They arrived today. This is what backpacking boots are all about. One piece leather construction, with leather interior too, which feels amazing, I wouldn't hesitate to wea these without socks ecept I want them to lat forever. These are STIFF boots, but very comfortable out of the box. Roomy across the foot and arch, but with a nice snug heel cup. Initial inspection shows very high quality construction. These boots are bery similar to some Vasque Super Hiker II's that I had about 15 years ago, or to the old Scarpa SL2's. I am in Afghanistan currently and spen lots of time with a heavy backpack and gear on brutal mountains without trails, so I will give an update as things progress, but my initial thoughts are these will make me as happy as any boots I've ever has. A note, I don't like goretex lineers or all that, because once you wax your boots they loose alot of breathablitiy any way, and are just as waterproof as a Gtx boot, lus I don't care for all the extra insulation or weight the Gtx provides. If you want Gtx this may not be a good boot for you.
