Frye Men's Harness 8R Boot - Classic Leather Motorcycle Boots for Men, Durable & Comfortable Riding Boots - Perfect for Motorcycle Riding, Outdoor Adventures & Casual Wear

I wear boots pretty much daily, even in the summer when I'm on the bike. I like to match, so I always have a pair of black boots (currently H-D Ballards) and a pair of brown. I got these to replace a pair of H-D Scouts, which I loved, but the soles of H-D boots just wear down so quickly...anyway:The pros:- This boot is STURDY. Thick leather, thick stitching, hard-ish sole. The pull loops have not softened or stretched one iota. The workmanship throughout is artisan-like, the kind of product any cobbler would be proud of. I wouldn't recommend getting knifed in the foot, but in these boots you probably wouldn't get punctured by anything less than a Ka-Bar. Or a nail gun.- When Frye says that the sole is oil-resistant, they mean it. I was standing near a bike that went over and 20W-50 oil started draining out of the tank. I got doused all down my calf, ankle, and foot. Sure, riding home I could feel a difference on my footboards between the boot that got slicked and the one that didn't, but for walking the boot still held traction. I was as sure-footed as ever.- Speaking of that day, my boot got SOAKED in oil. I despaired--a $350 boot, ruined? But no: I found suggestions online to basically cover the soaked leather in cornstarch and let it sit for a few hours. Now granted, I was so afraid to see the damage that I let it sit for WEEKS, but when I wiped the boot down, it was damn near good as new! Where the leather had darkened slightly it just looked like normal wear or natural variations in the tone of the leather. So yeah, this boot is solid AF. I anticipate it lasting forever.- And from an aesthetic point of view, it's a good-lookin' boot. Wearing it makes me want to saunter like Slash in the "Don't Cry" video--totally bad-ass.The cons:- They're NARROW. I'm a 9.5 wide or x-wide, depending on the shoe, and there was no way I was going to fit into a 9.5 regular with this one. So I got a 10, which is honestly a little longer than I need. But the tow and forefoot of this boot are so narrow that even if I do a hard heel-down when I brake the bike, my foot doesn't slide forward. They've softened up and stretched a bit with use, so they're not uncomfortable anymore, but it was a painful couple of weeks when they were new. Even now they're not as comfortable as the Ballards or other boots I've owned. I also prefer the look of a more boxy toe (again, like the Ballard) to such a pointy one, but that part is a matter of personal taste and style, so do with that what you will.- There isn't much arch support or cushioning AT ALL. Like, they make Doc Marten 1460s feel luxurious. I almost always put an insole into all of my footwear, so I don't really notice anymore, but I'm sure that my old, abused knees would be breaking down without that additional padding.- As other reviewers have mentioned, the "gaucho" color is not as dark as it looks in the pic. Even after that infamous oil bath, it's much more tan than it appears. If you're familiar with the Army's "Coyote Brown", it's only, like, a shade darker than that. Which is fine with me, doesn't bother me at all. And since it's real leather, no two pairs are going to be exactly the same anyway. The only reason I list it as a "con" is because people might be misled by the pictures and be disappointed.On the whole, it really comes down to what you're looking for. It's not a bad boot by any stretch, and I'll probably get years--if not decades--of use out of them. Because of the fit issues, I don't know that I'd buy them again, but I'd be hard-pressed to say that I'm disappointed by the purchase.when I was in college, law school and beyond, I lived in the Frye Jodhpur (spelling?) low-cut boot which Frye discontinued... those things were sooooo comfortable and, in an era when there were a lot of good shoe repair businesses, I would simply re-heel and sole the boots - each pair lasted me about a decade... of daily use...when I received these boots and finally got my feet into the boots (more on that in a moment) my feet "remembered" how great Frye boots felt on my feet... however, the problem I encountered was this: 1) I could not get my feet into the boot with cotton sweat socks on so I put on cotton dress socks as they are thinner... 2) while I had no problem with one boot (the left foot) it is a struggle to get on the right boot... when I say struggle I mean struggle! - I have to pull and pull (I have actually been afraid I am going to tear the loops right off the boot I am pulling so hard) to get the boot on...ironically, once the boot is on, the boot fits very comfortably on my foot - and getting them off is not difficult... the problem is getting my foot past the ankle area (where the harness strap is) on the one (right) boot...just for the heck of it I measured the circumference of each of the boots at the very top of the boot (my boots are size 11) the left boot was just under 40 mm at the top and the right boot was just over 38.5 mm at the top - apparently that 1+ mm difference accounts for the huge disparity in the ability to get the boots on.... just for the heck of it, I contacted Frye and asked what they would suggest - their advice, not surprising, was to take the boots to a cobbler and have the cobbler "gently" stretch the ankle area on the tight boot or simply wait for the boots to stretch and soften "naturally" over time with use...the problem with their advice: in this day and age find a cobbler! there are a handful of cobblers in our area but each is about 15 miles away!!! and when I read the reviews, one reviewer would praise the business, the next reviewer would state that the business ruined their shoes!! since these boots retail for over $200 I cannot take the chance that some incompetent will ruin the boots... so, for now, I am going to rely on the advice of Frye and hope that continued use will open up the tightness and allow me to eventually be able to get the right boot on without a struggle...I will add to my review (if possible) in a few months and state whether use has resolved the issue....UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE:well, after about a year of use the boots are easier to put on but certainly no picnic... just like the person who commented on my review, I find that sometimes if I pull on the back of the boot it is easier to get them on - I have to admit that it no longer takes forever to get the boots on but they still do not slide on easily... now keep in mind I have a wider-than-normal foot (I wear New Balance sneakers and I always get 2E or 4E for the extra width) but my other (non-Frye) boots do not cause the same problem - I do not know whether Frye makes their boots narrower than most but they are definitely still snug even after a year of use...I love the look of the Frye square-toe boot but I wish that these had been made a little bit wider or that Frye would offer a wide version of their boots...since I live in the Northeast, I never wear these boots in the summer and when there is a lot of snow I wear a pair of lined boots... therefore, I expect these boots will last me for decades of use - what I am trying to say is that despite my issues getting these boots on, the old Frye quality seems to still be there - these are not junk boots that will wear out anytime soon....I had a suspicion these were counterfeit so I decided to investigate. I purchased the black version of this model. I sent photos to Frye customer service and they confirmed these appear to be absolutely real and this store is the official frye Amazon store.The black leather of this model has a noticeable shine to the leather. It is very smooth compared to my old frye boots (had for 10 years until my dog literally ate the shaft of one).My only complaint is the pure rubber outsole. My old ones were much higher quality. But for durability this outsole will probably last longer. I used to take my boots to a shop and with the other outsole material a hole did wear through the bottom and had to have it replaced.You'll notice too that the outsole doesn't say Frye... this made in the USA line doesn't have that. Look on their site and it's exactly the same.I have size 10 and they were a bit tight when I first put them on. But the leather is very new and very stiff. It is normal to need to break them in.Being a longtime frye customer please listen to my advice and get leather oil to treat your boots regularly. You will be happy you did as these boots may be pricey but should last you at least 10 years if not more.Does not come with insoles, have to go out and purchase separately. I bought cheaper boots / shoes from other places where they included 2 sets of insoles. At this price point not too happy about having to go out and purchase insoles separately. The one good thing I can say is that it is genuine leather and made in USA, most manufacturers are now having everything built and constructed in China or other countries.The boots fit my average foot ok but were really loose in the heel, my H&H harness boots are much better, also the heel was cut wrong and didn't fit at all, looked like it was off a different boot, these are definitely not $391 CDN worth of boots. Returned and refunded promptly by amazonDifficult to get my foot into at first but this will change with usage. I ordered 8.5 which is what I wear. They are the right length. My feet are on the wide side. A 9 would have been too big. The boot is beautifully made and very strong. Bravo! Someone is still producing quality products in a world full of mostly crap.Boots fit great, very stylish, comfortable and are both casual and dressy. Boots fit true to the size. Recommend them and would buy FRYE boots in the future.Comfortable from the minute I put them on look great and live up to their reputation shame they are cheaper in USA but themselves the breaks