I had a pair of loggers that were similar to thos carolina boots or redwing boots. I doubt i would want a steel shank & i never got used to the higher heel & arch feeling, common with those boots. I normally where flat style converse or docs with lil arch if any. Did you get the jump boots used & broke in? I do believe in getting what you pay for with boots. Usually a well made boot costing almost $200 will be a friendly pair of footwear for a long time. Expensive doesnt always equal quality tho.
i bought them new and broke them in myself which hurt a lot! after about a week of that they were like a second skin. i have high arches but in addition the shank is designed to compress when carrying a heavy pack (like military heavy) so your aches don't collapse when walking. providing your not flat footed of course. i broke the steel shank in my boots twice from walking so much because they from soo much when walking every where with a lg alice pack full. i was such a newb back then, lol. those boots bit the dust after at least 5 years hard use road tramping it.
they finally bit the dust the first time when i caught a red light in sanfran going downhill on a skateboard and had to plant a foot as a brake. after that i had half a heel gone for a while til i got them resoled.
second time they bit the dust for good was when i was helping do some concrete work for money. i was just helping put a shovel here and there but had to stand in the stuff with my boots. well after that all the lye in the concrete ate right through all the threading. it was a sad day to see an pair of old friends go. too bad i could not give them lil warriors a viking burial.
so yes in short... carolina boots if cared for and not abused will probably go to the grave with ya after several resoles. you can figure about a few thousand walked miles on a pair of soles depending on the hardness you get. sorry i sound kinda weird but this is all stuff i picked up from our local shoe repair place who also makes shoes from scratch. they are old school and tell you a lot. i would travel cross country to get my boots fixed there kinda good. i also got kinda bored at times and figured how long my boots would last between brands of soles.
vibram is probably the best but goodyear makes some wicked steel belted rubber soles.
so yeah i could say i got my moneys worth.
hope this helps...
-joni