill nicely. They are real leather and quite stiff so I'm sure wearing them in will make them even better over time. I've found Danners to be too narrow in the toe, and even my hiking boots I've had to stretch width-wise to improve their comfort level. Not these though, they fit just right. They feel sturdy, and the soles are really quiet/not squeaky at all. The soles are grippy which is fantastic because it rains a lot on the Oregon coast. I haven't tested them out in wet weather too much yet, but walking through sizable puddles hasn't ended in wet feet so far. The leather laces are a bit of a new concept for me, I usually used speed-lacing for my military boots. But, they do not slip out of the open-eyelits at the top, which was a problem I encountered with my Thorogoods quite often. So the verdict on the leather laces is so-far-so-good. One thing I could see this being problematic, especially if you have thick feet and not-so-good socks is that you can feel the eyelets from the inside on the top of your foot. So get some good socks to go with these. My wife bought me another pair of Frye's, the Tyler, and as much as I want to like them, I just don't. They're nice enough, but uncomfortable/too stiff without having worn them in. Again, though, I really like everything about the Hudson. They look good, even better than online, they're well-constructed, they feel good, and the price is on point for such a high-quality product. Cheers!