ARIAT Men's Groundbreaker Round Toe Work Boots - Steel Toe, Waterproof & Slip Resistant for Construction, Farming & Outdoor Work

The only dislike is the stitching sucks. A stick caught the side stitching and it ripped. Haven't even had them a month.I've never owned a pair of cowboy boots before. My Dad had a really old pair that were very stiff, more like dress shoes almost and trying those on soured me to the idea of ever wearing any figuring they would all be very uncomfortable. However years later I got the itch to get myself a pair. I liked the idea they are so easy to take on and off, no tying, just jam it on and go. I was at a local chain store that sells boots and browsed the brands just to get an idea of which ones seemed the best quality. Ariat appear to be at the top of the quality list. That store didn't have exactly what I want so I searched online. I don't live in a dusty, dry dirt, desert type environment like I imagine most cowboy boots are designed for. Many seemed to have almost smooth bottoms with just a few grooves. I wanted something that had like a real boot bottom on them for the New Hampshire mud. I found very few boots that fit this profile but these Ariat Groundbreakers were exactly what I was looking for. I like that they had some kind of design stitched into them but nothing really gaudy. The bottom is thick leather like a baseball mit, the top softer like a leather jacket. The top part is nice and flexible so they don't feel restrictive like a tall pair of lace up boots does. It almost just feels like wearing a regular shoe. The insoles are very comfortable. If I wear them for a very long time they may rub a spot on my foot but I suppose some break in period is expected. They rubbed the top of my foot at first but after about a day that stopped. The bottom tread is very good and I have no traction issues. These are great in mud and muck. They are not waterproof but if you walk through deep water maybe up to just a few inches below the top of the boot your feet will stay dry. I wouldn't recommend standing in that water for a prolonged period of time as it might then seep in. The top part of the boot will start to absorb the water. But they aren't advertised as being waterproof so honestly it's better than I expected. After you wear these for a few weeks they start to break in nicely. I now wear them around all the time, in the woods, or out and about. They are great for doing work around the yard. The price for these boots was also very good, I paid barely over $100. Overall a great boot I would purchase again if I had to. They fit as expected, not too large or too small. They top of the boots are kind of large in diameter so you may need to tuck most jeans into them. Maybe if you had boot cut ones you could pull them over but I haven't tried that.These boots are extremely comfortable and are perfect for what I do (hvac service) however the sole at the front of the boot began to split about a year into owning them. I am not hard on my boots and the reason that they began to spilt is due to the bending down onto one knee and the toe began to split. I was able to glue them back together and this lasted for about a week. They have progressively gotten worse and can not be saved at this point. I am used to buying cheaper boots and they last for about 5 years. Never again will I spend the amount of money that I spent on these boots to have them last a year and a half. Ariat is a big fail.These Ariat Groundbreakers are very comfortable, however I did have to go through 3 sizes before finding my fit in this boot. For reference, I normally wear a 10.5 in New Balance, 10-10.5 in Asics, 9-9.5 in dress shoes (Cole Haans), 42-43 European size in Lem's barefoot shoes. I used to wear a 9.5 in Timberland work boots, they were steel-toe waterproof Titans. I've been looking to try out some Ariats, and although these are towards the economy line as Ariats go, they have not disappointed.Pros:*nice color and quality of leather and welt*comfortable insole although if you have high arches like I do you may want a more supportive replacement but this would be true in any western-style work boot*non-slip electrical hazard rated outer sole, also non-markingCons:*not waterproof (I knew this when ordering and they breathe better, but if you're looking for waterproof this is not the model for you)*not steel-toed (again, I knew this and was looking for soft-toe boots, but if you are working in an industrial area make sure you look for the steel-toed groundbreakers)As for the fit, I returned 10.5 and 10 sizes for being too big before settling on 9.5. This size allowed some slipage in the heel as is necessary in a good fitting pull-on work boot. The top of the foot was a little looser than I would want at first, but as the leather has been breaking in over the last few weeks they have settled down on and around my foot and calf, and as the sole has become more flexible the heel has also settled in as well. Overall they are breaking in nicely.I wear two types of socks for work, summer I wear thinner boot socks, and with these socks the boots are slightly looser. With Merino wool gold-toe boot socks for winter they are slightly snug. I have experienced a slight toe pinch when crouching which usually means the last is too big, so I might have been able to get away with a size 9, but I wanted to leave plenty of room for the wool socks when winter comes. If your preference is tighter boots that break and stretch to your feet you may start at a size down from street shoe size then go down another half size to get that real snug feel. For most people though, I expect 1 full size down will be a good starting point for sizing these boots.As far as the styling, they are understated and simple which I like, and the calf is roomy for me and I have regular calf muscles, but if you are thinner than me you might find that part a little bit. I think anyone who has thick legs would fit and not find them too narrow.Overall I am very pleased with this purchase and recommend these boots to anyone looking for a good-quality understated pull-on work boot.The picture shows a round toe boot but the product title says it’s a square toe boot.The product details say round toe which is the correct description. Please make correction as this is confusing. Thank YouThe fact this takes so long I don't likeI bought these to replaced laced up work boots that I had purchased from LL Bean 8 years ago. I like the easy slip on feature and the rugged appearance of the boot. I used them with regular socks and ended up with two blisters on one foot and one on the other foot. I'll try thicker socks next time. I was wearing them for firewood and dropped a stick of wood on one boot near the tip of the boot and I think that it is permanently dented. They are not made for intensive labor and I bought them knowing that they were not steel toed boots.Perfecto para trabajar en la agriculturaElles sont parfaitesLe seul point à savoir…..ne vous laissez pas prendre par surprise, pour moi une « botte de sécurité » vient avec un cap d’acier!! Mais pour Ariat non !C’est une botte normale, mais ultra confortable et de très bonne qualité, mais ce n’est pas une botte de sécurité à proprement dit !!Really not satisfied... I bought a size 8 for my husband they came in great shape and had the steel cap as described but the 8 was too big so exchanged for a size 7. The 7 came in with no steel cap... exchanged them for another pair of 7 and still no steel toe caps... the only reason why my husband wants these boots was because of the steel caps... very unsatisfied and will have to return them again.I’ve had these boots just under a year, they’re great. They fit nice, they’re comfortable, they’re durable, they’re relatively warm considering. I’ve worn them every day since I bought them. I walk almost 15km/day for work and with the dog and they’ve held up incredibly. I recently coated them with mink oil just cause they were started to dry out due to the salt, wouldn’t recommend doing that but Canadian winters with all the salt are no bueno. Nothing but praise for these boots. Not to mention, factoring in conversions they’re cheaper to buy on Amazon than buying directly from ariatWe got these for our Horseman Grandson, and his reply to these boots are as follows, this pair of boots fit perfect, comfortable for walking and riding, going wear them till they're done and buy me another pair of these again .... cannot get better than thatPreviously owned an awesome pair of rubber soled Ariat's. Bought the identical size - main problem is they've changed the heel cup material - now, very stiff causing multiple blisters.Had bought these to wear in winter due to lugs - sole is silicone and SUPER slippery. Disappointed as that was my 'sole' intention.