I've worn CATs for a long time along with Thorogood, Corcoran, Bellville, Rocky and Walmart. I have boots for different purposes at work. My one and only pair of Bellvilles lasted 3 months before the sole was worn off. My last pair of Thorogoods leaked but they are still a great brand. My point to all this is Wolverine ( who makes these CAT boots ) is a great company and stands by these boots. If you have a problems, call them!  Boots are often hit or miss, as with my $200 Thorogoods.
So far my current pair of Alaskas are holding up better than my $300 Alico summits have.
The Alaska has thick waterproofed leather, you will have to use snoseal (do not use neats foot or silicon) to reproof the leather every so often or it will leak/wet out after use. I like to keep my boots in top shape so sealing and waxing are part of the deal.
They have good stiff ankle support and a lot of comfortable padding at the top. There will be a little breaking in but not much.
These are lace to toe with a good sized toe box, plenty of wiggle room and you can cinch down tight on the laces when needed.
Ladders, rubber roof, shingle, steel fire escapes, boiler rooms, hard wood floors, I have had a good experience with traction and not tracking much mud. The tread design tends to release well.
If you want a submersible boot go buy some Servus rubbers and do it right! The Alaska is not the boot for a homeowner wanting to shovel snow but if you are in an industrial environment these are top notch.
Lastly these have a REAL sole, not that dual, soft foam, comfort for the foreman on your jobsite. Yes they are not as cushioning and if you need special cushioning don't buy these. The sole is much tougher then the Vibram Sierra and similiar.
I would put it slightly behind the Vibram Montagna in toughness.