These are not my first Goodyear welted boots. I have a variety of others, including Fryes, UK Docs, and Lucchesses, and I’m no stranger to Red Wings. So…I’m versed in boots. I actually love my Thursdays. I’m a true size 7, dead-on average B width, with slender heels/ankles. In most Goodyear welted boots, I’m a 7.5. In Thursday's captains, I needed an 8. I could have stretched the 7.5s, but it would have affected the integrity of the boot. I was taught to buy a boot that your foot doesn’t deform, as stitching is always going to be a weak point, and stretching the boot too far is what leads to popped stitches. Also, I buy so that the bend in my toes hits the natural bend in the boot. For me, that puts me in an 8. They are not sloppy/floppy/loose, and after wearing them a couple days, I only get maybe 1/4 inch of heel slip (1/4-1/2 inch is considered appropriate after break-in). I wouldn’t say my Thursdays are totally broken in yet, but they’re already more comfortable, and should be broken in within a couple more wears. I tried two different leathers (a chromexcel and a Thursday chrome) before settling on the tobacco rugged and resilient leather. It’s creasing, as leather tanned in this manner does, but not in a way that indicates there’s a defect. The soles are still a bit stiff, but they have a metal shank, so this will take a bit to bend to my feet. I’ve seen lots of reviewers comparing these to 300-500 boots and…these are not those boots. However, they are far better than they should be for 190. I wouldn’t wear them for field work, and these are not hiking boots, but they’re fine for backcountry strolls. I think they’d be great travel boots, too. For those wary of the non-US manufacturing: these are from a factory in Mexico, which as a country actually has a longer boot manufacturing history than the US does, at least for bench crafted boots. I am very pleased with the manufacturing on these. There are places I absolutely don’t want my boots imported from, but Mexico isn’t one of them. Love these boots and I love that I could try a couple sizes (carefully!) in my home before deciding which fit best.
