I've owned the Alpines (with the GTX liner)for a little over a year and they've held up great. Very comfortable, very tough. I've used them for weeks in tropical rainforests (where snakes are an issue and these boots provide some confidence) and was comfortable as long as I used good socks. I wear them constantly and have never twisted an ankle. If you're considering the Apex/Alpine, buy 'em! Don't let the price discourage you (and as of 10/26/02 www.sierratradingpost.com had both for less than $200).

Reliable, comfortable, Waterproof boot - took a while to break in due to stiffness of the Nubuck leather but it now fits like a glove. The quality of the Vibram sole is its strongpoint. The fit is magnificent but my feet are generically sized and I find all my footwear to be comfy. Support is great. Fairly light at 3 lb 10 oz

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These boots are very well made, although, it did take a while to break in. I have punished these boots for over two years now tromping through just about everything, snow, mud, rock, and streams. They've held up beautifully still asking for more abuse. A solid boot, a great buy.

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Having had trouble finding a size 14 in anything comfortable, I wore these babies straight out of the box with heels cloaked in mole skin up Mount Whitney this past weekend. They performed great and I only have a couple nickle-sized heel blisters which were expected. They never rolled off a rock, and I felt like I'd break a tibia before an ankle. They're very sure-footed in rock-scrambling, although it's heavy to ""scramble"" with a size 14 anything. I went for the Apex instead of the Alpine because I didn't want to hold in the extra moisture with Gore-Tex. Even without the GTX, however, they were still not too breathable. So keep them away from hot, dusty hikes and look for cold mountain meadows. Great boot.

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