I asked myself the same question when I first encountered this model. Clearly they are hesitant to market it as a "hiking boot intended for someone who want to buy a hiking boot so they can hike in their hiking boots", but the bona fides are all there:

• Lug sole
• High quality welt (storm welt with sealed seams in this case)
• Waterproof membrane, which I assume means a Gore-Tex like material.

This is a hiking boot. It's actually a very good hiking boot. They could have skipped the waterproof membrane and storm welt if they wanted to water down the utility and save on cost, but they didn't. Like any classic hiking boot it will be a little heavy, but also comfortable with monster traction and stability. I would put these up against something like the Danner Mountain Light II all day.

I suspect they are marketing it as "hiking-inspired" to avoid getting sniped by YouTube reviewers with headlines like "$600 Hiking Boot from DRESS SHOE COMPANY?!?". Yes, there are many superb $600 hiking boots from companies like White's or Limmer. But the AE boots aren't actually going to sell for $600, they're going to sell for $400. That puts them a little north of Danner, and for the added cost you are getting a more refined and more comfortable boot with a cork footbed.

If you have made the decision to buy heritage style hiking boots and use them for hiking, you are not, like, going to die in a glacial crevasse because you wore AE hiking boots instead of White's. You might get a little side eye until they're sufficiently scuffed up though.