Okay, so I got cheap and ordered a $100.00 pair of boots.  BIG mistake.  Knowing they were going to get ruined quickly, I decided to get these over a third pair of Danner boots for work.  I liked the idea of the side zip so I decided to give these a try.

1.  The lining and tongue padding are too thick - I have to unlace the boots to loosen them enough for the zipper to work, negating the point of having a side zipper.

2.  The ankle hinge is cut oddly (for me, at least) and rubs the lateral malleous of my fibula (that bony knot on the inside of your ankle).  This annoys me to no end.

If it weren't for the hinge issue, I'd rate these boots higher.  The zipper thing is an annoyance, but not a deal breaker.  Based on the other reviews, I may just have an oddly-shaped ankle (which is entirely possible given the abuse they've taken over the years) so your mileage may vary...