I bought a black pair of these wrongly thinking that the nubuck leather was a compromise. They're quite stiff initially and have that slightly hairy suede look. After about 25 km in them now the leather has become soft and flexible, and after polishing with boot wax they're very smooth too much like the more expensive Ultra models. I've worn Hi-Tec's own carbon rubber sole before and consider it just as good as Vibram - will likely outlast the rest of the boot. So far have kept my feet dry in wet conditions. Only small criticism is that up top they're kind of chunky and it's a fine balancing act getting the lace tension just right so that your shins don't rub, though that should get easier with more wear. All up very good value for the price (the international price, not the Australian price).