These boots are pure quality. From the welt construction to the leather. I had planned a backpacking trip around Europe in the winter, and I was looking for an excuse to buy a great pair of backpacking boots to be used not only in a cold European winter, but also for any other backpacking trip I could come up with (with the exception of hardcore mountianeering that require actual mountaineering boots...though these boots can take a C1 crampon).At first I had purchased the Asolo TPS 520. Great boots in their own right. Gore-Tex liner, cushy, the TPS walking point system. That said, I always, always, had my eye on the new Zamberlan welt construction boots. (I mean, come on, they look awesome right? Totally old school). The Tophane (sp) was a little out of my price range, and I didn't really like that orange color. Then, I saw these guys on sale from 400 to 280!!! Purchased.As another review stated, I thought these boots were too big at first, and even ordered a half size smaller in a panic. I ended up keeping the original size once I discovered you really do need to break them in a bit to have them conform to your foot. This is not to say they do not feel great out of the box. They do, but a little breaking in, they feel amazing. These boots have plenty of toe box room. Also, another reviewer was right. The interior is lined with calf leather and feels great on your heel and ankle.A few things about this boot for gear guys. This boot does NOT have a Gore-tex liner underneath the outerlayer of leather. I believe this is a positive. Gore-tex, no matter how fancy, does not breath well. They say it does, it doesnt. Thus, your foot stays much cooler. Second, if you need that liner (and its just a liner, not some treatment to the leather), you can easily get a gore-tex liner sock that will perform the same function. For me, Id rather have the option of gore-tex than having my foot BAKE in a summer hike.If you have the cash, and want an incredible hiking boot with some old school style that you could actually wear around town and not look like a total goof, then I would highly consider these boots.I always buy one piece leather European made boots and this is my 4th pair. Yeah I’m in my 50s now. I’ve put all of them through hell because one piece leather can take it. Well can’t say this pair has seen as much yet but based on experience this is the best of the four.A lot of talk about the sizing. Valid concern because if they’re not perfect they won’t work. I wear an 11 boot because I plan to wear thick socks and that’s what I ordered and they are perfect. Out of the box they felt good enough to wear comfortably but you WILL have to break them in to use as they are intended. Leather like this takes longer but gets better and better.Waterproofing nothing works better for shoes like these than traditional mink oil. Brand new I treated them 3 times over a week and they were ready for drenching rain, mud, creeks or whatever. For cleaning use saddle soap.First off....important to note that I sought out to purchased high quality hiking boots with critical requirements: 1. Comfort for sure, 2. Were actually built in the USA or built in-country by a highly regarded / reputable boot maker (e.g., Italy - Zamberlan, Germany - HanWag & Meindl, France - Mephisto, , etc.) with high quality control standards. Not interested in any boot / brand may it be US or Non-US who outsources the manufacturing of an advertised boot to low cost labor, e.g., China, Vietnam, Philippines, Mexico, etc. and; 3. Built having welted / soles stitched to the boot uppers in order I add new soles when needed, No longer interested in spending decent money buying reputable brand boots to find in every case the adhesives used to attach the soles to the uppers fall apart over time. The fact that they come apart is one issue, the bigger issue is finding any cobbler who could repair. Unfortunately end up throwing away decent pairs of boots that cant be repaired. Hence ordered and tried on the Zamberlan Latemar. Fantastic boot - made in Zamberlan's factory in Italy, high quality materials, superior construction, extremely comfortable right out of the box, and the ability to re-sole when needed. Really wanted these boots however returned then since no matter how I laced them and tried different thicknesses and types of socks the heel kept on lifting from the insole. Perhaps due to the in between size (11.5) and / or the shape of my foot. Suggest you try for your self.These boots are "Da Shizzle," as the kids of today say. You cannot purchase finer hiking boots. Not only that, I don't think you can purchase finer shoes. Period. I disagree with what others are saying about buying a size smaller or larger (or whatever), because these fit perfectly. In recent years I've started purchasing size 11.5 because 11 seemed a bit too small as I've gotten older and fatter. I recently bought a pair of Nike Air Max shoes in size 11.5, and they fit perfectly. After purchasing these boots on Amazon, and then reading the reviews about buying a smaller (or larger) size, I was worried that they would not fit properly, but they were actually perfect in every way. These boots are an example of "you get what you pay for."Update: I've worn these for a couple weeks now, and I'm continually blown away at their comfort. There's absolutely no break-in period, and they are the most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever worn in my life.There's one douche on this site who gave these a one-star review. Hey Douchey McDouche Face: Sorry to inform you, but you bought a cheap pair of Chinese knockoffs in Chinatown. Maybe next time buy your hiking boots from a reputable dealer. Either that or you're a complete liar. Doesn't matter. Either way you're still a Douchey McDouche Face.If you want to know why his story is a total lie and why it's completely impossible for his boots to have disintegrated in the fashion he describes, search YouTube for "Zamberlan Goodyear Welted Process 2015."[...]