Thanks, that all make sense.
I have a cheap pair of merrell ridgpass gtx walking boots for dog walking.
I say cheap, they were actually £5 more than the defenders but half the price of my walking boots.
But the merrells are not a patch on the defenders, it would be interesting to see how well the defenders stayed dry because on lowland walking atleast if they stayed dry in all but the worst conditions I would choose them over the merrell anyday.