This shoe polishes up very quickly. Before work, I lightly brush the shoe and buff it with an old t-shirt and it's ready to go. The shoe feels a little stiff until it warms up. After warming up, it is extremely comfortable. Style wise, the only thing I would have changed is the edge trim to antique. When the shoe needs to be resoled someday, I will ask Alden to change it for me. I double knot the wax laces so they stay tied up. My shoes have never seen rain, but you do have to be careful with shell so you don't scuff it up on concrete or other hard surfaces. I work in aerospace and I think I've scuffed it a few times working in our simulator lab. I wore it almost everyday when I was breaking it in. I try to rotate it at least once a week now as I'm bringing other shoes into the rotation so it doesn't wear out as quickly. I live in Arizona so these have never seen rain. I used the Mac method a few times with spectacular results, but it does take time. I used Alden brown wax, an Alden horsehair brush, and a lot of buffing to remove scuffs. There are some creases in the shoe, but I think this adds to the overall patina that will come with age. I'm curious as to how the shoe color will change over time. I ordered some Saphir Renovateur recently from the Hangar Project, but I haven't tried this on these shoes yet. I may give it a shot since the brown wax could alter the color of the shoe rather than letting color change with age. I haven't decided if I will switch or alternate between the two. The barrie last is very generous for my feet. I normally take a size 7.5EE or 8D in sneakers, but I wear a size 7D in Alden barrie last. I would probably fit better into the plaza last, but it's not as popular as barrie. I don't have to lace up the shoes super tight for a good fit.