I guess whether you love or hate these boots depends on the fit. I was lucky enough to demo these boots for three days of ice climbing. After that, I was convinced enough to buy a pair. I needed no break in time with these boots. They are indeed stiff, but the stiffness makes me feel secure when kicking my crampons into the ice. Even when hiking in and out of the ice park, these boots are comfortable for me. I have learned not to over tighten the laces around my ankles (a good idea with any boot), as this has lead to bruising . I will treat them with water repellent eventually; however, after several full days in the snow, my feet were never damp. I had no problems with the design of the toe box or blisters. No boot is right for everyone, but this boot is a perfect fit for me. I look forward to wearing them for a long time.

These boots are the most supportive, warmest boots I've worn. They are very comfortable with thick socks. The break-in time is substantial, but they're worth every penny. The lacing allows you to adjust the roominess of the boot so you can tighten it or loosen it as needed. I've found that when the tongue was removed then reinserted it created a little more room at the top of the foot. Bottom line, I feel like I can get through a nuclear winter in these boots, they're awesome!

I love these boots! They are very stiff and have definitely taken a long time to break in, but they fit my feet really well. I think they'e totally waterproof and I can't wait to ice climb in them. They rock!

I have many mountain miles on this boot and don't understand its appeal. I bought it to replace my 20 year -old Fabianos which, except for feeling like wood on the sole, were wonderful (and you could add an insole to pad them). The Makalu is heavy, uncomfortable overall, sole too stiff & poorly designed in the toebox as well as being too tall at the rear ankle. I have to undo the first 3 to 4 lower laces altogether for it to be useable as the folded leather along the lacing digs into my toes painfully. I have major ankle blister problems in these things and took to wearing neoprene ankle supports in order to try to minimize the blistering. Bandaids, moleskin and binding didn't work. They were not waterproof from their very first rain. I watch locals in the Andes fly up the mountains in nothing but smooth-soled, cloth flip-flops tied with a shoelace and sometimes not even a shoelace, having no problem while I nearly fell off a cliff due to not feeling the terrain through thick soles (different pair of boots). I think we need to rethink shoe technology and this boot needs a rethink altogether. I'm tempted to cut mine apart to see what I can come up with, maybe put a tongue in it instead of these dreadful folds and put padding flush with the main ankle notch rather than up high where it is now. There's no excuse for this much discomfort, especially at this price.

I love these boots, although the breakin time is very long. The soles are very stiff that are great for climbing with crampons. I've used mine for winter summits, winter camping with large packs, Snowshoeing, and ice climbing; after all it is a 'mountaineering boot'. This boot is a bit too beefy and way too heavy for a day hike or a weekend out with a light pack, but if it is the snowfields on the peaks that you seek this is a great boot!!!

These boots are great, granted it does take some effort to break them in. They are very supportive! I'm a bit neurotic about waterproofness, so I snowsealed them and they are perfect for snow/mountains. They are great with crampons, stiff but not as much as a plastic boot. All in all, very satisfied!

Since there was only one size in stock when I bought this helmet, I assumed (mistakenly) that it was one size fits all, not so! In size one, this helmet is only designed to fit up to a 22" lucky me, you can crank it far enough to fit a 23", but I'd recommend finding one in a size 2 if your head is 23" or larger.
Maybe the assumption is that only girls wear helmets, and we all have smaller heads?
Anyhow, it did work fine, and the visor is a great thing to have for someone who wears glasses!