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Exactly.

And as Caprivi states, the design I like so much he doesn't.

Boots are interesting things because they attempt to achieve the same result {stability and comfort}for all people though all people have very different feet, body structures, etc.

For example, Caprivi's problem with White's is one I have never heard before and it runs opposite of what I have experienced and found with others, but his critique is legitimate because it affects him. Forest firefighters like my son wear a minimum of a 40 pound line pack constantly {required and damn poorly designed and brutally uncomfortable IMHO...} and commonly 90 or more pounds of gear on severe slopes and very unstable ground surfaces and they can't skirt areas that are rough like we hunters and hikers usually can, they have to go right thru them, the absolute worst conditions applied to a boot. The type of boots they wear is critical not just to comfort but to safety and health as well and the ones in top demand are White's, Wesco and Nick's. My son has seen critical injuries caused by other boots, injuries literally requiring Medivac {severe blisters and consequent bone infections}.

Tho not involving backpacks, I reckon the second most challenging activity for a boot is logging in steep, mountainous terrain. It is often simply ridiculous for what it requires of a man and his boots and again, those boots most commonly seen in the woods of the West and PACNW are the same three cited above.

But a "White's" boot or other isn't a factory mass-produced boot. They are each custom built or can be. For example, Tinker likes a higher boot than me. I have skinny but strong ankles and over the years found high boots don't allow me the foot grip that shorter ones do. And the last pair I had made used a combination of last and design features from several standard patterns to build the best boot I've yet bought from Whites. You CAN buy a pair off the rack, but I don't. The cost difference is nil and I have mine custom designed and built.

One thing needs to be emphasized; I can speak for White's and Nicks, not sure about Wesco, but they will require a "long" break-in period. We soak them in the stock tank and wear them dry, and sometimes it takes a few wettings before they mold to the feet and they can be very uncomfortable during the break-in period. White's have no steel arch that can rust and break, they have instead and by purpose about 2+cm of hard leather that molds to the arch and after a time blends around the foot. Do not buy a pair of these type of boots and expect instant comfort.

Many boots feel comfy in the store but turn out to be severe liabilities under severe conditions.

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