I'll give my overall impressions with my Tingley boots (I didn't get them with chaps, they're just knee high boots).
1st, I didn't buy them for hunting, I got them for general farm use type of stuff. I was tired of replacing $100 boots every other year, so I thought the Tingleys might be a better value and I decided to give them a try...but I really didn't expect much. They seemed like the wouldn't hold up well. I was wrong about that. My boots are going on 2 years old and they don't leak. I will say that the soles don't wear very long. My tread is about 80% gone. And they are extremely hazardous on wet, smooth concrete, just like Crocs are. I've almost gone down on my garage floor a few times. Like walking on ice. They were fine on soil, and dry organic surfaces, but as the tread wears, they aren't the best in snow and mud. I think that a pair of "shoe chains" would really improve traction. I have some chains that I should try out.
I switched the insoles with Superfeet insoles. If you've never tried Superfeet, you ought to give 'em a try. Tingley boots have a fairly flexible foot bed and they don't give much support, especially when walking cross-slopes. Superfeet insoles improve shoe/boot stability very well. Tingley doesn't have any sort of shank as far as I can tell so they might not be good for standing long hours on a ring of steps unless you change to a firmer insole.
One thing about these boots that I was concerned about was punctures from thorny stuff. My property has a ton of hawthorn trees. I've had hawthorn thorn go right through heavier-duty boots. Side story... I once had a hawthorn go through a hiking boot and up deep into the sole of my foot. OUCH! The thorn broke off flush with the boot tread so I couldn't get ahold of it to pull it out. I couldn't slip my foot out of the boot because the thorn had my foot "nailed" to the boot. What made matters worse was I was standing in a knee deep patch of poison ivy, so I couldn't even sit down to try to get the boot off, and I was afraid to walk for fear of breaking off the thorn in my foot. So I hopped on one leg until I was out of the poison ivy. I sat down and unlaced the hiking boots enough that I could get them off. So you can understand why puncture resistance would be important to me. I've yet to puncture the Tingleys but I'm positive that they aren't puncture proof by any means. Hawthorn thorns can go thru tractor tires. It's just a matter of time until a thorn goes thru my Tingleys, but so far, I'm impressed.
The concern about warmth...Tingley actually advertises that this type of rubber is warmer than the rubber in regular boots because there is air within the rubber. I'm not sure about that, but I do know that they are just as warm as non-insulated Lacross boots.
Overall, I like Tingley boots. They aren't perfect, but no boot is. I will definitely buy them again and I think I'll buy an additional pair with chaps.
And their lightness can't be overstated. You won't believe how light they are until you walk 10 steps in a pair.
Men's Accelerator Hip Waders and hunt in them. They'e about $200.00 but I think they're worth it. They're camouflaged with lightweight reinforced knees, gaiters, neoprene boots with a good sole. They're good for hiking and breathe well. You can roll down the upper leg material down to the top of the boot and use the gaiter that covers the upper portion keeping them snug to your leg and boots preventing water and debris from getting inside like traditional folding hip boots.
