Love these boots! Comfortable right out of the gate. Plenty of toe space, great ankle support, good traction, water resistant, good arch support, and not overly hot. Also, great looking boots! Not heavy or clunky. What more could you ask for in a boot? I have very high arches and these boots are supportive as is. At first I added a thin insole, but found I didnt really need it. If you do anticipate needing a substantial insole, I would go up a half size, perhaps. They are water resistant, but full on walking through deep creeks... not so sure about. Rain, puddles, mud...great. The only downside, as some others noted, is that you will undoubtedly get some wearing (rips) on top of the shoe where the foot bends. I have been wearing the boots for two seasons for daily walks of 3miles-ish (mostly just in fall and winters) and just noticed the holes recently... I'm sad, but have gotten tons of use and they are still very functional with many miles leftin them.