These boots are comfortable right out of the box. No break in period needed. I Stand on concrete at work all day and in the past I've suffered from Plantar Fasciitis and painful ankles. When I switched to Columbia boots, those problems went away. This model, Coremic Ridge, seems to work as well as The Trail Meister,(no longer available) that I've worn for years. The only thing I've noticed is that the top edge of the sole is separating from from the toe on one boot. Also some of the black color on the toe has worn off revealing a lite gray color. That seems odd since it is supposed to be rubber and I would think it would be solid black. Other than that, I like them, especially at that price.