Columbia does a nice job making outdoors gear that's both affordable and of reasonable quality.  I purchased these for my day-hikes (<10 miles on trails that aren't too strenuous.)  For the most part, they work fairly well.  They're light-weight, comfortable, and fit right.  I haven't tested them to see how "waterproof" they are yet, but if they're like any of my other Columbia shoes from the past, they will be okay for the first few months, then start to leak.  My primary complaint is the blisters...  I'd expect my boots to not give blisters after about 20-30 miles.  I'm approaching 60, and I still need bandaids.

I'd like to recommend these to casual hikers.  If they break in more and I stop getting blisters, I would bump these up a notch or 2.