The best boot I’ve ever owned is a Red Wing 1178. I bought a pair when I was 17 years old. I am now 34 years old and while they’ve been resoled four or five times, I still wear the Red Wings almost every day. However, in the past few months the leather has finally started to give way – my socks are peaking.

As such, I decided it was time for a new boot. In the interest of adventure, I decided to try a pair of the new Wolverine 1ooo Mile Boots (Burton). Essentially, these boots were manufactured using the same patterns and materials that Wolverine used in the early 1900’s. They are spendy and a bit trendy (ironically), but the marketing got me.

I received the boots three days ago and was immediately impressed by the quality. My favorite Red Wings are affordable and made for hard work. As such, the attention to detail isn’t significant – they are brute over fancy. These Wolverines were built with love and it’s obvious – the stitching is gorgeous, the leather is simple amazingly, and even the laces are waxed to perfection. They look and feel handmade.

Comfort? Again, unbelievable… Typically, it takes a few weeks to break in a boot. These are cush right out of the box and completely wearable all day long.

The question of “staying power” remains… I hesitate to think these could outlast my venerable 1178’s, but I’m gonna give it a shot.

Editor’s note: If you are in Austin, you can check out a pair in person at The Luther Store.