MB23, I have 3 pairs of Tech8"s. Pair of black and a pair of whites that are about 8 years old and a pair of whites that are 2 years old. Both 8 year old pairs are holding up better than the newer pair and the older ones are way more comfortable too!
I understand that the Tech3's are a lower end boot and I am not comparing apples to oranges. Simply put, every boot from Alpinestars has dropped in quality.
Another example is a friend of mine has had an older set of Tech3's for a quite a few years and loves them. He finally decided to spend some money and get a new set of Tech7's. He hates them and went back to wearing his old Tech3"s.
No matter which way you look at it, once a company cares more about profit than quality, quality goes down!