Among the best available
I scored these at a particularly good flash price (>50% off), and am pleased at the value. Sizing is spot on. The size 10D in these is exactly the same as moat orher size 10D in other similar types of boots i own. They are just slightly more snug throughout the instep which i attribute to the atiff, one piece leather construction. It's nothing that an extended break-in period, more uaage or immediate adjustment of the lacing can't reaolve.Over the past week I've hiked around 25-30 milea in them without any difficulty, hot apots/blisters, etc. developing. I don't feel like they need an extender break in period, other than the snug instep. The liner is nice and smooth, so no rubbing or pinching. The insole aeems adequate, providing decent heel and arch suport - although I might decide to change them out in the future. The TPU midsole and vibram outsole is extremely atiff and supportive. I can atand and/or walk across sharp rocks without even feeling them. The unique sole pattern does occasionally collect small rocks and clicking as I step forcing me to pry an occasional rock out of the sole at my next stop. The boot provides excellent support for carrying a heavy pack for miles of uneven terrain with these stiff solea, one piece construction, and heavy leather.My only concerns are the weight (they are noticeably heavy - 2+ lbs each - which makes a difference after a long hike), heat build-up on a very warm day (with adequate socks it hasn't proven to be an issue yet). Of course my final and biggest concern long term is the nature of glued/cemented soles to fail and delaminate. I own/have owned a number of both molded/glued and welted/stiched sole boots and almost always found aoles such as these to come apart - usually years in future for me. Unfortunately.it seems to be a mostly time based, rather than a usage based issue - leaving the boots stored for long periods makes little difference, but heat or moisture seems to hasten the process. I've even had dress shoes with TPU midsoles give out after an extended period despite little use. Unfortunately there is no telling how long the boots have been in the warehouse before purchase. I have owned or currently own many of the high end hiking boots from Danner, Vasgue, Zamberlan, Solomon, La Sportiva and Lowa (and an older version of this model), hiking countless miles and resoling some boots multiple times. If/ when delamination occurs, it's off to everyone's recommended cobbler in Seattle for sole replacement. For their intended purpose of long distances with heavy loads though these are definately among the best. I'll just make sure I'm covered for contingency, and monitor the sole carefully, and update this with my results.