Caterpillar boots and shoes are simply brilliant. I've always bought this brand because they are the only ones that I can put on straight out of the box and not suffer with "new shoe" ankle blisters. That alone says an awful lot. I'm sure those of you who also suffer with this will know how this feels. CAT footwear are made to last. With a little care in terms of regular dubbing or polish, they will give years of service. I've had nearly three years life out of a pair of toecaps, no leaks, no split soles or cracked leather. No, they had to go because the tread was worn flat. Now that's three years of daily use doing manual labour involving lots of walking in all weathers and all different sufaces, jumping in and out of truck cabs, getting covered in diesel and oil and other chemical substances and plastered in mud and farmyard muck (choosing words carefully here!). Yes, they are expensive, but they are well made, last for ages and are comfortable from day one to the end of their service life. They also look good and are easy to care for. As stated earlier, nothing else will change my mind now. CAT's only.