“good shoe, bad laces”

“I chose these shoes as field shoes because the uppers were primarily leather. As my last pair of field shoes were shredded by Smilax (catbriar), I needed something that would hold up better. The shoe fits very well and the traction is nice. I kind of like the unique lacing. I work in high temperatures outside, so I was nervous about the leather uppers not breathing. So far it has gotten to the 90's and my feet are not overheating. I was initially worried about the tongue's resistance to abrasion as it is made from split rather than grain leather. There are also perforations throughout to facilitate breathing. So far, they are doing fine. The shoe is stable, but I don't see how this shoe would prevent rolled ankles as previous reviewers have stated. They are light hikers without ankle support. The ONLY complaint I have is the shoe laces. They are too short and have begun to shred after three days in the field. I would have expected better from a shoe of this quality, but that is nit-picking.”