Thermo Kiruna 2 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot

From the moment I put them on, they were incredibly comfortable. There was no break-in period at all, and I was very happy with my purchase. I wore them for a casual walk. It had rained earlier, so there were a few small, shallow puddles along the way. Because these boots are advertised as waterproof, I confidently stepped through those puddles. Throughout the day, my feet felt completely dry. However, after about six hours, when I got back and took the boots off, I noticed that the tips of my socks around the toe area were slightly damp, along with a very unusual odor coming from the boots. I removed the insoles to investigate and was shocked to find that the inside of both boots was completely wet underneath the insoles, especially under the ball of the foot and in the toe box. This was extremely disappointing. Since I had already worn them outside, I had no choice but to continue using them for the rest of my trip. Every evening, I had to remove the insoles and dry the boots as soon as I got back to the hotel. The odor became worse every day, and it was honestly embarrassing. In the end, I had a very comfortable pair of hiking boots, but they were not waterproof, which was the main reason I bought them. I’m now wondering whether I can return them. I remember the return policy saying that only new items with tags can be returned, but there was no way for me to discover this defect without wearing them. I hope Nordstrom Rack can help resolve this issue.