These are quality all-around boots, much like Thursday Boot Company - quality leather, good soles, goodyear welt - except they come standard with Thinsulate insulation and have an inner waterpoof liner.Now despite this liner, as with all good leather you'll want to condition or oil the leather to keep it looking new and the water off. And even with the liner and being treated with mink oil, I still found my boots breathable - this is very important and not always the case with all boots. As a hiker, I have owned boots that are next to useless because they make my feet sweat, even in winter.. and then your feet freeze.The leather is a good mix of durable but also soft and breaks in well. It's rich and has character - it's not heavilty treated on the outside or looks plasticy. I like this, and that you can choose to darken these boots somewhat with your waterproofer or oil of choice, although I opted just to use some mink oil which barely darkened them. If you want little to no change, use a conditioner. It also makes it easy to correct scratches - I have expensive LL. Bean boots where the treated leathers thin outer layer eventually scratches and fades off and there's nothing you can do to correct this.The soles are long wearing, but are not overly hard and I found them more grippy then some of my firmer vibram soled hiking boots. But more grippy still than my Timberlands which are similarly soft rubber.I really enjoy that these boots look great and get compliments, but are not overly dressy, and still masculine and functional. These are tough yet comfortable enough to use for work, they fit and perform well enough and have good soles for hiking, and they are warm and waterproof and have good grip for winter in the city while still looking sharp.I think those that are having issues are using these boots - because of their rugged looks - as a dedicated construction or heavy work boot. These are, categorically, a lifestyle boot, and a great one at that.