Smith & Wesson Men's Zip Boots

These boots are nice. Light weight, comfortable, breathable, and solidly constructed. They look pretty cool, too. I love the side zipper, it's way better than undoing laces after a long day of work, and then wrestling my boots off, loosening laces again, wrestling more... With these it's just a velcro tab and a zzzip and they slide right off with no undue effort. I was able to wear them at work all day, straight out of the box - they are flexible enough to where they don't need an extensive "breaking-in" period like some other boots. and then there's the "cool factor" because they're Smith & Wesson branded. everybody says "wow I didn't know they made boots" I bought these to replace a worn-out set of Magnum boots, and I like these way more. they're lighter, more flexible, and they look cooler I think. also the tread is more "rubbery" and it's softer to walk on, and grips a slick surface better than the harder soles on the Magnums. No steel toe on these, but it's a welcome change, just for the weight difference. the toe is "reinforced" with plastic, but it definitely won't protect like a steel toe.. something to keep in mind if you need that extra protection you might wanna look into a different model with a steel toe. I've only had them a day, so I can't testify to their longevity, only time will tell. but so far I think they're great! No blisters or rawness, my feet felt great after 10 hours working on my feet in them. (update: good so far, after 2 months) I ordered 10.5 size, my normal size, and they fit with no problem. no need to go up or down compared to other boots. I've got pretty flat feet, so I don't like any kind of arch in the sole, and these don't bother my non-arch at all. compared to red wing boots, the arch in those was agony after a few hours walking in them... also the price isn't bad, $70 compared to $100 for the Magnums, or $200 for the red wings, this seems like a good value for (IMO) better boots. Also they don't set off the metal detector, which is convenient, as I go through one on the way in and out of work, I don't have to stop to be "wanded" anymore. Edit/update: 4/14/17 (2 months later) - I've been wearing them to work every day, and they are holding up quite well. No problems with the zippers, or stitching, or anything. The leather is pretty durable, and hasn't scuffed up or gotten gouged easily like my last pair of boots (Magnum Response), they still look pretty nice. The break-in period was short and painless, which is more than I can say for a lot of other boots. I didn't get blisters from them or anything, They're still comfortable, my feet don't hurt after working being on my feet on concrete all day, including a significant amount of walking, The soles are holding up well, and have a good amount of grip. The side zipper is a god-send, it makes it so nice to take them off after a long day without having to futz around with laces, and I can throw them on really fast if I'm late getting out the door. To be honest, I think I've only untied/tied the laces twice since I got them! I'd definitely recommend these boots to anyone who has to be on their feet all day for work or whatever. 10/10 so far!