Quality work boot - Thorogood Mens GENflex2 Side Zip Wellington Composite Toe

I have been a machinist for close to 30 years. I have used everything from Red Wing's finest, to Walmart's cheapest, and even military issue combat boots. None were comfortable for me, and all shared a common problem: laces. When a blazing red hot metal chip lands on most laces, it instantly melts right through. Not so with leather laces, but they are too easy to break. When in high school I tried cowboy boots, and not only were they never comfortable, it was a nightmare to get in and out of them. After having the issues I had with boots at the machine shop, my wife pointed to this exact model boot at our local footwear store. Absolutely the best! I have wore the same boot for 4+ years 2 different times! The first set fell victim to concrete pouring my house addition and didnt bother trying to clean em, but figured after nearly 5yrs it was time for new ones anyway. The ones I currently wear are worn funny on one foot because of the way I walk but are still comfortable. Now I am looking at getting another of the same model for the 3rd time (which is how I found this page). I have wore them while doing outside work after rain and they are not waterproof, but that is actually a good thing because they allow moisture from my feet to dissipate and when I pull em off after a long day at the shop, they are relatively dry. I have used waterproof boots before and they keep my feet wet with sweat.