The boot has great sole traction.  I've been wearing it on ice and snow and it's been pretty good.

It's not the warmest boot for winter  You really need an extra pair of socks to keep your feet warm.  Plus, it's low cut so it can let snow in if you're out in anything more than a few inches of fresh stuff.

The zipper on the side doesn't zip exactly to the top, but maybe 1/16th of an inch off.  It's probably a good feature, but I have basically been using the laces that easily loosen and tighten again.

The laces keep tied up because they are some sort of woven material. The laces go way down to the toe of the boot which allows the boot to conform to the shape of your foot.

I ordered a 11 3e (wide).  My feet are slightly wider than a Wide (which is usually classified as 2e), and these boots are slightly wider than a 2e, however just barely wide enough (maybe I should have got a 5e?).

The fabric and leather quality is good. I'd say this is a pretty good boot for $50.

I didn't give it five stars because there could be better boots out there, but probably not for $50 or less.