My wife was having a problem with black toe when she would hike. I got these boots for her and the problem cleared up. She loves them. When she got a stress fracture in her foot these worked better then the devise the doctor gave her so she wore these.
I've had my pair of Cresta Hikers for 11 years now. I originally bought them for my internship with the Forest Service and they were great for off-trail hiking (which is necessary in my line of work). They also lasted through a summer in a research forest, several trips to Acadia National Park as well as Yosemite National Park. Puddles are no problem; my feet have always stayed dry! Great ankle support, too. I love the wide option: it's so hard to find wide boots these days. After two pregnancies (aka swollen feet) they still fit. The only thing is, Vibram soles can get a little slippery when wet, especially when you're on smooth rock.
I purchased these boots in narrow for my problem skinny feet about three years ago. All other boots left me with heel blisters or toe problems, but not my Cresta Hikers. I've abused them way above tree-line in the Eastern Sierras and they're still going strong, perhaps a bit ugly now, but still waterproof. I found them to be true-to-size. My only complaint is the provided insole is a bit thin, an easy fix.
The soles of these boots have great traction and last forever. The leather holds up really well against the sand, and they're comfortable regardless of the weather (3 season).
