old leather?

for a school trip i had to buy 37 travel cards at the local railway station which is tiny. as the queue built up i spotted these very 'gnarly' (to use my son's expression!) boots worn on the feet of a french tourist. i asked how long he had owned them, expecting to be told years and years, only for him to reveal less than a year!?
so either he has a tough outdoor job or they've been artificially distressed!!