It does stretch and get more comfortable than they are when new, they break in to your feet nicely, but even after break-in I think the foam ones were more comfortable before and after they broke-in. I still have both pairs though so I use both for different things, I tend to not wear the leather ones when I’m doing anything wet. Fine for desert hikes though. You mentioned hiking so that’s a good point, at the end of a long day of walking or hiking in them, I tended to notice my feet being less comfortable and I would switch to the old foam ones once I got home for walking around the house.