Before I retired, I wore steel toed work boots every work day. I spent a lot of time outside in the mud and snow and almost always had wet boots and wet feet. Some time after 2000, I started wearing Gore-Tex lined boots and had dry feet for about a year, before the lining wore out. Most of my older work boots only lasted a year anyway, so this was much better performance. I always wore leather boots and the leather would crack just above the sole and let water in. The lined boots that I wore from 2000 to my retirement in 2014 held up much better and lasted far longer. When they started to leak, I'd set them aside for summer use and, when I could, I'd use two pairs of work boots alternating days so that they had a day to dry. The liners kept my feet dry until they wore out. I seldom wore rubber boots unless I knew that I was going to be in deep water.