I used to sell Hi-Tec products while in college. I own other Hi-Tec footwear besides these. So I try to maintain a little brand loyalty.  There is a lot to like about these shoes.  I bought them in December of 2012.  It is now February of 2013, so two months have past.  I rotate these with other shoes for my desk job.  I also rotate them on walks/light hikes with my dog. It snows here so I will say they have had intermittent moisture on them.  So on my walk today I was pissed to see that the 1/2 inch stripe of suede trim on the lateral side of the shoe (opposite instep, metatarsal region) has a 3 1/2 inch split running along the middle of it.  There has been no frictional wear in this area, the stitching for this trim is still in place and in good shape.  The only thing I can think of is that occasional moisture coupled with foot flexing has caused the suede to separate from itself.  Now it appears that a possible avenue for moisture to seep between the uppers and the sole has been formed. For a two month old shoe that is advertised to be waterproof, I feel this is unacceptable.  I was planning on wearing these on a serious hike in Colorado this summer, but now I doubt if they will be intact by then.  Amazon's return policy precludes making the effort worth the cost, so maybe I'll try the company directly through facebook or customer support.  Thanks for the vent.