This is a comparison review to the speedcross 3. My 3 finally gave up the ghost. First off these are heavier def more toe box protection the shoe is very sturdy and ridged. Its no where near as comfortable as the speedcross. The cleats on the bottom seem to be a better design than the speedcross hopefully they last longer. My speedcross cleats were toast after a month. I bought these for a 5k mud run and to where while quail hunting in az. My speedcross where great other than an occasional cholla and hard rocks. Im hoping the leather toe box will help with both those problems. I normally where an 8 but my speedcrosses ran just a little small so i opted for an 8.5 this time so i can where wool socks. The 8.5 fit good. So if comfort is what you want stay with the speedcross these feel very hard.  Ill update when i put them through the paces. Az desert is brutal on boots and shoes. I went through 3 pairs of lowas in 2 years. My speedcrosses other than the cleats lasted 3 years of continuous year round beating. From early season shed hunting in white mountains to summer rabbit hunting fall quail hunting and deer and elk seasons. Pretty impressed with the speedcrosses other than no front protection from rocks and cactus. These should fit the bill there