I got these boots because I needed an all around boot for Search and Rescue, Hiking, Hunting and something I could wear at work, when I do Bridge Inspections. I wanted something with full grain leather and no seams in the toe area, because my previous boots had all failed in that area after about 2 years.
The Hardscrabble Hikers are very stiff out of the box, which is to be expected, because they are very sturdy boots. The sides gradually wore in to the sides of my foot after a few hikes. After about 20 miles the soles started to wear in.
I just wore them on a 23 mile SAR mission going through rock, snow and mud at 11,000 feet and they worked great and kept my feet dry. The ankle support saved me from injury a couple of times. They fit well in my snowshoes too.
I think these boots will last a long time and will only get more comfortable with additional use.