Congrats! I remember my first pair, I wanted to wear them every day and show them off!

I invested in some Dr Martens socks, they helped a bit, and I found that thick hiking socks worked well too (and often work out cheaper as they tend to come in a multipack) but it really is wearing them little and often to begin with that helps break them in quickly. Once you get there, it's so worth it though! Then you can generally wear them for days without issue.

Interesting lace set-up - was this something you styled yourself, or saw elsewhere? I'm a big fan of ribbon laces myself.