These boots were purchased based upon the reviews of so many satisfied buyers and they absolutely were right. What I look for in a boot first and foremost is a wide toe box, second a short or non existent break in period, total comfort even after many miles and hours walking and of course durability. The last item is yet to be determined as I have not had these long, but all other boxes are checked in the affirmative. My first day out with these was on a relatively short 3 mile hike through the eastern woods. There were some sloppy areas and please note the tread on these does mud load a little more than I would like. I wanted to make sure they were ready for a desert hike I had planned for mid April so I wore them when possible to make sure they were "broken in". Not really necessary. At no point did I feel as if they needed a bit more wear in time to feel good. The hike in the desert was in the Valley of Fire outside of Las Vegas and I even wore them every day leading up to the hike up and down the strip to be sure. These are by far the most comfortable shoes/boots I have ever had for plain old walking. Needless to say, they were terrific on the hike and what I was not prepared for was how good they were on rocks. Like the soles were designed specifically for traction on the smooth desert outcroppings. There was one part of the trail that required traversing a steep slope of smooth rock that my companions decided best to scoot down on their butts. I felt the soles gripping like suction cups and remained upright all the way down. As long as Keen makes them like this I will never buy anything else.