Context:  I am currently contracting in Afghanistan.  My Forward Operating Base (FOB) sits at about 9500 feet eleveation which results in extremely cold winters/snow to the tune of about -15 degrees.  I ordered these shoes as I wanted something to protect my feet from the cold without the 300 dollar price tag.  I invested in some thick socks to offset these shoes lack of extreme winter protection.  These are very comfortable shoes, really light, easy to lace up, and the soles are the star of the show.  With all the snow these shoes have great traction and of course come with the quality you would expect from Vibram soles. Drawbacks are that these shoes are not very good for cold weather (at leat the environment I am in) so they get 4 stars instead of 5.  I mitigated the cold with warm thick socks and they work great as long as you are moving around.  Be smart and order up a half size to accomidate thicker socks.  Solid product for the price and they woudl definately be great for normal wear in a moderate environment.