Workboots, how should they be worn?

[Edward]

I like to baby my boots when new, then after some wear less so. However I still give it a brush at the end of a wear.

My one shinki pair has over 100k steps easily. I haven’t painted it black or see a drastic patina forming yet it’s coming through and it’s forming to my feet.

I enjoy the harder work as oppose to it being made to patina

I'm sure it's only cosmetic on the expensive stuff, but 'designed to wear fast' finished on anything always hurt my confidence in the item's inherent durability.
Oddly, I find myself more forgiving of an 'aging' finish on brown or pretty much any other colour of leather than I do when it's black... When I buy black leather, I really want it to stay jet black.