Water resistant does not mean waterproof. I don't know why people thing resistance is synonymous with impenetrable force field! It's like in a video game where you get like fire resistance or something, you still take damage from fire duh!

Anyway, I wore these out on an 8-mile hike 2 weeks ago. They did not need to be broken in at all and they definitely saved me a few times when I nearly rolled my ankle on some downhill missteps; I think mids are necessary!

The tread is great I did not slip at all in areas with gravel or loose dirt.
The lacing system is convenient, but I would advise care when lacing because they will definitely wear down at some point and eventually tear off: common sense.

They seem like some good boots. I almost went with a more expensive GTX model, I think it was the 3? I tried it on at a store and it was just too pretentious for a necessity in the outdoors; it was like wearing clouds! I'm sure the cushioning will wear down on those shoes, so for an extra 70-100 dollars I'd recommend the GTX. It's an excellent value and I am certainly happy with my purchase.