Rockport Men's Rugged Bucks Waterproof Hiking Boots - Durable Outdoor Work Boots for Hiking, Camping & Winter Wear

Full disclosure, I'm a huge Rockport fan. I've bought their shoes and boots for years because they've always fit me well and they make a really comfortable shoe at a decent price that has always held up pretty well for me.To begin, I bought the "Tan" color and these are anything but tan. These are a dark chocolate brown in a flat finish nubuck leather with a brown / grey synthetic sole. But they look exactly like the photo in the product listing and that's what I wanted so I don't really care what Rockport calls the color.These are also made with Rockport's proprietary "Hydro Shield" design which makes them waterproof and that was important to me because I live in New England. Fall is wet and winters come with snow, slush, ice, and salt. So having a reasonably fashionable Chukka boot that can handle the weather is just practical. I've owned another pair of Rockport Hydro Shield Chukka boots for about three years and they have worked fine for me.Are these a high end fashion boot with stitched leather soles? No! But they look pretty good and the lugged rubber soles will do better in mud and slush than a flat leather sole. Also the waterproof uppers will survive a lot better than dress shoe leather while being much easier to keep looking good. And finally, these are 1/3 to 1/4 the price of a delicate high end fashion boot. That made the decision a lot easier.Also, the Rockport partnership with Adidas has produced a dress boot with near running shoe comfort. These are incredibly comfortable right out of the box. I wear a size 11 D (medium) width. That's what I ordered and they fit me perfectly. A fashion boot is not going to have this level of comfort.Also it's really hard to find a nice looking men's ankle height boot that doesn't have a zipper on the side. I guess I'm old fashioned but those seem like fake boots to me and something a poseur would wear. I want a men's boot styled like a men's boot right down to a functional lacing system not some zipper closure destined to fail or leak water.I bought these boots to go with a new dark brown distressed leather jacket and leather flat cap for fall and winter and I couldn't be happier with my choice. Rockport wins again.