My dad has had probably a total of 3 pairs of red wings and wears them every day of his life. He is 75 and the only reason he bought new ones is so he had one pair at all times that are “dressier”. Boots may get a little ratty outside but every pair is still wearable and the first pair easily dates back to 1980 or earlier. Those boots are the best made boots I have ever seen. I do have a pair of Frye’s that I wear and they have had a lot of durability too.