All you people not washing your jeans are just manky buggers
The only report I’ve seen of anyone looking at this even vaguely scientifically concluded that washing jeans wasn’t necessary.
The not washing thing is only appropriate with selvedge indigo denim where the dye is genuine natural indigo, which has inherent antibiotic qualities and a very distinctive musty sort of smell, like shrink-to-fit selvedge 501’s used to have.
Most denim uses chemical dye, which isn’t antibacterial.
And doesn’t smell as good, or fade as well.
I second Uniqlo Japanese selvedge jeans, straight-cut of course, none of that boot-cut nonsense! The shame is that Uniqlo no longer do their real heavy indigo selvedge jeans with button fly; they were twice the price of the ones they do now, around £70, but they’re superb quality, having said that, their current ones are extremely good value and very comfy, and the closest I’ve found to my thirty-odd year old 501’s.
And I do wear boots most of the time, Meindle Desert boots, which work perfectly with good straight-cut jeans.