I've had a few pair of Rockies for work and every time the soul falls off. Never seen anything like it. The last/best pair of boots I bought is a pair of Itasca hunting boots with 2000 grams of thinsulate. They are warm and have held up for close to 8 years or so. I only wear them during deer season but other brands of boots I have had start to fall apart after this amount of time just from age, not necessarily from use.