Have had several North Face products over the years and though expensive, they always were top quality. In this case, I bought a lace up pair of these boots for myself in Michigan and a few years later a slip-on pair for my Dad in Illinois. Both pairs were only worn for snow shoveling or snow blowing in the winter...maybe a dozen times per year? Evidence provided by the limited wear shown on the soles. Both pairs stored in our cool basements out of season, out of the sun...and both pairs similarly had their lowers crack and fall apart on their own. One spring when put away for the season they are fine...next fall they are cracked and falling apart. Both pairs were bought from a national outdoors retailer who used to provide excellent customer service where if you were ever unhappy with a product regardless of age, you could return it for a refund...not anymore. They had me contact North Face directly. I filled out the required paperwork, paid over $25 to send them to North Face, and they returned them with no admission that they had a manufacturing or material issue. Lowers on all varieties of the current boots seem to be identical to the older ones I have...and a replacement pair I bought. Judge for yourself based on the pictures and above if these boots and the company are where you want to spend your hard-earned money...and if you want to risk having your boots blow out on an excursion.
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