I was a bit nervous buying these shoes, since I've never tried Salomon before. But since the price was so awesome I just bought them. And boy am I glad I did. They are just perfect, minimal brake-in period and they also work just fine for ice climbing. And also works great for hiking, they are not too stiff and not too soft. They run a bit big, I usually use 10 but with these shoes a 9 fits perfectly.

This was my first hike with these boots, but it won't be the last!! Went up to the Sierra's last weekend with a winter storm approaching, didn't experience any discomfort or hotspots the entire four days.
Highly recommend these to other ladies.

The break in period is minimal; my feet don't hurt after a long day of hiking with a 19 Kg backpack.
Sweet boots.

These boots are comfortable yet sturdy. Virtually no break in time needed.

I got these boots for my girlfriend since she needed some footwear for a few winter / spring mountaineering trips into the Sierra. First of all, you simply can't beat the price. Once we got the correct size (they run about 1/2 size larger than the stated size) they fit well. The boots seem to keep her feet reasonably warm and they also work well with strap-on crampons.

If you are looking for a good beginner mountaineering boot, I'd have to say this one is really worth considering.

I used the SM lite hiking boot as my first boot for my first time ice climbing. They kept me warm and were comfortable. I'd recommend them for any women taking her first stab at ice climbing or an experieced climber.

It's a great boot for the price! I wore them up Mt. Whitney with a very minimal break-in period and my feet did not blister like they normally do! Very sturdy (wore them with crampons), and kept water out well. The only (small) difficulty was that the boots run large - so I had to order several sizes before getting the right fit.