I have been impressed with Wolverine boots ever since I was issued some by the US Army. Those were darn near indestructible, and (once broken-in) all-day wearable, so when I was in the market for a waterproof winter boot, Wolverine was on my short list. I have had Timberland and Merrill walking, hiking and rock-climbing shoes also over the years, by way of comparison.
Even though these are hiking boots, I do not primarily use them that way, but as daily footwear in the winter months (about half the year, where I live). So they have to deal with salt, sand, slush, ice, and snow. Puddles are nothing compared to the hazards of metal-blade shovels and working with the snowblower. These boots take a lot of abuse day in and day out; I never use oil or polish or even clean them much. This is actually my second pair of the same model (even though the "Spencer" name is new). My old ones endured 5 straight winters before a torn seam compromised the waterproofing and uglified them beyond my wife's tolerance (I do wear them to work every day).
I wore the old ones so much that I actually had to replace the laces--I can count on one hand the number of pairs of shoes where I've actually used them that hard for that long. The new set are all Nubuck, instead of having a leather upper, which should hold up better appearance-wise, but does make them a bit stiffer at first, in my opinion. The basic design (cut and construction) is nearly the same but the connection between the toe covering and lace-up section is different--and that's exactly where my old ones got stressed out and broke down, so I anticipate that this new pair will last just as long if not longer, with this improvement.
I have tested the waterproofing recently by standing in a 4-inch deep puddle of slush for over five minutes--not only were my feet still dry, they stayed warm too. Even though these boots are not listed as insulated, they keep my feet warm even down below zero when I have to spend an hour clearing the driveway. They can (in my opinion) even be too warm if you are going to be indoors for an extended time, but they do breathe surprisingly well for a waterproof shoe made with largely synthetic materials. Traction is also very good, although the lugs could be a bit deeper if you do serious hiking or backpacking. (Sole wear was better than average on my previous pair, so my expections are high for this set.)
This model has a fiberglass shank in the midsole for stability and to fight foot fatigue. This means they are solid but not inflexible like a steel shank often is, and weigh less too. They won't tire you out, if you're on your feet all day. After a couple weeks, I've found the removable footbed is already conformed well to my feet, so the break-in period isn't too long. I found these boots to be a great value as well, with similar models from name-brand companies selling for almost twice as much money; I got mine for only $60. They can even be found in men's wide-widths up to size 11. The only possible objection I have is that this model is not manufactured in the US, but not much is anymore. It seems clear to me that Wolverine is at least keeping good quality control practices, so I'll leave politics alone.
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