TimberlandMen's White Ledge Mid Waterproof Hiking BootLeather Working Group

Ok, I'll admit it: I'm a bit of a shoe / boot hog. I have about as many pairs as my girlfriend, mother and sister combined (but no high heels!). I like to switch it up day to day or my feet will be way too uncomfortable. Or at least I did. I've had these boots for just shy of a year, and I've worn these boots just shy of 365 days. I think my other shoes are jealous. These fit perfectly, and they are the most comfortable boots I have ever worn (and again, that's a lot of boots!). I normally wear a size 9.5 boot, but I ordered these in a size 10 in hopes I would have room to add a Dr. Scholls insert without making them fit too small, and it was just right. I did wear the boots for a day without the inserts, and they were perfectly comfortable. With the inserts added however, the comfort is exceptional - I recommend the inserts meant for work boots. I'm a college kid on a huge New York campus, so I do a lot of walking on a LOT of hills, on grass, pavement, gravel, snow, ice, wood chips, sand, etc. and these shoes are wonderful on all terrains. My feet don't get cold in the winter either, which is a big plus. At the same time they're not too hot in the summer. I've worn them upstate on a couple day hikes, climbed more than a few massive boulders, taken them to all sorts of state parks and gotten them plenty muddy, walked across shallow streams (nothing deeper than the boot, though), and even explored a small part of the Everglades. I find myself aiming for puddles instead of avoiding them whenever it rains now and I love that my feet stay completely dry! Really, I can't say anything bad about these boots. Admittedly, I was a little apprehensive about the durability of the sole when I first looked at them online. I have a pair of Timberland slip-on shoes with the same sole and I wasn't so sure they would hold up to abuse because the material is relatively soft. The past year has shown me that my worries are far from reality, though, as the boots have taken beating after beating on every terrain New York has to offer, as well as some of Florida! My feet have never been cold, hot, wet, or uncomfortable in any way while wearing these amazing boots. I do treat them with mink oil every few months just as a precaution, but I'm confident that there wouldn't be a negative affect if I skipped a coating or two. I do like that the oil makes them look brand new again though. I apply the oil with my fingers as to not waste any on a rag, and the first time I applied it, my fingers were brown for a day or two from the dies in the leather. The second coating had much less, and the third had almost nothing. Overall these boots are a fantastic partner on or off the trail, or in a classroom. I have boots that are twice and thrice the price of these and they are just as durable and far more comfortable. They're a great deal, but don't get them right away- I notice that the price fluctuates a pretty decent amount. When I added them to my wishlist, they were 85 dollars (size 10) and I bought them when the price went down to 64 dollars. Now I see that the price is back up! These boots are a great deal and now that I know how great they are, I wouldn't hesitate to pay $85 for them, they're worth more than that. But a college kid has to be smart about spending the little money he has - if I spend too much I'll have to sacrifice a limb or two for tuition! So if the price is up, don't worry: these boots are more than worth it. If you're patient and keep an eye on the price though, you may get an even better deal! Either way, you get a great pair of boots for a great price! Happy trails!

Comfortable, lightweight boots. Good quality, long lasting (spouse previously had the same boots) good quality and price.

These boots are absolutely great day-hiking boots. They are *not* backpacking boots or rain boots. If you're looking for great day-hikers, these are hard to beat (especially at this price). If you're hoping these will be appropriate for long backpacking trips with a heavy pack or long days in the pouring rain, you will be sorely disappointed.My experience with them so far:I got these on a Friday morning, just as I was about to go away for a weekend involving some hiking in rough terrain. Although I normally wouldn't wear untested boots on a trip like this, I packed them (along with a known-quantity backup pair). Ended up hiking three five-mile hikes with lots of elevation gain, over mixed mud and scree. These were perfect. They required absolutely no break-in, just hit the trail with them straight out of the box. The very-flexible soles performed flawlessly in mud and scree, and although they're softer than I would want for backpacking, they're perfect for hiking with a day-pack. By the end of the weekend, my hiking companion had blisters and sore spots, but my feet were in great shape.After that, I wore them around town a few days a week for a few weeks. I walk two to four miles a day, on average (got a big dog, she needs a lot of exercise). These are super-comfortable on pavement and packed dirt trails as well. I've worn them in light rain, with no leaking.For Thanksgiving, I did some reasonably long hikes (5 to 7+ miles) up on the Mendocino coast, on narrow dirt trails with lots of rocks and roots. Again, excellent performance.The surprise came when we got stuck in a very heavy downpour for a few hours. I was wearing my ancient Gore-Tex jacket, jeans, and these boots. Dry to the waist, soaked straight through from hips to ankles, and (surprisingly) more-or-less dry from the ankles down. Yes, I got some slight dampness on my right sock, but nothing like I was expecting. My companions were both wearing (non-rainproof) synthetics, and they were squishing with every step.So, basically:1. These are not exactly rainproof, and I would not recommend them for serious rain-hiking. If you want dry feet in all conditions, you'll need to pop the extra bucks for something with a Gore-Tex liner. On the other hand, for light-to-moderate rain, they're as close to rainproof as makes little difference. Even in heavy rain, they stood up pretty well. And, in case it wasn't clear, they are absolutely waterproof on the bottom and sides (as tested by extensively walking through wet grass, mud, and puddles).2. There is, as other reviewers have noted, a stupid and avoidable design flaw. If they had extended the leather on the tongue up another inch or so, these would have been much more rainproof. The part of my right sock that got damp was, indeed, right under the gap where the tongue doesn't attach to the upper as high as it should.3. These boots require absolutely zero break-in. That's good, in that they're comfy straight out of the box. It's also bad, in that serious backpacking boots would be made of much stiffer leather with much thicker soles, and would require a bunch of breaking in. So, y'know, it's a trade-off. The leather is very supple and feels great.4. Whether consciously or not, these boots are designed to *look* exactly like old-school backpacking/trekking/through-hiking boots (e.g., Sundowners or Lowas). They aren't. I'd be very happy to use these on short overnight trips with a relatively light pack, and I definitely plan to exactly that in the spring. For longer trips with heavier packs, you really, really want something with a lot more support. The nice, flexible soles on these would quickly become agonizing on rocky terrain with a heavy pack.In summary, these are great boots for what they're designed for, which is hiking. I'd recommend them without reservation to anyone except people who are going out specifically in heavy-rain conditions or with very heavy packs.Most importantly, maybe, the price is ridiculously low. I'd have expected to pay at least twice as much for the quality of build and comfort of fit. So, if you factor in the cost, these are a total win. Go for it.

I've had 5 pairs of these boots now. I am a creature of habit and as long as the quality and price don't get out of control I have been pretty happy with them. I get 11.5 wides and right out of the box they are very comfortable for me. They are lightweight boots that work well for everyday wear, walks, hikes, work around the house. I wish the soles lasted longer would be my only issue. The sole will usually start to separate from where it's molded to the toe over time and a bigger issue lately is the outsole rubber wears through sooner than I would hope, once that happens the softer midsole gets obliterated... Wish the outsole was thicker... Other than that, very good boots.

These boots last 3x longer than any other boot I've bought in the last 15 years. I'm on my 2nd pair after 3 years of working full time in them and I finally got another pair. I could still wear the old pair but they look beat up after working in them for 3 years. I even kept them as a back up just in case since they are still intact. No tears or anything. They're also easily the most comfortable pair of boots I've had in a while.