Membrane lined boots mean that you are effectively walking with your feet in very thin plastic bags. The thinner the boot material, the more porous/stroke ventilated the upper, the more pieces it is made of, the more likely the membrane is to be perforated from the outside. Poor fit and untrimmed toenails can wear the membrane through from the inside. Again, the less there is between your foot and the membrane, the sooner it is likely to abrade. Bottom line, lightweight fabric boots are likely to start leaking more quickly than more robust boots. I have over 2200 miles on one of my pairs of leather boots, I am told the membrane has finally worn through from the inside but they still don’t leak. Fabric boots I have owned in the past have not lasted nearly as long.
Ultimately it is a trade off, weight and durability versus lightness with quality of workmanship/materials and an element of chance thrown in. Each individual makes a choice depending on budget, walking style and terrain.