Those soles are by far the best grip I've ever had from a boot in Puget Sound. They are damn nice in the boat as well. I dunno if the Michelin rubber thing is a gimmick or what, but I've never used a better boot for gripping seaweed covered rocks and such nonsense in the sound.
I'm at about a year and a half on a pair of the Pro Boots with the BOA system, after rusting out a pair with standard laces after not rinsing them for a couple years, and have nothing but good to say. I don't do much hiking in them or anything as I'm almost always wearing them in the boat, but I'm not kind to them. I've not rinsed them once...they get thrown onto the floor in the backseat of my truck and live there when I'm not using them. Dug them out last week after an extended absence from the water and there was not a spec of corrosion to be found and the BOA system worked as if it was brand new. I'm a big fan.