First pair of Meindl's I bought in Germany - a set of hikers that I used to jog in every morning. They went through two sets of Vibram soles and after 14 years were ready for another re-sole. The stitching was starting to go (although they were still water proof) and I decided to give them a decent burial. Bought another set of Meindl hikers and a set of Meindl all-leather insulated high tops at Cabelas.
The soles were now molded on instead of stitched, but otherwise, the quality was still there. Both are 7 years old now and starting to show a bit of age. Couple of light cuts in the outer leather by the toe, but still waterproof and the insulated ones are still my first choice for winter boots unless I going to be just sitting all day. For maximum warmth, I put on an oversize set of packs with rubber foot and leather upper and a felt liner. Hate walking in them, though, so my vote still goes to the Meindls. No idea if they are still made in Germany, or if they are farming that out somewhere. If they are not made in Germany, the quality control still seems to reside there. Haven't had any experience with other brands, but see no reason to go searching for something different.