BLACK PITSTOP

The pull-on version: black, round toe, nothing to fasten. Where the other version offers adjustment, this one offers speed, and for a great many people that is the better trade.

A boot you step into has to be cut correctly, because the fit is fixed at the factory. The shaft has to be wide enough to clear the instep and the heel pocket has to be shaped closely enough to hold the back of the foot once you are in. Get a pair that does both and it is the most convenient footwear you will own; get a pair that does neither and no amount of wearing will fix it. The round toe helps here, since it gives the front of the foot room without narrowing anywhere.

Black is the practical choice and the reason this style stays in production. It does not show a scuff, it does not date, and it goes with everything a working wardrobe contains. Try them when your feet are at their largest, take the pair that grips the heel on the first walk, and expect them to loosen slightly and then stop.