I conditioned them before wear and the leather seemed very rich and very soft. Unlike the other review, I did not experience any coloration on the cloth when applying the conditioner and the stitching was also perfect.
I've been banging around in these almost every day over the last couple weeks for everything from running errands in town to doing chores around a small farm and I love them more each time I put them on.
My only regret is that I purchased a half size up (12) thinking that it might be helpful given that some had reported the last being slightly narrow. The sizing felt good when I first tried them on but after wearing them for a while and seeing how the leather has broken in and softly conforms to my foot, I realize that I could have gone with my true Brannock sizing (11.5).