This review is for Arctic Excursion mid lace-ups, which I've been wearing for about two weeks (not continuously of course) and so I feel i know them a little bit. This is my third pair of Mucks: I own Peaks that I use for plowing snow, and Scrubs that I use for general purpose not-too-cold-out chore and driveway boots. The Peaks are very warm, very comfortable conventional lace-ups and I love them. Scrubs are not warm but are also comfortable and I love them too. The AE's are somewhere in between. They are warm enough for winter here in northern Pennsylvania, and the fact that they are higher than the Peaks and made of rubber make them better in slop. But they are nowhere near as comfortable. They aren't as comfortable as my Scrubs either, and I think I know why. It appears the rubber Mucks are sized on the outside of the boot rather than inside, so the dimensions of the Scrubs and AE's are the same. But the AE's have thicker linings and sock liners and so they are tighter and more difficult to get on and off. That's not a deal breaker, and as I've been wearing them the lining seems to be compressing a bit and they're loosening up some, but if I had known I would have gone up a size. Otherwise I like them, and if they wear as well as my other Mucks I'll be happy. Not sure what the laces are all about though. I bought them for the rubber-all-the-way-up feature and just leave the laces alone. They may have a function but I haven't found it yet. As far as looks go, well you probably aren't buying them for their beauty - which is in the eye of the beholder so I'm told - and you more than likely won't be attending the opera in them, but they have rugged good looks that appeal to me. In conclusion, if you buy a pair of AE's expecting warm and durable you'll be happy, but if you're expecting them to be pretty and slipper comfortable you just might be disappointed.