Men's Lowa Banff (14 M U.S. in Pebble/Navy)

The Good: These are the four wheel drive of hiking boots. I feel like I could climb up a wall with these things on. Very comfortable, and the vibram soles grip really well on any kind of slope. They breath well, and are very well constructed. The look pretty clunky when new, but look much better with some dirt on them. These boots were made for backpacking. They're definately not your light weight hiker boot, they almost have a mind of they're own.

The getting used to: There is a definite break in period. When I first put these on, I realized how Frankenstein must have felt when he took his first steps. These things felt like bricks. If I hadn't purchased them at REI, I would have returned them on the spot, but I'm glad I didn't. After about 8 miles they're forming to my feet, and I'm feeling very good about this purchase. They're very comfortable, heavy duty backpacking boots, and that's just what I was looking for.

The insoles that come with the boots are for looks only, they're cheap paper. Plan on purchasing some new insoles with the boots, along with some nice wool socks.