TR - thanks - i'll definitely give everyone the heads up on anything new i come across.
like any product, YMMV.
TS - i agree- most of the time, dexterity/finger sensitivity is inversely proportional to durability. but better quality leather can outlast cheaper, thicker leather, so that's a factor to take into account. i ride motorcycles (road bikes), and have a pair of kangaroo leather gloves. they are by far the most supple motorcycle gloves i've owned, and have held up though a couple of crashes. i've trashed a pair of cheaper but thicker gloves. the SWMS gloves feel like they are a pretty good balance of durability/dexterity. just need to put them through some wear and tear to see how they hold up.
guy - my wife bought me those solomon expert mids. found them on sale at a shoe store at the local mall for 30% off retail. the insoles didn't provide much arch support so i replaced them with the green superfeet. i use them for daily wear, and hill/stair training with a ruck. they took me through 4 days of the SHOT show and my feet were fine. knee were a bit achy, but then i'm getting old. also take a look at the merrell sawtooth boots as an alternative. they're built a bit more solidly than the salomons.
cheers,
MM