These hikers are GREAT!  I wore them for a few hours the evening before a strenuous 13 mile hike & had zero problems the next day.  I didn't get any blisters, and they offer fantastic support so my feet didn't hurt at the end of the day.  They come with an additional insert you can add for higher arch support, but I have pretty much flat feet so I just went with the inserts that were already in them.  The toe is reinforced. So, on our climb back UP the mountain at about mile 10 (this particular hike is a little &#34;backwards&#34;), when I stubbed my toe due to fatige for about the 20th time, it DID hurt, but not as badly as it would have if I were wearing a lesser shoe.  I was fine the next day.  These are awesom for the mountainous rocky terrain we frequently hike & the rubbery-grip on the sides are perfect for light climbing.  I've only used them in summer months so far, so I am unsure about how warm they'll keep my feet in the fall, and I haven't gotten them wet yet so I don't know about the level of water-proofing either.  Will try to update after fall use.