text: Background: My work involves walking long distances, in all sorts of terrain, vegetation and weather,  200+ days a year. I have been recommending Rockies for years as a quality boot at a decent price, and could count on them being comfy with no break-in, straight from the box. Not this pair - they didn't feel quite right just sitting at my desk, and I was unable to walk 30 feet across the office without extreme pain. It felt like a marble had been sewn into the seam where the upper (vertical) part of the boot meets the top of the foot, near the laces on the medial/big toe side of both boots. There was a lump beneath the liner - not sure if it was misaligned leather or bunched up insulation or what. The design has changed a little since my last pair of Cornstalkers and I think my very first pair had real Vibram lug soles, which have better traction. All in all, pretty disappointed, hopefully this pair of boots was a fluke and not a sign of a decline in Rocky quality. I think I'll go back to brick and mortar shopping so I can inspect my purchase first.