I wore these out of the box for my 2012 JMT hike. Hiked 220 miles (15-18 miles a day) with about 17-30lbs on my back(depending on how much food and water I had in my pack). I never got any metatarsal bruising . Got maybe 3 minor blisters, compared to my companion who wore light Solomon hikers who got dozens of blisters. They dry pretty quick after getting wet, and have a nice wide toe bed to accommodate for foot swelling. They preformed well, so i gave them 5 stars. My only gripe is that they're so ugly. Wish they made the AT Plus in my size (15), it's much handsomer.