u/Guy_Montag__

Frank's Type 2 Highlanders. Steel toe with toe cap options added. I have owned them for 2 weeks yesterday; so that means they've been on my feet at work in the trades for about 100 hours now which is the factory-deemed appropriate break-in period.

The break-in period was tough and it definitely took some smiling through the pain, ain't gonna lie. They were uncomfortable. They were hard/inflexible. They caused blisters. I had to keep adjusting the laces and gusset throughout the day. My heel was raw. My arches ached. The 10" uppers made the whole boot feel like a cast on my leg for the first week. I brought my old pair of boots with me to work for the first three days to change into by noon so my feet didn't get wrecked, lol.

Now, well into the "100 Hour Club", I can say with the highest confidence that these boots have been the best purchase I've ever made in my life when it comes to footwear/workwear. Conclusively and categorically, without a doubt. They are a tool that you wear. They become more part of my body the more I use them, just like any other tool does. "Comfortable" isn't a good enough word to use anymore. There is plenty of room in the toebox. My heel "clicks" into it's sweet spot now. The laces, gusset, and kilties have settled into home. The arch support is perfect now, even standing on a ladder rung for 2/3 of the day. My footbed and insole have become nothing short of bespoke.

Frank's is over here killing it quietly; only concentrating on making a damn good boot (one of the best in the world, imo) and keeping their customers happily satisfied for a very long time, if not for life. My boots came true to size, were delivered within the build and shipping estimate, in immaculate condition (I bet their factory smells AWESOME), and included care instructions, laces, and kilties. Not one thread on either boot was uneven, loose, or misplaced. Treads like tank tracks. No gaps in any seams. And that's just out of the box. They are still like that after 100 hours of hard labor, as well.

You've earned life-long customer, supporter, and fan, Frank's. I'll shout your name down from the mountaintops. Keep doing what you're doing, because you're one of the best at what you do. Thank you to you and your entire crew for all of your hard work and dedication to your craft.

Alright, now a question if you've made it this far (🥴). It states SPECIFICALLY in the care instructions to not condition or use any wax/water repellent for the break-in period, but nothing about the after. Now that the break-in is over, do I buy some Obenauf's and just lay it to it? It's a rough-out lower. I get into some pretty deep muck up past my ankles some days, so I want to protect/waterproof them as soon and as thoroughly as possible.

Thanks for any advice and thank you for reading. Take care. 😎