I saw this pair of boots in a dream. After first seeing JL boots at S&S I was interested in checking out a pair (love the incredibly smooth the transition from outsole to midsole). As I started digging online I thought that the wear you get from an unstructured toe box was so cool and personal. Then i discovered tea core leather and horsebutt. All ingredients in a boot that would wear in beautifully. At this point i had successfully incepted myself into dreaming this exact boot model. Lo and behold, a couple months later I see that S&S is offering a pre order for a special version of the M43 boot that is a mirror image of my dream.
Went in to S&S to get sized for a pair. All said and done I think I was a bit timid in really cinching down a beautiful (and expensive) pair of boots to get the fit super dialed but thick socks during the winter was a welcome choice.
Pre ordered through S&S. Had excellent updates and communication throughout the process. Pre-order went as smooth as possible for supply chain mania times (some delays but I can’t remember how long so must not have been that bad).