Columbia Women's Newton Ridge Plus Waterproof Hiking Boot - Lightweight & Durable for Outdoor Adventures, Trail Walking & Mountain Climbing

I ordered these hikers from Columbia after about 3 weeks of scouring Amazon for the right pair. I have always been very hesitant to order any kind of footwear online (I'm a see it, try it on in person first kinda shopper when it comes to clothing & footwear) as I have wider feet and seem to never have luck finding footwear that fits as it should.I've liked Columbia's products for a long time, but could never seem to get my wider feet into their footwear. However, after finding these in a brick & mortar store & falling in intense like with these hikers, I came back to Amazon to find them in an 11 WIDE (!) at super great price far less than in the retail store. With some hesitancy I decided to order these hikers & give it a try. The free return if they didn't fit tipped the scales.They arrived on time as promised and HUZZAH! actually fit my wide feet! Not only did they fit my wide feet, I experienced zero crunching of my toes (the toebox is *actually WIDE* like it should be on a wide shoe), the arch is in the right place, and I can even wear a medium to thick crew sock without feeling squeezed and still have room for my toes to move around.I *really* appreciate that the tongue of this hiker is *not* sewn all the way up to practically the top, which allows for my foot to really easily slide into this hiker without having to wrestle it on. These hikers lace up really nicely and the laces stay tied because they are rounded and not flat. In terms of weight these hikers are not at all heavy like some others I have tried so my legs and feet don't get tired.Though I haven't been in too many situations where there is a ton of water or wintry slush, so far these hikers have performed as waterproofed hikers should in this early winter season. I wore these hikers right out the box the first day for almost the whole day & didn't feel the need to "break them in" as I ahve had to do with other hiker boots.The boots are not heavily insulated, but even with a medium weight crew sock on my feet stay pretty warm but don't overheat even when I've worn them practically all day long. Speaking of crew socks, you'll want to opt in for them because I found that without them the fabric on the inside of the boot can be a little harsh on your ankle. That said, if you are on a long hike with *any* hiker boot this should be your standard dress code anyhow.Overall, really love these hikers. Delightfully surprised by them & would highly recommend.Overall, these hikers were a great find, a nice surprise in fitThere could be some improvements made on arch support. While this has so far not been uncomfortable for me at all, if you have higher arches you might need an arch support insert depending on your comfort level. These hikers are not super cushy inside with any kind of memory foam but, again, even having worn them practically all day long my feet really weren't achy at all,