I bought these boots for summer use,hiking and work. There was some time spent in breaking them in,but its worth it. A very light agile boot. The sole is sturdy and the tread is good. The kick guard has saved my toes from dropped objects at work, a very good safety feature without the steel or composite toe. Also the kickguard is triple stitched and not just double stitched. When I look at the materials I feel that there was no skimping in factory work,