Once you get used to the feeling of having a little "extra footprint and padding" these will knock your socks off. Or at least make you feel ok taking them off. They are somewhat waterproof. I even went the extra mile and sprayed them with Scotchgaurd as soon as I got them out of the box. I've watched water bead off of them time and again while hiking and fishing.

They feel a bit big because of the extra backing on the heel. But once you're used to it then you're going to like that feeling of being more stable. The shoelace thing is a non issue, just gotta lace them up tight or double knot them.

I get compliments on their looks from young teenagers. If water gets in them due to stepping into something too deep and having it spill over into the top then they dry fine and don't become uncomfortable and that's a good sign. You can only get in water about 2-3 inches before it will spill over into them but the outer upper will remain dry.

Worth the money and they seem to be built to last so far.

These boots are really comfortable but the quality is terrible. I wore mine for about 7 months of light hikes and walks a few times a week. About 4 months in a rip formed right in the middle of the leather on the side of the shoe. Not on a seam, the cheap imitation leather just ripped. I sewed that up and slathered it with Shoe Goo to lock it in place and it worked- for two months. Now another rip in the material has occurred right below the repair, once again the material just ripped. Cheap stuff for sure.

If you want a relatively cheap pair of boots for 1-2 trips, these would be good as they are comfortable right out of the box. But if you are looking for something with more quality than a Chinese knock-off - look elsewhere like I will be.

Just got back from a hiking trip. Put about 30 miles on these boots so far (trail miles, total about 40, the additional 10 being concrete) and they are very comfortable and light. Barely any tread wear. Waterproofed them with silicone spray and they survived streams, mud, and heavy down pours. My feet remained dry and warm, even after temps dropped below 40. Also, the insoles are like gel and supportive. I'm going to beat the crap out of these things for a while and check back in a couple months. If I remember lol
Edit: Well, I remembered. The tread wears very quickly on concrete. In mud and soft dirt not so bad. But I won't be buying another pair.

So the Rax shoes fit as expected.... I usually wear EE shoes. These shoes are essentially high-top trail running shoes. The fit is very comfortable and cushioned. The only downside so far is that the shoes do not breath well if at all, most likely due to the waterproof liner. Using these in a warm climate could get uncomfortable. I live in the rugged mountains of Central Arizona, and we are surrounded by rocky unmaintained trails, and I average 1 pair of Keen's per year, so I'm curious to see how these shoes hold up.

Don't buy if you're planning on doing some real hiking like on the product pictures. I haven't had the shoes for a month and they are completely worn out. They look years old. I've never had hiking shoes last me so little. The bottom white part of the sole that is made out of this soft material is almost gone and got stabbed on the foot pretty bad by a skinny thorn that should have never penetrated the shoe. Never wearing them again. These would be great for a walk around the park. They're super comfortable lol Definitely going back to expensive boots.