I found the size 36 boot cut to be a very forgiving 36. Sometimes 36 can be quite snug on me, but these are quite comfortable. If you are debating between 36 and 38, I'd say go for the 36. These jeans look great. As I said, they are not snug, but they don't droop or bunch either And to be frank, my rear end looks good in them. It's not tight across the backside, there's plenty of material, but the material doesn't droop. It stays up. This is probably the best-fitting pair of jeans I've ever owned. If I had the luxury of trying on several pairs in a store setting, I'd try the 34s just to see, but I'm quite happy with these size 36.