Boots review Update 3 days after buying these boots on the 15/01/2025 My first detailed review of the boot which is below mentioned doubt about waterproofness based on other buyers reviews, so I got out on a regular walk where there is wet grass from a down pour the night before, some puddles and mud. Before setting off on the walk I made sure I had the tongue of the boot layed properly across the top of my feet before tightening the laces. I tightened the laces enough for my foot to feel comfy with a slight bit of room but the boot still hugged my foot. I tied of the boot laces on the hooks one down from the top. The boots did not let in any water. My feet were warm and dry. You can see the video I created while on the walk as part of this review. Purchased on 15/01/2025. After reading through walk boot reviews on all the offerings of different boots on Amazon around this price range of the Nortiv8, I read the reviews on the Nortiv8 boots and time lapsed through nearly all of the 18000 reviews to see if there was any common themes of issues with these boots comparing this with the other offerings and reviews of other boots. My gist from the Nortiv8 reviews was these boots are value for money, comfy with little or no having to wear them in depending on how sensitive your feet are and the sock you choose to wear with the boots. Also that it's worth spending a bit extra and buying waterproof spray and a pair of insoles with a bit more padding. And this gets you a boot that is super comfy and is certain to be waterproof if you are in doubt due to the minority of reviews about wet feet. Thinking fairly about boots straight out of the box that are made for extreme conditions with a thick grip sole, upper boot material that's got to handle almost every type of weather then they are not going to be as comfortable straightaway as a brand new pair of running trainers made out of light fabric and super cushioning, the boots will need a little bit of bedding in. Unless you've got hardy feet. I used the reviews to take note about bedding them in, so I wore them around the house for a couple of days before doing a substantial walk. Loosely tied laces as in the reviews is the key. I did try the laces tighter and found, as described in the reviews, slight numbness around the big toe and ball of big toe. Loosening them up cured that. Sizing The all important, "will they fit?" question. Should I order a size bigger or smaller. A person's foot measurement changes throughout their life based on a number of factors including age, weight, health and the time of day the measurement is completed. Evening is said by footwear experts to be the best time of day to do the foot measurements. The UK footwear measurement system is based on the length of barleycorns. Totally archaic, look it up! To compare what you think is your UK size a suggestion is to use the US measurement system as the US footwear measurement system is based on actually measuring a person's foot in inches then multiplying the length of the foot in inches by three, then subtracting 24 for men's shoes and 23 for women's shoes. Google it! It's recommended to wear the socks you intend to use in the shoe when doing the measurement. There are an endless number of charts to convert from the US back to the UK. I am exactly size 11 UK with a standard everyday thickness sock and this leaves about half an inch space at the end of the toe in the boots. The Nortiv8 fits perfectly with a thicker sock but leaves 3/8 of an inch space at the front. The fit for me is great. Style First impressions on style and also to a comparison of the images on the product page, they are a neat looking boot. They don't look big and clunky. Even at size 11. They look good on. Upper Material Smooth for 80% of the boot and easy to wipe with multiple layers overlayed and bonded together to give them that style and strength. No thick seam edges where mud could lodge and rot the boots apart from round the ankle where there is some sewn thicker material. Tread and sole Keeping in mind that these are for rugged use, if you try bending the boot where the joint of the toe and foot meet by hand then they are stiff. Put your foot in and with your full body weight in the boots they flex just fine at this point with a bit of resistance (test done new boots). Inside the boot Around the ankle there is lots of padding/cushioning including the tongue and this continues down the tongue onto the top of the foot making the top of the boot very comfortable where the laces span across. At the back of the boot there is thick cushioned padding from the ackle to the top of the ball of the heel, which means the boot fits nicely into the curve just above the ball of the heel and helps to reduce the heel rubbing up and down. The padding directly on the back of the ball of heel is thin. This is the all familiar blister zone for footwear. I would prefer more of a trainer style padding in this area and increased ankle padding. In this area the Nortiv8 fits perfectly with walking or work boot socks just fine which pads it a bit more otherwise it's a bit harder when wearing the boots with standard everyday socks. The sides and above the toes have similar padding as the ball of the heel but feels enough for these areas. Directly in front of the toes at the front of the boots there is no extra padding just the same as the sides. Walking down hill will rely on how tight the laces are tied to stop the foot slipping forward. The right socks will pad this area if the correct size of boot has been purchased. The innersoles These are contoured to match the inside of the boot with a medium instep. Again, with a stand everyday type sock the innersoles feel thin and the boot feels harder under the ball joint of the big toe. The ridge of the stitching of the inner shell of the boot and the imperfections of the molded midsole underneath this can be felt slightly through the innersole with thin socks. The Nortiv8 fits perfectly with thicker socks if you find it's not quite right for you and you feel extra padding is best for you. There's space above the toes to fit thicker innersoles or again as mentioned above, aboving work boot socks. Under the heel of the foot the innersoles are thicker and feel fine. This area was tested with bare feet! Thermal insulation These boots are very warm with the tread sole providing good insulation in the thinner areas at the front of the boot. The tread and midsole The tread is made out of a hard wearing material with a tread design pattern that reduces mud and stones getting stuck in the grooves of the tread. The raised areas of the tread are beveled to help mud, grit and stones detach while walking. The midsole, which is sandwiched between the tread and upper boot feels softer and has flexibility for shock absorption but still feels tough enough not to tear on stones or rocks. Weight Each boot weighed 633g weighed on a standard set of kitchen scales. This weight test is with size 11's, I'm assuming there will be weight differences based on size of boot. Compared with a super light pair of size 11 running trainers of 250g to 300g, then these boots are considerably light on your feet and feel nibble and rugged at the same time. Value for money Yes, based on the boot weight, style and ruggedness I am happy with the quality of the boot for the price and don't mind doing the personal improvements based on my requirements mentioned above to ensure maximum comfort and remove doubt about the boot not being waterproof. If you ever find the one boot that's perfect out of the box for everyone, then please post the details as part of a review of these boots to compare, because I've never found them. This boot comes a close second place though.