These are the boots that LC found a great deal for us on
LA Police Gear closeout.
I bought a pair skeptical that they'd be worth even the severely discounted price, but I'm pleased to say I'm actually quite happy with them after tonight.
Why tonight? Well, it's the first time I've taken a walk around my block in months and months since I took a nasty fall at the end of my last walk that led to some health issues last August. Those aren't completely cleared up, but they're...better-ish. I decided to wear the boots outside for the first time tonight because I'd already decided to keep them. I bought 11-1/2 regulars because they didn't have wides, and worried that they wouldn't fit my fat feet properly. They do. My biggest problem during the walk was toenails that needed trimming because a couple were touching the toes of the boots. Taken care of post walk. At the end of the walk, I was winded because I'm way out of shape from surgery recovery and general lack of exercise since the last fall, but my feet didn't hurt and the boots were never truly uncomfortable during the whole walk. Now, admittedly this wasn't exactly a 40 mile forced march, only a fairly leisurely walk around my neighborhood with the hound, but the boots were great. Are they the most comfortable boots I've ever worn? No, that would probably go to my insulated Danners, but are the most comfortable $30 boots I've ever worn? Hands down. I hope when summer rolls around we find a similar deal for winter boots.
I'm probably going to sew some leather pulls into the backs to make it easier to pull them on. An arthritic back makes it tough to get them on. I'm also going to replace the shoe laces with paracord so I can get a few more inches length so I can tie them all the way up to the last hole with a knot to keep the lace from pulling out. The laces that came with it are too short to allow me to do that, and anything I can do to make it easier to get them on will be a bonus. Fortunately because the material is so thin, it's pretty easy to get them off.
All in all, I'm quite pleased with the boots. Thanks to LC for finding and telling us about it.