I own a pair of these and loved 'em so much that I bought a pair for my girlfriend. She loves 'em too. very waterproof and warm in cold, wet conditions. we use these for snowshoeing and for hiking in winter. not for mountaineering or backpacking! soles offer great traction on snow & icy roads. boot's insulation keeps your feet warm in very cold weather. can wear them around town too

I just got back from doing the "loop" (Down South Kaibab, night at Bright Angle CG, then up to Indian Gardens CG for the next night, then out the following day) down into the Grand Canyon with these boots (mens). My pack weight was 38lbs 2oz, 20f at the top of S Kaibab with near 2 feet of snow. Crampons were pretty much necessary. Ok...get the picture? These boots really kept my feet completely warm and dry all the way! No blisters even with very little break-in! (I wore a paper-thin nylon inner sock with a wool sock over these.) Are they a backpack boot? Hell no! They offer little ankle support, aren't stiff enough for heavy loads, and the lacing system has only four eyelets on each side. If Keen will redesign the lacing system and make it a tad stiffer then this will be a great winter pack boot. Until then, in my opinion, it's a great day-use winter boot! (4 stars because of the lacing system)