I am a weekend hiker, short distance backpacker and I found these to be very sturdy, hiking shoes that handled slopes and jagged rocks well: I could scramble confidently up and over granite boulders with no slipping or sliding, and didn't feel the sharp broken rocks and shale along some of the trails. I made sure to get the shoes a half size bigger to allow for room while hiking and going downhill and to wear thick socks, my feet were comfortable for multiple miles going uphill, downhill and level terrain. I have high arches and when walking, my foot rolls inward which caused my inner ankle to rub against the side of the shoes, not enough to get a blister or bruise, but annoying at times. I believe this can be resolved with a more robust arch support system than the shoes offers presently.