Normally, I love Timberland products, but this one is a complete miss. The lacing system is a disaster. First, there is a hard plastic rectangle on the top six holes. You can see it exposed on the pictures, but they don't tell you that that it digs into your ankles. The second problem is that the rest of the laces are essentially lashed by other laces instead of holes. Shoe laces are consumable items, and when one breaks, you can get a new one for $5-10. Unfortunately, Timberland chose to sew a few inches of looped shoe lace instead of poking holes in the leather. Once that breaks, the shoe is ruined. When my lace broke on one shoe, I noticed that one of the loops was frayed. I ordered new laces and wore other boots for couple days until they arrived. Two days after installing new laces, the frayed loop broke. I suppose I could poke my own holes with an awl or punch, but it's not worth it for for shoes that gouge my ankles.