I have a pair of Adidas Terrex XCR GoretexLeather shoes that I love. Sadly, I wore the soles off the bottom of them well to the point they were failing me on the trail. I was looking for a shoe with similar qualities (low cut but stable, waterproof, sure footed and not too heavy). The Terrex Fast R hits these categories though not as competently without modification. Namely, I found the drawstring laces too finicky and I never felt really secure no matter how hard I tugged on those pesky things. These shoes arent cheap so its not lightly that I decided to cut these things out, but I was quite happy with the other shoe characteristics, so I gave it a go. Simple enough, I cut the drawstrings and replaced them with nylon athletic laces. That made a big difference to the feel of the shoe adding stability and having an allaround better fit to my foot which is slightly narrow. Overall, very pleased with the shoes. They have served me well on both intermediate local hikes and longer ones like Old Rag Mountain. If these shoes last as long as my last pair (5 years or so of moderate to difficult day hikes), the price will be worth it. Pros Looks Lowcut but stable Waterproof, but breathable Comfortable in cool to warm weather Excellent traction truly spectacular while rock scrambling Midweight Sizing was accurate Cons Drawstrings were finicky Fit was not best with drawstrings Initial Cost http://shoespim.com/950