I bought these boots late this past summer, and planned on having them broken in for a 3 week hiking trip to Scotland in September. Turned out that these are one of the most comfortable boots I've worn from the get go, and I've been through a lot of boots. Virtually no break in period, great support, good traction, waterproof, light, quiet, and hard wearing. I ordered a half size down, and they are perfect fit. My only concern is the elastic side pocket for stuffing the excess lace into, seems a little small as the lace occasionally pops out of the pocket while walking, creating a potential tripping hazard. I now just tie the lace in front, which has solved this problem. Other than that, an excellent product, and I'll stay with the HAIX brand for my future boot purchases. Thank you.