Less than two weeks ago, I purchased a pair of Itasca Mens Mountaineer Waterproof Boots - Stock# 809207. The problems are amazing:

The first day, the laces became untied and when I went to tie them I found that the lace fabric was totally frayed and unusable.

Then the laces that are used to close off the top of the boots self-destructed. There are plastic caps at the very end of each lace to avoid the situation where a lace could end up coming off the shoe with no hope of getting it back on. These caps came off almost immediately.

My favorite is the "Waterproof" claim. When I wear these boots, the inside bottom of the boots under the Thinsulate inner boots is always very moist, causing my socks to get wet. A wonderful feeling!

The only positive characteristic of these boots is that they are very slip-proof, even on ice.

I really can't believe the overall lack of quality. And they look so sturdy.

Christian Hahn
E-mail: [email protected]