Reviews here are due some perspective:
I am a long-time and die-hard revolving customer to the Columbia brand. I am because I have been thoroughly satisfied by their product line. There are many brands I don't return to, so if I'm continuing to purchase from the same brand, the company has won my loyalty through quality products.
Having said that, I started buying Columbia hiking boots, give or take 15 years ago, despite never being a hiker. I bought them because they went well with shorts for the summer. I got used to them, and since they were lightweight and versatile, I started bringing them with me for travel. When traveling, I do a lot of urban walking. While in England, I made the mistake of wearing my Timberland Pros, walking on them over 8 miles in a day. The next day I switched to my Columbias, and it was night and day. Used them for Italy as well. I power walked on them like I had sneakers on. The major difference between these and sneakers is the ankle support. They provide significant support for ankles ( and as a tall guy with a quick gate I have rolled mine a number of times ).
So you want work boots, Timberland Pros all day long, hands down. These are not work boots, nor are they serious trail hiking boots where you are going to traverse forest/jungle canopy terrain. ASOLO gets $260 for their hiking boots for a reason ( I own those too ). They feel like they are made of Kevlar. Would I wear the ASOLOs to traverse across Florence Italy? Hell no. Just like my experience in the Timberland Pro's you will come back to your hotel half broken from walking in boots not meant for the application.
You have to look at the price point and application. These are excellent for daily casual use and highly recommended for urban city walking and throw in some light trails all day long. You can't beat them. Great arch support. Very comfortable and they look great. They really stand out. I bought two pairs and I'm exceedingly satisfied.
For hiking I'll use my Asolo's. For work boots ( and I get knee deep in heavy construction projects) I'll use my Timberland Pro's. For everyday use with ankle support Im going with these all day. If you try to use them for what they are not designed for, you will be disappointed. Yes, they say hiking – but I'm not gonna put a $250 expectation on a $75 boot.
