Needed a second pair of duty boots and I've been wearing the Original side zip 9" for almost eight years so I figured I'd give these a try. They are much lighter than the others and I've worn them now thru five shifts and found them to hold up nicely. I do miss the full ankle support that the 9" offers but these are nice on hot days. Would I get these as my primary boot? Probably not. But switching them out with my other pairs, since you shouldn't wear the same boots every day, they fit nicely in the rotation.