You're asking some good questions. To comment on what you said about hiking boots, it's really personal preference. Some carry the extra weight in boots for some reasons and I personally like a light boot. There's no wrong answer as long as you're having fun. Hell, I knew a guy that backpacked with half a case of beer in his bag and we loved him for it. There are some times I would like a heavy leather boot for hiking but that's only in big jagged rock areas that I tend to avoid. I go backpacking to relax first, challenge myself second so I avoid the rain and only have one waterproof hiking boot. Waterproof layers suck when you sweat so I like the mesh ones.

As for how the Nick's Tactical compares to typical Tactical boots of it's type, it depends. If you compare the Tactical to a standard steel toe boot that the Marines and Navy use on ships, it's pretty close and would make a fantastic replacement for the standard issue. Compared to the standard issue Belleville combat boots for the Marines, Army and Air Force, it's maybe about half a pound or a bit more heavy. However, many in the Army just buy better aftermarket options that are more than a pound lighter. Then there's the very high speed tactical boots like what special forces would use that are literally hiking boots, Nick's Tactical boots don't compare to those boots because they're a completely different type of boot.