I bought a pair of Cresta all leather hikers in 1997. They are absolutely the best shoe I have ever owned. You cannot destroy these boots. I have hiked in the mountains, wore them through salty Winters, hunted with them, farmed, and did muddy landscaping. They have been wet hundreds of times yet they just keep going. The leather is the best quality, but the sole is what makes them so good. Mine still have the original shoe strings!
This year I started wearing my second pair but the old ones are used every week as well. Amazing.
I'm extremely picky when it comes to my shoes, and these boots meet all of my expectations for something I'll wear every day. They look great even after two winters' worth of snow and salt, they keep my feet warm, they provide support and traction, and are quite durable. For the price, I'm not sure there's anything better on the market.
I have been a LL Bean customer for over 40 years and I am an avid outdoor person. I booked a 14 day tour of the German Christmas Markets starting in Berlin and ending in Munich. I needed a boot that would be comfortable and handle rain, snow and cold weather and especially cobblestone streets. This tour had plenty of walking and I thought the Cresta Hiiker would be perfect. I wear a size 9B and this is one of the few hiking boots that are offered in a narrow width. The product description page has a video that would lead one to believe the boots are made in Italy, mine were made in Romania. The boots while marked size 9B, ran on the wide size more like a 9C. I hade to replace the standard footbed with a thicker footbed to make up the width. The product page clearly states they require a break in. This is very true, and I found the boots took longer than expected to break in, 24 - 32 hrs. I wore the boots with mid weight hiking socks.
The first day in Berlin put the boots to the test, snow, sleet and freezing rain. The boots excelled in every respect. I wore the boots every day of the tour for a period of 8-12 hours per day, and found them very comfortable. In summary
PROS A warm, comfortable, waterproof mid range hiking boot.
CONS. Not true to width Requires a longer break in period
I have been wearing these boots daily as a delivery person for about 6 months. I really enjoy wearing them. They offer incredible support, are very comfortable, and not too heavy; all very important things for someone like me who is constantly moving and on my feet.
Having said that, there are a few minor things that you should be aware of: 1. The leather is easily scuffed. After the first day of wearing them they looked almost a few months old. This isn't a huge deal as I'm not big on aesthetics. A bit of shoe polish or leather conditioner will mask this problem.
2. Gore-Tex. The stuff keeps your feet dry, but it isn't breathable like it claims to be. Any amount of moisture seems to put the stuff on lock-down. My feet tend to sweat and this is bad news. The boots don't ventilate well and on warm days they get hot and sweaty. I haven't hiked with them yet, but I'm weary that if I do and end up getting water in over the top of them, I'll have a tough time draining and drying them out. I would have preferred a simple pair of boots without Gore-Tex, and my next pair definitely won't have it. That way, waterproofing would be optional; I could use whatever product I like on the boots.
3. Weak lace-hooks. They are easily bent and sometimes make for a bit of trouble when I lace them up in the morning. More often than not, they get bent outward and I have to press down hard to put them back in place.
Other than these three things, they are fantastic boots.
