Maybe a long shot, but do any of you own anything in the dark brown oiled reverse leather? I can't find any images here of how it looks in the flesh, or wears in.
I like the tone of the leather a lot, but the nap looks so short and pristine in the stock images that I can't get a sense of how it'll age.
The missing leather topped insoles arrived, and they’ve made a big difference to the feel of the boots - enough to change my earlier impression of them.
The insoles are thick and firm enough to have taken away most of that sense of instability I was experiencing underfoot initially (with both the foam insoles they’d originally sent, and the harder orthotics I also tried). Their density is just right to provide both support and shock absorption, and they complement the boots so well that somehow every component underfoot now feels better, including the soles themselves. (Not too sure how that works, but it’s a nice bit of design.) It was an immediate difference.
I’d still rather the wedges were flatter so they'd be more supportive at the edges, but it isn’t causing an issue now when I'm walking, so I guess I’ve adjusted to them and started compensating without noticing, now that boots in general feel more “right".
Other than the stiff rolled collars needing some attention, break in has been easy and painless and they’ve become a nice, comfy, casual (read: fairly roomy) fit, and I’m overall really happy with them.