[natterjack]

I find much the same as eeyore, and haven't found a pair of steelies that last much more that a year yet - except the first pair that I ever got, which were dead cheap and really light and comfortable even for extended hiking let along working, and lasted for several years. I didn't realise that they were that exceptional at the time and had long since forgotten the brand name by the time I did realise...

The supposed problem with Dubbin is that it gradually rots the stitching - that is why nikwax is usually preferred nowadays.

That said, I don't think that I have ever had a pair that failed at the stitching first, Dubbined or otherwise: typically the first thing that happens is that the uppers crack in the alternating wet/dry, or the soles split.

I'm not too sure that comparing them with hiking boots is very useful however. I wouldn't expect that any of my hiking boots would have lasted any longer if they were used as much, and mistreated so badly as my work boots.