Bought these for my hard working husband-he's in the muck all day long in the wintertime.  He said they were a little stiff when he first started wearing them but he wasn't worried about being able to break them in. They are really warm and keep his feet dry.  Better than the columbia boots he had last time.  **It's now the winter of 2011 and these boots are shot.  The toe is worn through and flapping with every step.  So annoying, bought the Sorel brand because we thought they'd last at least two years.  We are underwhelmed...they didn't even make it January to March.