How Long Does the O.T. Pro Take to Break In? 10 Owners Answer
The O.T. Pro like our other boots uses some of the thickest leather in the industry. It's up to 3.6 millimeters of dense, "butter tan" hide, built onto a tapered midsole designed to flex like a much lighter boot. On paper, that's a lot of leather to break in. In practice, these ten customers didn't run into much of a fight.
A veteran of multiple PNW brands, he found the fit ran narrower than expected, but the payoff was a boot that ended up feeling like a sock.
"One of the most comfortable boots that I have owned! Be careful when ordering! D is actually a narrow and EE is a standard. I got the D's which is really narrow for my foot, but I just wore them and the leather eventually conformed to my foot. However, thin socks only for me in this boot. After the break in they are now wearing like a pair of socks instead of a boot. I have multiple pairs of PNW boots, Red Wings and others. The JK's are my go to boots and I absolutely love them."
His last two pairs of a well-known brand didn't make it past six months, so he's watching closely to see how these hold up.
"So far they have been awesome. Break in wasn't too bad although I had some heel slip on my right side. My last 2 pairs of redwings were shot after 6 months so I have high hopes for my JKs. Always happy to support a US made product."
A month in, and he's already recommending them to the mechanics he works with.
"Had these for almost 1 month and the break in has been great. No pain at all. These are the toughest boots I've ever had and the guys at work love them. Definitely recommend for mechanics."
After years in boots from most of the big-name brands, he wasn't expecting the leather to already feel worn in before he'd worn it at all.
"The leather and quality is unlike any other boots I've ever had and I have had a lot of boots from most of the big names and I'm here to tell you they feel half broken in right out of the box. The leather is the softest and thickest. But with that you think heavy right? Wrong they aren't heavy compared to others I have had. I absolutely cant wait to see how they hold up I'm sure they will impress. Thank you JK!!"
A small fit adjustment early on, and a full break-in inside of a week.
"The best pair of boots I've ever purchased, the fit was a little off at first but that was corrected super fast. They fit like a glove now and are very comfortable and broke in within the first week of wearing them. Will definitely be purchasing another pair in the future."
Comfortable enough for full days on the job, though he still swaps into a lighter boot once the shift ends.
"No issues with break in or several hours wearing right when I got them. These are great for all day wear but in the evenings put on the 300's for lighter weight comfort!"
He picked the rough-out leather for how it holds up to scuffs, and didn't expect the break-in to go quite this smoothly.
"I like how the rough out leather with stands scratches and wear. The boots didn't take long to break in. I am excited to see how long I can make these boots last compared to the redwing boots I've purchased in the past."
A few mildly uncomfortable days, then a full work day with no blisters.
"Break in was very quick, slight discomfort for the first few days. However, it was not bad and wore them for the entire work day, no blisters or such occurred."
Wrapping up the break-in right as he put the boots' toe protection to the test.
"Just finishing up the break in and there become very comfortable dropped some steel on my foot and didn't feel a thing very tough boots!!!"
Still early on, but already expecting the boots to keep getting better.
"Really liking them so far. I'm expecting them to get even better with more break in time."
Only two of the ten ran into anything worth mentioning. One had a little heel slip, the other a few days of mild discomfort, but both said it cleared up fast. The rest were comfortable almost immediately, with one even dropping some steel on his toes but not feeling it. That tapered midsole and softer leather seem to be doing their job: a boot built with a sole for fire and chemical protection that still breaks in like other lighter, less heavy-weight boots.
Leave a comment