I came to Meindl after trying on, rejecting or returning nearly every boot at REI. I now own both the Comfort Fit for day hikes and the Air Revolution Alpine 4.1 for heavy duty trails and backpacking and find them to both be superb. I find myself leaning towards the 4.1 for day hikes - unless I know the trail will be gentler elevation and terrain or mixed trail, gravel and pavement where they really shine. The 4.1 is relatively lightweight, with a fantastic stiff sole which I find makes even day hikes much less fatiguing on the feet, ankles and calves.

Thanks to a tip from another reviewer - I played around with the extra 'tongue' which is a key feature of the climate control. I don't run hot - but really like the extra padding around my ankles and by adjusting it to sit slightly higher in the boot and extend over the top - I was able to free up space I needed in the forefoot and maximize ankle padding.

I use a fairly thick, custom insert and size up accordingly. I also have very high arched, wider foot and it's a must for me that even with my insert my toes have plenty of room not just in the width but also in the height of the toe box given the space my insert takes up.

Amazingly - the 4.1 delivers on my requirements. It has the stiffness I really wanted in a boot, but is light enough for all uses. My Comfort Hikers are a 9 EE and my 4.1s are a 9.5EE given that it has overall a narrower toe box. For a EE boot I do rate these as slightly narrow - but sizing up for…

Been a Meindl loyalist for close to 30 years. Of course, like most people I was introduced to the brand through Cabela’s in the early 90s. Started with a ComfortFit hiker. As a casual hiker, got close to 20 years out of those, and they never once took in water. Moved into the light hiker, and after two pairs, was looking for something with more of an Alpine fit. Call customer service to ask about the Alpine hiker 4.1 and Dan or Sam (hearing is not what it wants was ) talk me through the sizing and I sized up half size from the light hikers. The toolbox is not nearly as wide, but I’m able to splay my toes and the fit was exactly what I was looking for.

Just finished a 2 mile hike in about 6 inches of snow for the first run and I couldn’t be happier. They actually feel warmer than the light hikers and this support is amazing. Looking forward to putting on a couple hundred more miles over the course of this winter and early spring. Will definitely check back in with a review after some extend extended use. Thank you once again to the team at Meindl for the time in care they put into ensuring customers get the proper boot and fit. The time will you typically get an automated response on the phone, I’m so happy to see that after all these years that their customer standard has not been compromised in the least.