On a first responder salary it's hard to justify the cost of such expensive boots. I thought I'd give it a go and see if they led up to the hype and I'm super impressed. I'm hard on my boots. Ive had mostly Ariats, Justin's and bates and I go through a pair every 1-2 years. These seem alot more solid and extremely comfortable. Boots can be donned and doffed quickly and even stay on your feet unzipped just fine. They dont feel heavy as expected. If you like the shine, parade gloss dresses them up nicely and you can finish that with some hairspray which makes it super glossy. (Pic shown is with no gloss finish) These are great for wildland and rescue as well and if the strings break just toss em and redo with black zip ties. Breaking them in took half a day and I believe you can always send them in to get repaired which is better than buying a new pair if anything were to happen. I have many friends that have purchased similar boots with the center zip from other manufacturers and all say this brand is the best. I feel like they dont run smaller or larger than actual size. Fit is perfect. Theyre about $100 more than other boots I normally purchase which is alot but now that I know the benefits it's worth it to me. Hope this helps fellas. Be safe out there.I have been hesitant to buy Haix soley on the price but now that I have them i kick myself from waiting. Right out of the box they were super comfortable, they're lighter than I expected and very durable. Getting the zippers laced up to my feet was super easy and getting them on and off is quick and painless. After almost 20 years and who knows how many styles/brands of boots I'm sure these are the last boots I'll ever buy.They fit true to size and they hold up very well. They are a little heavy but they are comfortable.I have had these for about 6 months and they are still holding up super well. These shoes are also very comfortable even after having to wear them for hours on a shift. I do recommend on buying these.Great product best of all 2 day deliver and cheaper than haix website, took about 3 days to break in boots, so happy with them not heavy great ankle support.Used these during my career firefighting from structural to brush and even some outdoor searches (not normally with these shoes) they hold up well. Also not bad for brushfires as the protection around the whole foot is great, the zipper is easy and strong, slippery on smooth boulders especially if the rocks are wet (again, normally don’t use these for searches), they don’t get hot and are very comfortable. Just a great well made shoe...and their made in the ??. Stay safe...Aloha from HawaiiI was extremely satisfied with my order. I usually have trouble getting the right fit and was skeptical when they said to order you're normal size. It fits way better than expected and I really like the ankle support the boot has. I was notified that the order shipped and it was already at my door.