Fit is king.
I had Lowa Baffin Pros that fit well and were comfortable, but weren't that supportive for their weight and also had a seam in the wrong place (on the side of the Achilles) that rubbed open under normal use. I got a warranty replacement for them after 11 months and promptly sold off the replacements.
I have a pair of Kennetrek Mountain Guides that I love the combination of weight and performance on (not that supportive, but at a relatively low weight with good traction and just enough support for real use plus a fairly cushy feel). However, construction hasn't been that good. I've only had them since September. There is a rubber on rubber seam on the toe that opened up because it isn't a tight fit and lets water directly into the midsole. No, I didn't use anything but wax on them. I fixed it once with shoe goo and that lasted a month before re-opening then I tried contact cement and that lasted 2 days. There is also a piece of cordura on the tongue that has ripped out. It has leather underneath so I consider it non-essential. They're going back to Kennetrek this week. Hopefully the next ones are better because I do like them.
I keep trying to find something better, but for longevity and performance it is hard to beat Asolo boots. I used a pair of TPS boots for nearly a decade before they wore out. I have a pair of fairly heavy (more mountaineering weight) TPS boots that I go back to whenever the Kennetreks are down. At this point I kind of regret getting the Kennes instead of a pair of Asolo 535V boots -- they cost $100 less and are probably a higher quality boot. I'd miss the sole from the Kennes though.
You'll notice a recurring thread of all leather boots without goretex in them. I'd forgotten how much drier my feet stay across all conditions - dry, rain, wet snow - in all leather boots with sno-seal on them than in goretex lined boots.
