Columbia Cougar Ridge WP

Let me begin by saying "You get what you pay for." I wanted an in expensive pair of boots for knocking around, working in the yard, and short trail hikes at the nature/wildlife center, where I work. These seemed to fit the bill - and being "waterproof" was an added bonus.

While wearing them for the exact reason I purchased them, at work, I needed to spend some quality time with my raptor friends outdoors - in a pretty steady rain. At first I thought "Hmm, these little buggers really are waterproof." That changed. After about an hour of walking through wet grass, carrying buckets of food, and pulling a garden hose to fill bathing pans, I became aware that my left sock was beginning to feel damp. Then, a short time later, the same thing happened to my right. By the time I was finished - about an hour and 45 minutes later, both my feet were soaked inside these "Waterproof" boots - and they were brand new!

Truth is, they are quite comfortable (when dry), but I'm not sure how long that will last, since the foot beds are glued in and somewhat thin. I planning on tearing them out and replacing them w/ something a bit more cushioned.

The fit was interesting too, when I tried them on. My reg size is a 10, so, of course, that's what I asked for. It was HUGE on my foot. The 9.5 was also way too big - even w/ winter socks on. I went home with a 9 thinking "Your feet are supposed to get bigger w/ age, not smaller..."

The reason for my low score for these pups is the waterproof deal. If they were regular non-waterproof boots, I would have scored them 1 to 1.5 points higher. They are an OK boot. They'll make good work boots, but even for this price, I could have gotten a much better pair of higher end boots on clearance, and had dry feet.