I tried on the SWATs and 5.11 boots at a local Mall Ninja hang out and they're very light, very comfy, and the prices aren't horrible. My only beef is that the laces actually lace all the way up...I prefer the hooks for getting the boots on and off quickly. The side zip might be the answer to that but I haven't decided yet.

I got a tip on a quality shoe repair place in town and they claim to be able to re-sole damn near anything Vibram even with full or mid sole EVA mounting. I'm going to go there tomorrow and show them my boots to see what they can do. I might end up with a 'new' boots for $60 instead of $100+