I ran into a SOBO hiker last fall--"Bull-dog"--who said he had problems with his LLBean boots in the first 100 miles and hitched to Wal-Mart and bought a pair of "Earthshoes". I have tried them with a different insole and have found them serviceable, not so great on breathability. Just thought I'd see what luck hikers have had with these or other department store boots...