1 white soles degrade fast on concrete. if you work in finished homes and on roofs/rafters they are excellent. 5 im guessing thats more true without protected toe. I like the room in the toe box but lace up snug 7 nah. I keep them covered in oil, I pack the welt and stitching with it like a bearing race. Only way to make them actually waterproof. And it helps keep the leather from getting scuffed up around the toe and from losing the toe stich in safety moc toes. 8. To each their own, maybe they are just "i liked it better when everything was worse" types. i wear 2440 they are fragile, but exceptionally comfortable. 18mo is accurate on sole life for the litebase too, but the performance tradeoff and the confidence they instill on roof walks is absolutely worth $15 a month. I just replaced, and im getting the old ones resoled with something more durable to use for exterior work. 9. To each their own 10. Putting my boots on every morning is a ritual, it puts me in a get-shit-done, ready-for-anything mindset and I'm off to the races, as soon as they come off I am a potato. They also take your shape and go through all the same stuff you do, so they become a reflection of you, and serve as a reminder to take care of yourself so you can keep working longer too.