I bought these for heavy duty exercise hiking over rough Aussie farmland which gets wet and has the occasional snakes. Not the original use case sure, but they are like armor for your feet. Resold recently and the new sole was hardly used. Very well made, super strong leather. Very stinky (mold/musty) on arrival. They needed a lot of TLC. In a bag with bicarb for a week, then full immersion in a warm borax bath, found out they are 100% waterproof. scrubbed inside and out. Rinsed inside and out. Dried inside for 4 days. Leather honey all over, especially on the upper softer leather and tounge- the lower inflexible leather parts and welting that wrap around the foot are impervious to conditioner so I covered it all and let it soak for two days. Then wiped all that off and finally dubbin on the lower parts and welts, a new pair of 63" Iron lace laces and I have what looks like a pair of AU$600 boots that are heavy enough to help keep my old legs going strong and safe from unexpected fangs, amazing value.

All natural leather inners outers and uppers, quick to lace, ankle support galore , excellent soles, plenty of grip, wore these all day in damp conditions with creek and swamp crossings, dry feet at end of day, no blisters no pain, really impressive boots, mine have reinforced toes, fitted perfectly.

Now I have thoroughly inspected these and worn them a few times I can review them.

These would cost a lot of money if they were made today.

Mine are dated from 1983, but they have had a resole marked 2007, meaning they were in service for a while. But surprisingly, the leather isn't really that wrinkled, apart from a crease on the back of the shaft where they've lain flat for some time. Considering their age they arrived in very good condition and came with Authentic Austrian Mud still caked in the sole treads.

One of the speed hooks was squashed, but I just pried it up with a knife and it's fine again. The laces were a bit ratty but still work. I have some replacements coming. I also bought a comfort insole, which is unnecessary but makes them a bit softer than the plain leather insole that's already in there.

They are very heavy and firm, but if you know the reputation of these boots you shouldn't find that surprising.

I would recommend giving them a brush to get any dirt out, and a polish. A little bit of TLC on the leather will keep them going even longer.

For size, I think they are pretty spot on. You could probably benefit from going up a size if you want to wear thick or multiple pairs of socks. The shafts are also fit for very large calves, which mine aren't. Pants easily tuck into them.

Bottom line: The amount of money these cost wouldn't get you a "good" pair of boots from any normal store. Despite their age, these will still be a much better quality…