Salomon Boots: A Gear Review

I recently exchanged my Vasque Breeze 2.0 hiking boots for a pair of Salomon Quest 4D II GTX hiking boots.  You can read about my initial thoughts on them here.  Since getting this pair of boots, my cousin also decided to replace her Vasque hiking boots  (Of course her Vasque boots are 24 years old-seriously, I'm not joking).  She had been checking out the same Salomon boots, and long story short, she ordered a pair as well.  When she tried them on, she had the same initial thoughts that I did.  The boots seem to "hike for you" (like the magic dancing shoes Porky Pig had to wear for stealing leprechaun gold).  Seriously, the boot moves so well when you walk, it feels like they are rocking your foot forward.  They are also very cushy and feel closer to a sneaker than a boot.
This past weekend, we went for a test hike on the Appalachian Trail.  We hiked nearly 6 miles and had zero complaints.  The couple of little problems I had were due to trying out sock liners for the first time and not from the boot.  I was extremely grateful for the hiker ankle support on this boot compared to my former pair.  Several time I turned my ankle on rocks in the trail, and I never had an issue with injury.  And speaking of injury, I have a bad ankle from a nasty sprain several years ago.  Walking or standing for long periods tends to make it ache really bad.  I had no problems with it whatsoever on this hike, and I should have had problems.  I'm certain the added support helped hold that joint stable and gave it significant support.
According to the sales associate at REI, this boot is popular with the police and military.  It's also an actual backpacking boot, meaning that the sole is sturdy enough to protect your feet while carrying the additional weight of a full pack (regular hiking boots don't always offer the same protection for backpacking). These boots have also been very easy to break-in.  This was mentioned to me when I purchased mine, but I wasn't willing to believe it.  I've only really worn them on 2 trips that involved all day hiking on the trail and both times I was good.  I haven't experienced any blisters or hot spots.  The most annoying thing (and it isn't really that annoying at all) was getting used to having a higher ankle.
So far my cousin and I both are pleased with our choice