The 8-eyelet Doc Martens #1460's were my old boots. Bought'em new in '02. By late '03, they were ready to become junkyarding boots. Didn't blow out the sides, but the heel cup disintegrated on both boots. In March of last year, I replaced them with a pair of Asolo TPS 520 GTX's (higher end version of yours; also dark chocolate brown). They fit well, but did need a bit of breaking in. I usually wear them with all of my kilts, even the tartans. In fact, yesterday, I had to go to a somewhat casual wedding. Wore my Armstrong kilt (pictured in my avatar) with a black T-shirt, bottle green KH, red flashes, and my boots. Worked pretty well. If you've an REI nearby, see if they have the Granites in stock and try'em out. See if they're as comfortable as the 535's are. If they are, let me know, since I am looking for a pair of black boots and would like to stay within the brand myself.

-J