Most boots don’t wear out where people expect.
Usually it isn’t the leather.
The first signs tend to appear in the parts constantly under repeated pressure. The sole takes impact. The heel carries weight. Stitching and connections absorb the movement every time the boot bends and flexes.
When boots are worn occasionally, materials get time to recover.
Leather dries. Shape returns. Moisture leaves.
When they are worn every day, a lot less of that happens. The boots get less time to dry out and recover between wears
And the first signs of wear rarely becomes visible where it actually begins.
Seams usually do not open on the outside first. Thread weakens where it isn’t visible.
Parts begin weakening long before anything is visible from the outside.
By the time you notice it, it has often been there for a while.
That isn’t necessarily a flaw.
It is often simply what repeated use looks like.
The marks of wear and the signs of failure are not always the same thing.
Knowing the difference is part of owning something for a long time.
