Super Comfortable Boot, sturdy, good traction, looks great
I just returned from hiking in the Pisgah State Forest outside of Asheville ,NC. I am not a "hiker". I usually run, but we went hiking on this last trip. The longest I spent in these boots was 8 hours and they were super comfortable. I have an almost flat foot with a history of bad plantar fascitis. Everyone thinks that a flat foot needs a strong arch support, but it's not always true. My feet are flat but strong, and easily aggravated by things bunching under the arch. I didn't give these boots any break in time and for my flat foot, the orthotic included, irritated my foot and felt like a big ball on the wrong spot on my foot. So I swapped out the included orthotic and put in one that I use in my running shoes. My first short hike, I got a little scared because I wasn't used to a foot being really supported. As I walked, I realized that the muscles in my feet were working a bit differently but there was no impact under the arch and therefore the underside of my foot never got fascitis. The next hike, my feet were much more ready and that's when I really started enjoying the feel of these boots.I'd read reviews that said the boots were not waterproof so I was really scared when I started going through puddles of melted frost. I don't know what the deepest puddle was, but my feet remained dry. Honestly I tried to avoid a lot of wet, but I wore them while it rained lightly and my feet were dry.As for traction, they really do have great grip. There were many parts of the trails where it was a steep incline covered with wet leaves. The boots really gripped on both the ascent and descent. I was worried they'd slip, but I definitely felt a confidence with how firmly my foot felt on the ground.The boots are very lightweight as well. I am always a size 6 and I ordered a size 6 and there was room for 2 pairs of socks. It was a bit tight to begin with in 2 socks, but the toe length was perfect (I have a normal width foot but square-ish foot shape) and the toes really had a lot of room.As others have said, the laces are very slippy at first and they came loose twice on my first hike. After that, I took the laces and kind of scuffed them up. Once the laces lost that brand new, shiny coating, they gripped very well and did not loosen on steep inclines. I def recommend scuffing up the laces first. The temp outside was 40 deg down to about 28-32 and my feet were warm in 2 pairs of socks. Because my feet didn't really sweat in that cold temps (cold for me, I'm from Florida), I can't say how they'd do in hot weather although I wouldn't hesitate for the next time I am out in hot temps.The boot was very attractive on my foot and I received compliments on them from tour guides. They are definitely worth the money.Back to the flat foot/arch issue. After 3 hikes, I put back in the orthotic that came with the boots. My feet were now used to the boot and the arch no longer felt like a ball was under it. Next time I go hiking, I will leave the orthotic in. So bottom line, if you have flat feet/or get plantar fascitis, you really should take some walks in these boots first so your feet can get used to the feel and not freak out in the middle of a hike. I didn't do that because I 'just wanna go' but if you have any impulse control, take a few break in walks before the real hike.