Red Wing Heritage Men's Roughneck Lace Up Boot

UPDATED REVIEW:I've been wearing these almost everyday for 24 Days, 4-12 hours/day. They have broken in alright, although my Brannock size 13.5 D+ left foot is not quite as comfortable as my 13D right foot, which fits and feels great.My big problem with these boots, and the reason I have downgraded from 4-stars to 3-stars is due to the moc-toe design. At the top of the toe box, the two pieces of leather are stitched together, which is great. The edges of these two pieces of leather are then GLUED together above that stitching . This glued seam started to leak glue at about day 18 after delivery. Today (day 24), I noticed that the glued seams have started to separate significantly right around where the natural crease forms from walking/bending, etc. see photo. Again, since this is after less than a month of light/moderate use (walking, squatting down, sitting cross-legged at my laptop, I kicked a tire once or twice....gently), I can only assume that this glued seam will eventually separate completely down to the stitching. Since I've had them, outdoor/indoor temps have been from mid-30s to mid-80ss, I wipe the dirt and dust off regularly with a clean rag, no oil or other treatments. The quality of the leather itself and the stitching is not in question here, just the manner in which the moc toe seam is put together and my own observation that this design is not durable with regard to the glued seam. I'm all for a well-worn look in a boot, but as these seams blossom out like a flower, it will not look good, and worse, it erodes my confidence in the structural integrity of the boot. Someone tell me if they know different, but I have to believe that all Moc Toe boot designs must suffer from the same flaw, unless they use just one continuous piece of leather that is folded and stitched to achieve the Moc Toe look/structure..INITIAL REVIEW:PRICE/SHIPPING:Just got these in Briar Oil Slick today. Fast shipping. Price dropped to $187 and snagged them. Some sizes/colorways are $270!MEASURES:On Brannock Device, my feet measure 13D (Right) and 13.5D+ (Left). I got size 12D. Learned the hard way you have to size down from my Iron Rangers (which fit WAY TOO BIG at 13D, but perfect out of the box once I got size 12D). You want these boots to be snug, even a bit uncomfortable at first - they will stretch out and mold to your feet (mine are already).LOOK/PRESENTATION:Out of the box, leather is stiff, flawless, not a scratch or blemish, but richly colored and textured. Perfecto stitching inside and out.. Hardware right where it should be. Vibram soles straight, shiny and new. Insoles centered. Left one was inspected by "Sherry", right by "Loriann". Thanks, ladies. With them on my feet, I am surprised that they are actually sort of sleek/low profile, and not anywhere near being big and clunky despite the Roughneck-chunky sole. Is it just me, or are these basically Red Wing Heritage Moc 6" Boot uppers with a vibram sole? Either way, they look great - better than the photos. I am very impressed.FIT:Getting them on the first time took some patience and effort. One does not simply slip their foot into Red Wing Boots. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, as the tongue is sewn up to to the top to keep the dirt and water out. At first, I thought it might be a bust, but after some gentle pulling, got them on and laced them up. Laces could be a few inches longer, Ill probably replace with paracord. After wearing for a few hours, I can visibly see and feel the leather inside and out starting to mold to my feet. Right (smaller foot) feels pretty good, a bit of pressure on outside of big toe. Left (bigger) is getting pinched a bit from the pinky toe along the side a couple inches back along the side and a bit of pressure on the outside of big toe. For the other toes, its snug in there but feels alright.. You want to lace them firmly snug but not circulation-starving tight. Darn Tough Socks are helping the process. I don't expect anything like blisters or major chaffing.WHY I GOT THEM:I work in a semi-austere environment where rain, snow, mud, dirt, dust, rocks, hot, cold is a year-round thing. Need some un-insulated boots for the spring/summer, and I didn't want to subject my Iron Rangers to all of the wear and tear. We'll see how they do in the winter with wool Darn Tough Socks. Also, I've made a life-choice to prioritize minimalism, only purchase high-quality products, and seek to buy American first and at all costs, unless there is a special case or simply no alternative. PLUS, these boots look cool as !@#$% and wearing them makes me feel good. If you look good, then you feel good, and if you feel good, then you do good. Buying less-expensive, low-quality, low-fashion stuff that doesn't last and puts Americans out of work just makes no sense to me.CONSENSUS:I've only had them a few hours, and so far so good. I'll hold back on a 5-star rating to see how they break in and hold up. I'll update in a month or so.