I purchased this particular model boot for it's specific features:
a. Wolverine quality. This brand has always been a high quality product, although I feel that the move from American to Chinese manufacture has caused some quality control problems.
b. Vibram Lug outsole, good for hiking in varied terrain, slip resistant, and durable. Vibram lug soles have been around for at least 25 years, and I have never been displeased with any hiking boot I owned that had this sole. Lug soles have one downside: they pick up TONS of mud if you are trying to walk through wet clay type soil. These soles are not as "hard" of a rubber compound as I remember Vibram being in my younger days, so I won't be surprised if they wear a little faster than I would like. On the other hand, the slightly softer rubber will probably be more slip resistant on slick rock surfaces like granite or limestone.
c. Goodyear welt construction. More and more boots, especially the Chinese made brands, are shifting to "direct attach" construction, where the outsole is only glued, not sewn, to the upper. My last pair of Wolverine boots were made this way, and the sole of the left boot peeled off after only a couple of weeks. The only disadvantage of welted construction is that it can not be made absolutely waterproof due to the sewing seam. However, it is far more durable and reliable, so I recommend you stick to welted construction boots, especially for use in rough terrain, unless you need 100% waterproofing.
d. Speedlace eyelets on top three lace eyes. Most 8" boots have these, but some don't; it is a personal preference thing.
e. Extra-wide width.  Not all Wolverine 8" boots are available in "EW". If you have very wide feet, be careful to verify the width before ordering.  The width on these Wolverine Novacks are okay; they feel pretty good even brand new and not broken in yet (maybe a little snug on the right boot). I expect they will soften up and stretch out a little with break in and feel just right.
f. 1000 grams Thinsulate lining. This lining adds warmth and padding, which aids comfort. CAUTION: boots with this much insulation would probably be too hot in warm weather, so think of these as "winter" boots. Unfortunately, these Novacks are not lined with GoreTex, which wicks sweat away and lets your feet breathe. I could not find any single model of Wolverines that had the Vibram lug sole, Goodyear welt construction, and GoreTex lining, so these were a compromise.
g. Pull tabs. I wanted pull rings instead of just tabs, but could not find any, so I will add 1/2" nylon webbing pull rings myself, sewn onto the tabs.

Fit and finish. These boots feel very nice and conform well to the shape of my feet, and there is plenty of room in the toe area (no "toe squeeze" like you get from some narrower brands of boot). I ordered one-half size larger than my actual size so I can wear heavy thermal socks or double socks for extra cushioning when needed.

These boots are not 100% leather uppers: most of the tongue and some parts of the side panels are fabric, I assume nylon or some similar synthetic. I mention this because there was a sticker on the box that said "Waterproof", but I am skeptical of this claim in light of the fabric panels and lack of GoreTex lining.  For this price, I would not expect to get GoreTex anyway, and am not expecting them to be waterproof. Otherwise I would have budgeted $50~$75 more to get those features.

Last word: Wolverine's 8" work/hiking/hunting boots come in at least three dozen styles and models, so you should shop carefully, and look at other websites that carry Wolverine's full model line, so you can pick out the exact features you want and choose the model that incorporates most of them. There are several different types of out soles, direct-attach (glue) or welted (sewn) construction, all leather or mixed fabric/leather uppers, padded or bare leather interior lining, waterproof or non-waterproof, Insulation of various levels, and regular or "logger" heel. If you need a boot that is guaranteed waterproof, pick a model that specifies direct attach construction and GoreTex lining. Just be aware that direct attach outsoles may not be repairable or replaceable if the glue fails and they peel off. My last Wolverines, the ones that the sole came off, were this type and they were in fact the most comfortable and most waterproof winter boots I ever owned. I could work in foot tall wet grass all day and go home with dry feet.

UPDATE Feb 10, 2012.  The boots are starting to conform to my feet and are becoming more comfortable every day.  I am thinking of buying a second pair and stashing them in the closet, as it is unlikely that this exact model will be available in two or three years when I need my next replacement boots. I really like these, they fit my 11.5 "EEE" feet really well.  It is getting hard to find boots that have this particular feature set that are wide enough. The "EW" width on these Novacks is actually wide enough; these feel as comfortable as any other "EEE" or "EW" width 8" lace-up boots I have owned in the past.  I haven't tested the "waterproof" claim yet, but the next time I spot a field of tall wet grass, I will see if these are actually waterproof.  They are pretty warm, thanks to the Thinsulate lining.  The soles are rugged and slip resistant, yet flexible enough to be comfortable to walk in.

Overall, they are just short of "perfect". I give these boots a 4.5 star rating, and would give the full 5 stars if they had come with a pull ring instead of just a tab.  I sewed on 1/2" nylon webbing rings myself, took about 1 hour per boot with a sailmaker's hand needle and waxed sail repair thread. When you are wearing heavy boot socks, especially if they are wool blend, there's no way you can pull on 8" boots like these with those silly tabs; you can't get enough of a grip on them unless maybe you use a pair of vice-grips.  Anyway, that's my only gripe, otherwise these boots feel great and I think they are solidly built and will last a long time.

UPDATE: August 07, 2012
The boots are starting to look a little scuffed and worn, but that is to be expected as I wear them almost every day, all day.  Other than cosmetic appearance, they have held up well to normal use.  The liner and insole are still intact, and the outsoles are barely worn at all. Looks like I will get at least a couple of years use out of these. I plan to buy another pair one size smaller as they have become almost too loose as they got broken-in.  I am completely satisfied with the build quality and durability.

UPDATE: May 2013
The boots now have over a year of almost daily wear on the job.  The soles are starting to wear on the outside edges (as expected), but the fit is now as close to perfect as I could wish.  The durability and build quality of this boot has turned out to be much better than I could have hoped for. I have therefore upgraded my rating from 4 to 5 stars.  I have also had a few occasions to test the waterproofing: after a full day of working in knee high wet grass, only the top of the boot and tongue were wet - my feet were plenty warm and not soaked with water as would be expected in a non-waterproof boot. I have also occasionally had to splash through 2" deep puddles, and the the boots stayed dry inside. I guess that's about as waterproof as I could have expected for a non-Goretex boot.

UPDATE: May 2014
The boots are now 2 years old and while I don't wear them every day anymore, they are still in good condition, other than the uppers looking a little scuffed and worn. The Vibram lug outsoles are still in great shape.  A couple of months ago I did a 7.5 mile hike in Yosemite National Park, on varied terrain, much of it smooth granite rock.  The soles gave very good traction. Purpose-made rock climbing shoes have more traction on smooth rock, but the price of that is their softer rubber compound which will obviously wear faster. I guess you could say that these Vibram soles are a reasonable compromise between long-lasting durability and traction.  I am about to order another pair. I don't actually need them immediately, but I am afraid that Wolverine will quit making them, so I want a another pair in storage for when these wear out. NOTE: On that Yosemite hike, I got blisters on the outside of both feet, just behind the big toe. Probably should have worn double socks for more padding.

UPDATE: March 2015
I just got back from a six week trip to Death Valley National Park. I did a couple of dozen hikes this trip, from 2 to 12 miles over all kinds of ground from loose sand to jagged volcanic rock, to gravel and cobblestones. The Novacks performed beautifully, and although they are starting to look weatherbeaten and scuffed up, the sewing seams are still tight and the outsole is not more than about 20% worn down. The boots are very comfortable now that they are fully broken in, and look like they could last at least a couple more years of weekend use. Temperatures on this trip were down to a little below freezing at night, and these boots, with two pairs of socks, kept my feet plenty warm. The flip side of this comment is that these boots can be uncomfortably hot and sweaty in summer weather. I wish Wolverine made this exact same boot in a non-insulated, beatheable version for summer use.