Hey there, just wanted to let you know I'm loving these boots, and maybe pass along a few data points you might find useful when talking to other customers.
First off, although I was intentionally hoping to form a thicker, slightly less flexible boot by getting lining inside the regular brown leather, I didn't realize how much thicker White's lining leather is than most places. It feels thrice as thick as dress shoe lining, almost like a thin goatskin glove in thickness. I'm actually fine with this, as when it's broken in it will be flexible in the right places yet resistant to unwanted movement (sprains, say), but it might come as a surprise to someone else, and it's certainly made the breaking in slower and harder going.
The fit is just incredible- my toes have room to splay, yet the back of my foot feels bandaged into place, and there is ZERO sliding forward or up in the boot. It's like my toes are in a fishbowl while the rest of my foot is mummified. As a result, there have been no hot spots, blisters, or skin abrasions of any kind during break in. I've believed more and more lately that cushioning is the cover for poor construction, and these drive that point home. I'd never have believed a boot with no insole could be this comfortable. In fact, there would be no ROOM for an insole, they're so well conformed to my feet.
Breaking in the uppers is hard, but not nearly as much as the arches. The pair actually felt almost exactly right from the start. I knew that White's are all leather and could be broken in to my fit, but I think a lot of people would have worn these once and been discouraged, and possibly attempted to resell them rather than work through the break in process. Just something you may wish to warn people about.
Anyway, I'm still working out the stiffness, but I'm now up to wearing them all day, and this is by far the best boot breakin I've ever had. I'm very happy with them.