Ive had the hiking boots for a few weeks; wanting to get the feel of them before writing a review.  I bought these to replace another brand that wore out in about a year.  The Nevados appear to be more robustly made than the prior boots, but only long term use will tell.  So far I am satisfied with these hiking boots.  After reading the other reviews, I did order a half size larger.  The reviews were correct, the larger size fits well, and I think my normal size would have been too small.  I didn't notice that these boots were any harder than expected.  They are comfortable enough to wear for several hours when hiking on trails or walking on paved surfaces.