This is my second pair of merrell boots, after owning several pair of shoes;  Like the first pair, these boots have excellent non-slip rubber sole, which gives you traction over rocks, mud, sandy soil and all sorts of terrain.  They claim to be waterproof, I put them under two days of non-stopping rain, and in both days they got soaked, this is not a complaint, just a fact that despite resisting splashes and perhaps a quick river crossing, water will get eventually to your toes.  Good thing is they somehow manage to keep your feet feeling not so wet (i used wool socks), and they dry relatively quickly.

No need for beak in, you can walk them from the first day, I took mine out of the box, walked them one block to the grocery store and back, and next put 20 km/day for two days, no blisters, no nothing.

UPDATE:  Three years down the road (2011-2014), sole still in good shape, fabric/mesh is in excellent shape, cords are perfect, BUT, the synthetic leather is peeling and falling apart; VERY DISAPPOINTING, the shoe is in very good shape save for this, I think it has to be a quality issue, I use these boots once or twice a month for IDPA, IPSC, camping and work, not more than 5 days a month, and now I have to throw them to the garbage because they look like junk because of the synthetic leather issue.  I had a previous pair of boots that lasted over 15 years of real abuse, these ones did not stood 3 years of very light duty.  I had given 5 stars initially, now I took 2 off.