My experience is I first started buying the Cabelas models, they fit my feet and are very comfortable. I couldn't afford the regular meindl boots. Later in life I started buying the regular meindl boots and the difference In quality was noticeable. Leather thickness, stitching, rubber were noticeable in difference. What turned me was I started wearing corked meindl's while cutting logs. That's probably the hardest thing a boot can be put through and I'd get a couple seasons out of a pair. They'd get a lot of miles, 1hr hikes just to get to my saw were not uncommon. I'm a meindl fan and if you can afford it I'd spring for the upgrade. Light use was fine for the Cabelas stuff but I'd wear a pair out in a month of horn hunting...
