And once that happens, there is almost no way you can keep your feet dry with a light fabric boot, like the KSB 300 that I reviewed in August. If you can afford quality Goretex waterproof motorcycle boots then these will be a more comfortable purchase, no doubt. In the medium term (maybe 6 months, depending how often you wear them) the Goretex stops working - it gets dirty and you can't get at it to clean it, it also gets holes in.

So, even if your answer is true, I just essentially heard "The real problem with Gore-Tex is that you have to use them just right, and 'just right' interferes with other necessities, so they aren't worth it. For myself, I've never owned or felt the need to own gore-tex lined boots, although it seems to be increasingly difficult to get boots without these days.

Both the Be Lenka winter boots and the Xero Alpine look good for our cold (sometimes subzero) and often snowy Chicago winters, but I’m wondering, what about waterproofing on the Alpines? Any space here will cause the boot to crease while you walk and very quickly damage not just the Gore-Tex but also the boot, causing both seams and leather to split over time.

Also if you intend on wearing socks only thin ones warn inside as they are that snug that if you are to wear something more bulky like a walking sock, then they would have to go over the top. I love Be Lenka because they fit most people due to their extra wide toe box and adjustability (on most models, the Polaris shown above is not adjustable). If you have thicker ankles and calves and don’t need the ties, Steger also has models that are just pull-on.

At this point, it's down to the quality of the rest of the boot as to whether it's still waterproof.

I do like shoes though, and have Oboz, Columbia and Helly Hansen lightweight hikers and trail runners.

I have an expensive pair of Zamberlan boots in my closet that gave me blisters and a black toenail before I gave them up and switched to hiking shoes (low top, like tennis shoes with better tread) and I have never regretted it. Dunno exactly but my impression is that goretex linings break down (and leak) at well under half the useful life of the boot. Manitobah mukluks have a fairly tapered toe box when brand new, but there is a lot of vertical space and the leather stretches out a lot as you wear them.