The first pair lasted longer, but they were already a good 7 or 8 years old, as my dad used them for a few months of masonry work. My current pair, the leather is in better condition, but with all the sparks/heat and everything, the stitching has either frayed/torn, or burned and started to unravel.

There are some holes/tears in the leather on the heels and the sides from flexing/creasing over time. It's just the problems with being a welder, boots don't last.

And I can't even find a cobbler near me, and with the leather tearing and being worn through near the missing stitching, I don't know that it would go back together right.