I've seen a few of the shell Maine Guides and they are definitely a pair I'm envious of. I haven't seen any pictures of actually worn pairs so I'm curious how they age. Paying several hundred for a nice watch has always perplexed me; it's a statement piece and has its functional purpose but a cheap pair of boots don't compare to an expensive pair whereas a G-Shock does everything functional a more expensive watch does. I think it's pretty easy to justify expensive footwear (particularly anything that can be resoled) over something like a watch which is effectively jewelry.
You see, I don't love the idea of full shell Yuketens, I feel they just blend in. I feel the variety of.leather Yuketen uses is much more interesting than full shell.
I couldn't justify the premium on them, they'd look like any other boot to me in color 8 shell. Unless they did a version with mixed leather.
Depends on the shoes ofcourse, I only buy when I can resell.for equal or better. So far, I've only ever lost money on one pair of shoes and it was only $10.